JumpingClappingMan deserves a long, loud round of applause for organizing the first gathering of Parterre’s SF Chapter (artist’s conception of the scale of the event pictured above). The highlight of the afternoon was our host’s heart-rending, toe-tapping, gut-wrenching account of “Signore ascolta,” soon to be a major motion picture thanks to Chang‘s Zeffirelli-scale direction and camera work. Wenarto, look to your laurels!  

Publicity still personally approved by JumpingClappingMan.

SFGuy made a suitably austere Timur, William‘s heroics as Calaf left everyone in … stitches? … and John furnished superb tech support. Frank ran the stills camera and your scribe managed to keep the cue card aloft in spite of a vicious attack from a hungry gunnera bush. Conspicuous by their absence were Cruz, Baritenor and several others too numerous to mention. In short, a good time was had by all and everybody should be out of the hospital in time for Christmas.