Up Close and Impersonal with the Original Dr. Feelgood
Having access to the otherwise inaccessible can bring you face-to-face with some pretty awful people.
The jobs we have may sometimes provide us with unusual access to places and people; I have had that access. A job I had gave me a police press pass, even though I wasn’t technically writing for any publications. No, it was all legal because I was editing newspaper articles at the time.
A friend and I had received complimentary tickets to a Broadway production, and the star was someone we both admired, so it was a “go” for both of us. We never expected that a surge in my hutzpah would result in more than just viewing the show. But sometimes you can push yourself through your reluctance when something truly unique comes your way; this was my moment.
After the show, instead of waiting at the theatre exit where all the autograph seekers were gathering, I pulled my friend along to the door where a policeman stood guard. He was to refuse entrance to everyone, but I had a police pass, and he pointed to the staircase leading down to the bowels of the old theater.
Yes, “bowels” is the correct word because I’ve seen two of these theater entranceways where actors go to their dressing rooms. The walls are sorry, old, repainted, and poorly placed bricks; the floor is uneven cement; and…
