"Dream Center" is what I refer to as that which creates my nocturnal entertainments. It's not uncommon for Dream Center to conjure up an actor or other celebrity. If it were in the credits, it would be "Special Guest Star." If it were written about, it would be "making a special guest appearance." The most frequent to make a special guest appearance is Carol Burnett. I don't know why that is, but I certainly don't mind.
I've admired her since her weekly Saturday night series. I got a letter from her once...the content was pretty specific, so I don't think it was a form letter. Of course, it was probably written by one of her many assistants; "Oh, why don't you tell him..." and the signature may or may not have been machine-generated. In my letter to her, I told her that I worked on the crew at a public television station. In her letter she said that she always happy to hear from a "colleague." That she would refer to the stage manager for a public television crew as a colleague impressed me greatly.
As I mentioned earlier, it's easier to write about dreams in the present tense. Thus:
Ms. Burnett is directing a production I'm involved in. I'm not sure how I'm involved. I feel I may be producer or maybe sound designer. I'd just seen a newspaper article announcing her as a Tony nominee. The picture had her in a curly blonde wig, a picture from her nominated performance. She declares a break in the rehearsal and I walk up to her. We know each other. We don't see each other for a long time and then we pick up naturally when we're back to work. She makes some suggestions to a cast member. I wait until she's finished with everyone who wants to talk to her or she needs to talk to, and then she turns to me and smiles a somewhat weary smile. I congratulate her on her Tony nomination. She gives me a blank look. "What Tony nomination?" she asks. I know she's not kidding me. I tell her I saw an above-the-fold-with-color-photo article about it. She's completely surprised and denies knowing anything about it.
The dream veers off into another direction. I'm supposed to go on location of a concert being recorded in a far-removed rural part of the state. Many of the people are network suits and I treat them gingerly. My friend and former roommate Jim is also there. He's rather curt with me, and I realize he's in his New York TV mode. It's not a problem; I just don't like the change in him, much preferring his less-stressed person. I walk away to look into something and, on a tree stump converted into a table, see the article about Ms. Burnett and her Tony nomination. It's exactly what I remember seeing and I wonder if I might steal it and take it back with me to show her.
Thank you, Dream Center.
Of all special guest stars that Dream Center brings in, I'm happiest, I think, with Carol Burnett. She's not an imposing figure and we always get along just fine.
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