My Big Show Biz Break

The call went out for extras for a shoot at Center Stage today.

Who better than those with plenty of time on their hands as well as the culturally curious, two groups that happen to include me, to be those extra bodies?

So I donned my business attire (not often used these days) as directed and reported to the Carpenter Center at 3:00 sharp.

After signing our model release forms, we were herded up to the balcony and told to scatter ourselves throughout the seats.

It occurred to me that sitting that way was going to make it look like none of us had dates at the supposed performance we were attending, which while it's true for me, would hardly represent a typical event audience.

We were told that the shoot was for the Metropolitan Richmond Visitors' Bureau's annual guide, which usually features a new attraction or major upcoming event, hence the focus on Center Stage.

And then the real work of extras began; we waited.

And waited some more.

The actual models arrived late and had to be shot first (natch, they're paid pros, we were just warm bodies).

We were then rearranged into various rows behind the models to simulate the audience, although most of us were guessing that we'd be nothing more than blurred spots behind the actual models.

But then we didn't come to the shoot for a featured role; we knew we were just there to take up space.

And we did a fine job of filling those seats, if I do say so myself.

Besides, I'm much more the audience type than the performer type, in case there was any question.