Day Three in Bahrain

Our third day in Bahrain, jet lag kicked into full force. We started our day with the best of intentions to go out to a museum, but none of us could quite muster the energy.

American Alley. Hey there, Dairy Queen. 

We spent our morning in "American alley," which is a street tailored to the American soldiers who are stationed there with the US Navy fleet. There were so many American food chains, it actually made me sad to see the area so dominated by horrible western fast food. Deciding to take a trip to the local grocery store turned out to be an adventure.

We found great treasure in the Mega Mart, like foreign face creams and Arabic coffee. Upstairs was a clothing store much like a Kmart, and my cast mate came away with a few pairs of jeans - and unlikely purchase in an Arabic grocery store.

Even though we rested all morning, our work day stretched from 4pm - midnight. We drove out to a community center and taught a theater workshop to some children with the guidance of our manager, Deirdre.

The children were of all ages and nationalities. The one thing they all had in common was their willingness to use their imaginations.

If I've learned anything from this trip, it's that kids are the same around the world. While they were initially shy, by the final activity they were all creating vivid scenarios and playing with each other. One group of precocious girls insisted on staging their own scene, complete with a beginning, conflict, and resolution. It was very freeing to let go and play with some kids.

Action shot. Washy washy!

After the workshop, we were taken back to Arad Fort for our technical rehearsal. We had been told that it only rains in Bahrain three times a year. One of those times was during our only tech rehearsal before the show.

Arad Fort

The stage was outdoors, making things a bit complicated. The immediate stage was covered by tent, but some of the backstage and wing space was exposed to the rain. While a very long rehearsal with delays for the weather, there were moments when the uniqueness of the situation overwhelmed me. There I was, singing in Bahrain, outdoors with the fresh air and sand, in the rain. Inside of a historical Portuguese fort. That will never happen again! (unless we go back next year...)

The house seats 2,000.

Tired but happy, we all went to bed rather late.