I am directing, acting in a play. It's at a conference and the parents are the audience. I'm a teacher and the rest of the actors are students. I don't know my lines. Other actors come 10 minutes late and miss their scenes. I keep whispering asides to the other actors. I feel really embarrassed. At one point, I walk out and say, "Well, since we're waiting for one of the actresses to show up, we'll get on with the conference. The parents applaud that idea. They are obviously bored with us. Then I'm off-stage. A dog is trying to get a can/bottle opener out of my purse and I fight him and make him leave. Then the rest of the cast shows up and rather than disappoint them, we continue with the show. The parents, a few of them seated way in the back, are bored. My back is to the audience. I can't remember lines. At one point, I'm adlibbing and I ask, "So you're going on vacation, eh?" The girl looks at me agonizingly and says, "I don't know." So I continued, "Where are you going and how?" She gulps, pauses, and says, "I'd rather not talk about it now." We just drop the rest of that scene. By now, the parents are stirring, talking, and showing each other pictures of their children (in the play). An exercising class comes on stage and uses the left half of the stage. Then the next scene begins. I see cute decorations for scenery and feel proud of my students. I comment an aside to one that I didn't even give directions for scenery and yet they did such a good job, on their own. I think we're doing a murder mystery. A "policeman," my cousin Lenny sits on my right. I am an "old woman," Vera. Lots of people come to the table. I'm reading my prop book to find the lines I can't remember. I have to share it with the "policeman." Ginny/Lydia on my left helps me look for lines. I see an article for tropical poisonous fish. It is an awful experience. I just want it to end. The parents start applauding. They had seen actors coming into the scene and they thought it was curtain call, or hoped it was, anyway!