Last evening Steve and I enjoyed the Richard Greenberg play, Three Days of Rain, at Portland Center Stage, and if Steve hadn’t left the case to his glasses in the theater we might never have met Sasha Roiz. We were already in the car when we realized the case was neither in Steve’s pocket nor in my purse and decided to walk the two blocks back to the theater. At the concierge’ desk, we were stuck waiting behind someone who obviously had not seen the play but wanted a run-down of the plot, which he obtained in full detail. We waited even longer while our seating area was searched. The case was found and we were nearly to the door when we heard very excited young-girl noises from the other side of the nearly empty lobby: Sasha had entered from the theater to say hello. I’m usually not one to approach famous actors and my husband reminded me, “I don’t do those kind of things,” but I’m a major Sasha Roiz fan so I announced I would be moving toward the giddy-girl line. Steve followed and eventually the very tall, very handsome Mr. Roiz made his way to us.

Here’s how I would like to say the conversation unfolded:

SR: Hello, thank you for coming. Did you like the play?

ME: Loved the play. After your Best Supporting Actor nomination at Les Masques Awards, I knew you’d be perfect in the Wexler parts but I never expected the two roles to be played with such verve. And the production really nailed the construct of time. The Merwin poem now shines in a new light.

[Real world account:]

SR: Hello. Thank you for coming. Did you enjoy the play?

ME: …It’s so exciting to meet you!

SR: What are your names?

ME: Kim [and for a split second I forgot my husband’s name]…and Steve. [SR shakes our hands, is extremely gracious, and tries to help along a conversation I’m sure he’s had a thousand times.] We’re huge Grimm fans…[My line trailing off because at this point we’re interrupted by the leading lady who introduces SR to a friend of hers.]

Soon I’m walking to the car with my tall handsome husband who’s successfully bringing me back from a near-adolescent experience when he mentions the time he introduced me to Wynton Marsalis.

“And Wynton kissed you.”