A Typical Day
The more miles we had to cover to get to our next location, the earlier we left in the morning. . School began at 10:00 AM or sometimes 10:30 or 11:00 and usually ended at 3:00 PM. Monday was suppose to be our day off and although we didn't have a performance, we were usually on the bus traveling and having school to make up for lost time during rehearsal week etc. On Saturday and Sunday, we did matinee and evening performances. We usually arrived at our next location at check-in time (about 3:30 to 4:00 PM). We got to watch a movie from the time school ended until the time we arrived at our destination. So, viewing the movie in its entirety spanned over several trips.
Since we always had sound check on the first night in a new location, we had 2 hours to get settled and eat before getting back on the bus to get to the theatre. If we were staying in a location for more than a night, we would have time after school for swimming (if there was a hotel pool) or watching TV or playing Nintendo. We rarely got homework and if we did, it wasn't alot.
When we arrived at the theatre, we would sometimes have hospitality. Hospitality could be anything from coffee and tea only, to just chips, to raw vegetables with a dip, to a full spread including hot foods. Sometimes we would know that we were having hospitality and that it was "good" hospitality. On these occasions we would skip dinner and just eat at the theatre. Unfortunately, too often we either didn't know whether there would be hospitality or what if anything, hospitality would be.
At 1/2 hour before the performance, the parents had to leave the backstage area. The bus would take them back to the hotel (or sometimes shopping to a mall or to Wal-Mart) and would bring them back to the theatre 3 hours later (2 1/2 hrs. from the start of the performance).
Before my mom left, she would put my hair up in a bun and use gel or hair spray and a hair net to keep it in place. We all had to wear our hair this way, including the boys (except Louie, Anna, Sir Edward Ramsey, the ship's captain and the King).