Ok, You're Dead... So Now What?

In 2005, I worked on a highly bizarre musical comedy, Zombie Prom, at Palo Alto Players.  (One of my favorite production experiences ever!)  We all took our work on the 50's-style musical about a high school prom with a Zombie very seriously.

One day during the rehearsal process, someone brought in a bunch of precious little cheeses, this time with yellow wax.  Goober that I am, I asked everyone who ate a cheese to please give me the wax when they were done.  Pile of wax balls in hand, I created an entire tower of cheese wax cheerleaders by the end of rehearsal that evening.  Everyone thought they were adorable, and so they lived quite happily on the stage management table until the show opened.  

At the end of the run of a show, some folks like to write a nice thank you note or give a small gift of appreciation to their fellow cast/crew.  This was the first time I had decided to make cheese wax people for anybody that wasn't Logan, so the stakes were high.  Each one needed to be personal and perfect!

Yes, they're green...  Just like real Zombies!

From the top Left, moving across:

Zombie Beth: Backstage Dresser, sporting a very fashionable set of itty bitty coat hangers as she assists with quick changes.

Zombie Ian: Deck Crew.  His favorite task was mopping the stage before each show.  (I hate mopping, so I was lucky to have someone around to do it for me:-)  He is carrying a miniature mop.

Zombie Jon: Deck Crew, and designated Water Boy.  He is sporting blue hair and toting the sacred red plastic water cup.

Zombie Margaret: Deck Crew.  When Margaret wasn't busy being a rock star backstage, she was never without a good book.

Zombie Karen: Our esteemed Stage Manager, who wore her hair in many different colors, this time dyed it green and blue in honor of Opening Night.

Zombie Quinn: Master Electrician and Light Board Operator, had a trademark hairstyle of his own--  a shaved head except for 4 long, pink, curly pigtails.  Two in front and two in back.

Zombie Chris: Deck Crew and onsite Mac Guru!

Zombie Megan: Follow Spot Operator, who's little wax hands melted under the intense heat of the lighting instrument...

Zombie Matt: Musical Director and Disney fanatic!

Zombie Anna: Follow Spot Operator, who's hands unfortunately suffered the same fate as Zombie Megan's.

Zombie Grant: Sound Designer and Reinforcement Engineer with his trademark oddly-bent wire hanger and body mic packs for each actor.

Zombie Michelle: Our other backstage dresser, wire hangers in hand, ready for any crazy wardrobe malfunction.

Zombie Greg: Whose character in the show endured several references to a jock strap.  (Kinda looks like a diaper from the front, but no.  It's a jock strap.)

Zombie Madeline: Our Makeup Artist, who Zombi-fied Charlie in a record amount of time with her handy makeup pallet.  

Zombie Charlie: Played Jonny, who takes his life in the name of teen love...  A sad case of a hormonal imbalance resulting in a Class 3 Nuclear disaster.  He wears his boutonniere for the prom and carries a corsage for his still-living lady love, Toffee.  

Zombie Dan: Played Eddie Flagrante, a quasi-well-intentioned editor for the popular tabloid, Exposé Magazine.  The Headline of his tabloid reads "The Miracle of the Toxic Teen."

Zombie Elana: Laid very strong claim on a particular protest sign from the show reading, "Boys ruin everything!"

Zombie Kristy: Posed for various amusing backstage photos, one of which showed her pretending to eat a yellow Prom balloon.

Zombie Julia: Played Ms. Strict, whose motto is, "Rules, regulations and respect!"  Here, she threatens her students with her handy yard stick.

Zombie Erik: Whose character was the Jock of the group.  Arms folded for a tough exterior look, he wears EHC letters on his back, for Enrico Fermi High.

Zombie Lexi: Played Toffee, whose boyfriend committed suicide by hurling himself headlong into the main waste treatment silo of the Francis Gary Powers Nuclear Plant.  In mourning, she wears a black bow in her blond hair and carries a school folder with "Jonny ::heart:: Toffee" written across it.

Zombie Ricky: Played the classic nerd, complete with clip-on tie and tape on black, thick-rimmed glasses.

Zombie Laurel: Whose character threw a nasty temper tantrum when her baton was revoked due to the cancellation of all extracurricular school activities.

Zombie Shoshana: Our rehearsal pianist who had the longest brown hair that she always wore in a braid that fell to her lower back.

If you've bothered to read this far, I commend you!  Thanks for tuning in to Allison's Realm of the Cheese Wax People.  Please come back again soon:-)