DREAMS

I suppose, like most people, I don't remember dreams that often. But for some reason, last night I had two dreams that are still with me today.

The second, which in retrospect is far less interesting than the first, was all about me redecorating the interior of a house. The prior occupants had covered everything inside with what looked like walnut-coloured panelling (although it turned out to be just a layer of paint that *looked* like panelling) and had stained the floor with a similarly caramel-coloured varnish. We poured a stain remover on the floor, and as it progressed in a line across the length, removing the stain, we were surprised to discover that underneath was the most beautiful tile work. The colors were bright and gorgeous, and we could tell that it was old and valuable.

Everything I redid in this house was the same way--all of the stripping and painting revealed that it was a beautiful place, and that the prior occupants had just covered everything with something ugly. There was one room, a little study, that had already been redone completely, and it was really pretty. It had some rose-colored stuff, and these chairs that had strange backs that looked a bit like rabbit ears. Of course, in the dream, it all seemed very beautiful.

Anyway, the first dream is much more entertaining. As a matter of fact, it's hilarious now that I'm awake.

I was onstage, clearly in rehearsal for some musical production. There were only four of us onstage, and I wasn't quite sure why nobody was upset with me for being there. I figured out that it was a first rehearsal, and we were doing blocking. However, I had not been blocked yet, I had just noticed something out of place behind this desk in what appeared to be an office in a high-rise, and I was tidying it up. They'd started rehearsing, though, and I wondered why the director or stage manager hadn't yelled at me yet for getting in the way.

One of the other people on the stage was Barbra Streisand. Within minutes, it became clear that we were doing a remake of The Sound of Music, and that Barbra was cast in the role of Maria. The director had decided that for this remake, the setting would be New York, and Maria was a very successful lawyer.

(!)

We were in Maria's office, and as I mentioned, I had seen something and was tidying up. Then, Barbra moved to the front of the desk, leaned back against it, and started singing, "The hills are alive."

Eventually I realized that I had to figure out what was going on and why nobody was upset with me, so I left the stage and wandered over to a post in the theatre, where a call list was posted. I read it and discovered that I had been cast in the role of someone called "Emily" (I think that was the name--it was a short "E" name, but may have been Erica) who must be someone in this new version. She was one of the more major characters, and I could only assume that she was in the scene that we were rehearsing, and so they just assumed that I was waiting for my blocking instructions.

I really, really wish that I had remained in this dream for long enough to discover how my brain would deal with setting The Sound of Music in New York with Barbra Streisand as the Lawyer Maria.

I really, really, wish I had.