This is Moynihan Train Hall, newly opened. It’s the Amtrak hub of Penn Station and it’s really gorgeous and efficient. There’s a nice waiting room with furniture designed in what is clearly an homage to old train stations. There will be a food hall, but nothing has opened yet, except for a Starbucks and a Magnolia Bakery, and since I’m off sugar, that ain’t happening.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time here this past week and as much as I like it, I’m glad it’s over.

Sunday afternoon, just about an hour before we were to leave for the train station, I got an email from the stage manager, asking if I’d told the Covid Safety guy that I was going to be at rehearsal Monday. Ummm…no. Since the company contracted me for Monday and since all those in charge knew I was coming, why would I tell him? He would know, right? I assumed that since he hadn’t contacted me, I didn’t need another test. The next hour or so – even after I’d left the house – was a back and forth with him about whether I needed a test. The Amtrak train ran late, so there was no way I was going to be able to get one on Sunday. Long story short, I had to get one on Monday morning, which – again – I had to pay for. He admitted it was his fault and that he had dropped the ball – I could have had one done here for free on Friday had I known.

I got one. It was negative. But I let him know I was angry that I’d had to pay nearly $400 for Covid tests and that, in the future, this company – in situations where they require a quick turnaround PCR test – needs to make the appointment for the employee/contractor and pay upfront. Between cabs, ubers, and covid tests, I’m out more than $600. I’ll be reimbursed, but in the meantime, we have bills to pay. To assume that anyone coming in for a rehearsal, especially young actors, and this cast is full of them, has money on hand to pay for these tests is wrong.

I swear, the logistics of these three days in NYC were the hardest. Rehearsals were good, they were productive and satisfying. But getting into the city, trying to find a cab to take me to Queens (finding a cab in Queens is even harder,) grabbing another cab to go back into Manhattan for the test, trying to find food to eat in the Queens neighborhood I was in, trying to grab an Uber that would get me to Penn Station in the rush hour pouring rain…I’m exhausted. I have a love/hate relationship with the city. We live in the country and the contrast couldn’t be more stark. It’s so crowded. Traffic jams everywhere. Horns honking repeatedly. Exciting if you’re a first-time visitor, not at all exciting when you’ve spent a lot of time there.

Today, I’m back to working with Ben on the newly revised script. And I’m panicked because in 20 days or so I’m off to Brooklyn/NYC for 6 weeks.

Let’s have some Sophie fun. I posted this on Sunday, right before I left, based on a suggestion from Don.

Sophie is having none of Big Boy’s flirting. None of it.

I will quote Don: “How can she resist him? Seriously, how can she resist him???”

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.