This was my first gig with Gag Reflex. I knew Dale, Josh 
and Kris from way back but had never met Janet or Steve. 
It seems strange now that there was a time when I didn't 
know Steve Lord.The gig was half an hour during a sports 
awards banquet at Rosary, which is a Catholic girls 
high school in Aurora, IL. (Knowing Steve now as I do, 
I can only imagine what Catholic high school girls sports 
was doing to his mind.) I had been brought in a fill in
for Brian LeFever. Dale had driven home the fact that 
there was NO IMPROV in Gag Reflex with me. That was fine. 
I had been out of the acting loop since Strange's and had 
only been performing in a late night free form show called 
INSOMNIA THEATER for about 9 months. I was tired of improv 
and was looking to move into more scripted material. 

I don't really remember anything about the rehearsal process. 
My first real memory was arriving 5 hours before the show with 
Dale to set up. I was bedazzled by how all the sfx were run 
off a Mac laptop. The other thing I remember is the fact that
we were billed to the attendees as SLAPSTICK! (Dale's previous
group.) Dale had written a special opening sketch around that 
subject in which Dale is relaying to Steve how he had tried 
to correct the nuns and had been reprimanded. Dale then pulls 
out a giant hand that was the result of the nun's discipline. 
Dale then proceeds to talk about how yes it was inconvienient 
but it was great for tennis. When Steve sets off to straighten 
out the nuns, Dale proclaims "Great! Now we can play doubles!" 
A riot!

The crowd numbered about 300 and was the largest audience 
I had performed in front of to date. I was especially proud 
when Dale announced the show as "The Nuns of Navarone" 
(I think. It was either that or "Have Nun, Will Travel") 
as that was my idea. My first Gag Reflex idea. 

I remember, as I was leaving and Dale was handing out the 
checks to us, I wondered if I would ever be asked to come 
back and do another show.  I shouldn't have worried. 
I took my check and headed over to perform at INSOMNIA 
THEATER. It was the first time that I felt a sense of 
dissatisfaction toward performing there. I had seen the 
promised land. I thought Gag at last. Gag at last! 
Thank God Almighty, I'm in Gag at last!!!

- Eric