I only got to do a drunken encore rendition of I Give You My Lunch, 
but it made me realize how much I missed Gag.  Especially 
when I was forced to watch the Christmas sketch played out & 
I wasn't anyone in it this time!!  Maybe when I'm done birthin' babies
there will be a need for a woman in the cast again... Until then - Gag out!

Mo Gannon (Gag 1996 - 2000)

***********************

To say this show is a blur would be a understatement
and an insult to blurs. 3 new cast members (one of 
which couldn't appear in the show), Dale was coming 
back to perform and we needed to keep it a surprise
AND get him up to speed on blocking and, of course,
Millie and I were having a baby. Sometimes I'm 
surprised that this show happened at all. 

In October we had held auditions and picked up
Marla, Marie Anne Hogarth and Jaime. Jaime couldn't
do the show, but I was keen to get him involved. His
greatest contribution to the show was the title. For
this I have given him the "special writing credit."

From the 16th to the 20th Millie and I were holed up
in the hospital having our son Danny. It was an 
insane show. Literally crazed. But it came off some
how. In the end it really worked. There was some
really strong material in this show; "Never Going
To Come", "Bad Herr Day", "Gammaries", "Now Serving #8". 
Some didn't go over as well but we all thought 
were brilliant like "Two Eras of Phil" and "Das Boot".

Then of course there was the sad tragedy of Whoop Ass.
I haven't reached a point in my life where I can 
discuss that yet.

The shocked reaction of long time fans when Dale hit the 
stage was priceless. We had kept and held the secret. And 
it was hard. We were all so excited about getting back
on stage with him. He was so good. It was like he had
never left. It was definately the highlight of the show.
Another triumph was Mo, as she said, joining me on stage
for "I Give You My Lunch." She was just tipsy enough to 
get really into it. 

Oddly my strongest memory of this show was how as director
I nearly came to blows with Mary Anne Hogarth over "Gordy's
Got It Bad." I kept repeating that the sketch existed in 
a non-space and there was no plot. In retrospect we should
have scrapped it at the first sign of trouble. It was 
a pretty shitty, pointless sketch any way. You were right,
Hoagie. You were right.

-  Eric