This is a continuation of A Moment Too Soon, a feature on his new play Paul Weinstein wrote for Talkin' Broadway a few weeks ago. Art isn't easy . . .the podium is all yours Paul.

A few weeks ago I wrote a story for Talkin' Broadway.com about my lifetime of experiences leading up to the opening night of my first show. The month since then, and two weeks into the run, the stories have been piling up faster than Election Day promises. Some stories are funny and some are sad but all the stories have brought together my cast, crew, and friends new and old. We've all worked together, as a community, and without hesitation, to present my show, A Moment Too Soon.

Following are a few of the obstacles that should have turned any sane person into a cracked, leaky bowl of quivering and runny Lime Jell-O.

In my last article regarding the departure of my original leading lady I wrote:

As it turned out, I'm ecstatic about her replacement, Krista Lepore. She's so eager, supportive, and dedicated, I'm kicking myself for not going with Krista in the first place. What I took away from that experience is the ability to identify, on my own, the "Diva Gene" my friends spotted in my original choice.

I take that back. The "Diva Gene" is elusive and arcane. I still have a lot to learn. This same Krista phoned Actors' Equity and lodged an official complaint that I "harassed" her by pointing out that she was dropping her voice and couldn't be heard in the back row (of a 50 seat theater). She was also seemingly upset about not being mentioned by name in a NY Post Page 6 item on the show. She quit, without warning to anyone in the cast, with two of four weeks left in the run.

Everyone around me was frantic and shocked. They expected me to close the show because we didn't have an understudy. My AEA Deputy, Judy Del Giudice, frantically called Equity to see if there was anything we could do to compel Krista back. My AEA Stage Manager, Barbara Dente, called to protest the fact that Krista superceded Equity protocol by not filing a grievance with her or the Deputy before quitting. I called Equity and thanked Dick in the Showcase Department for fielding all of our phone calls. At the end of the day, we all had a good laugh.

That day Judy and myself got on the phone, fax, and email looking for a replacement. More thanks go to Bruce Levy, Sande Shurin, Tom Gerard at Sinclair Management, Bess Eckstein at Glass Slipper Theatricals, Mike Reynolds of this site, Enza Cannorozzi, and numerous other casting directors, agents, and friends. They were incredibly supportive, sympathetic, and some outraged after hearing the story of our walk-out. They put the word out for us and we got immediate response.

We found our replacement, Christine Mosère, the next day. She has actually worked with our lead, Mark J. Foley, and was a comfortable and immediate fit. We gave Christine the script on Tuesday at 2:30 pm. She rehearsed off-book Wednesday at 2 pm. She did the show Thursday night. It's a completely different show with a completely different attitude. We're completely happy. Just in case, I did ask Christine to leave her 3 year-old in my custody as hostage to guarantee she'd finish the show. Understandably, she balked, but with my luck it would have turned into a reprise of The Ransom of Red Chief anyway.

It's amazing we've even gotten this far. The weekend before opening night, the father of cast member, Judy Del Giudice, passed away. She was very close to her father and was devastated. He had taken ill a week or so earlier, but Judy managed to not miss a rehearsal even the day he died.

We did move back opening night one day because the wake was going to be during Tech Day. We held it for the day of the funeral and Judy showed up that night and was able to do two run-throughs and a cue-to-cue. If we could clone Judy, just adding a few tweaks to get different sexes, shapes, colors, and sizes the theater would be populated with gifted, dedicated professionals. Judy's personal sacrifice certainly puts into perspective the type of person that walks out on a show.

Needless to say, even without Judy's family tragedy, the few days before opening were a complete mess. The actors were anxious, the set wasn't ready (one of the owners of the theater is allergic to sawdust so we had to work around creating sawdust), I hadn't finished the sound cues, Judy wasn't around, and there were any number of other disturbances including cross-town traffic that turned a prop pick-up into a 4½ hour gridlock ordeal.

Believe it or not, I've saved the best, or at least the most mind boggling story for last. If this was a tragic film noir, the movie would start with a voice-over, "Once upon a time I met a lady." In this case, that ain't no "lady," that's my publicist, Ellen Zeisler of the Zeisler Group.

The following paraphrased questions from me and answers from her is the kind of humor that gets bounced around in junk e-mails.

Q: Why weren't we listed in the Village Voice for opening week?
A: We did not have a listing in the Village Voice because they are selective of what they list.

Q: Why did Talkin' Broadway.com and others print the wrong address of the theater?
A: I don't' know. They must've made a mistake.
Q: All those places made the same mistake?
A: They must've all gotten their information from one source.

Q: Did you send a press release to David Rothenberg (A retired publicist who hosts a radio show on WBAI and talks about theater)?
A: No. Do you want me to?

Q: When will the reviewer (from OOBR you have to pay for a review) come?
A: Wednesday night.
Q: When have we had a show on a Wednesday night?

Q: Why hasn't anybody come to review the show or written an article?
A: There's no interest.
Q: Isn't that your job?

Even when she does something, there's a mistake in there somewhere. We finally got a listing in Sunday's NY Times. My romantic comedy is listed as a "drama". (If only a critic, any critic, could come to make that judgment.) The Village Voice listing has the incorrect name of the lead character. She lost one of four rolls of publicity shots. She argued with my Stage Manager whether the time was 8:03 or 8:01.

It's truly gotten to the point where I can laugh about everything because, despite everything, the show goes on.

I know it's catty, venomous, and hostile to ‘name names', but some people should be avoided, because others might not find them so funny.

Then there are others that should be mentioned for their perseverance and dedication like cast members Richard Mamary (I promised I'd fit him into this article), Judy Del Giudice, Christine Mosère, Mark J. Foley, Stage Manager Barbara Dente, and Director Chris Pelzer. They deserves a full house every night and to be seen by industry people that can take them to the next level. After all, if they can survive this production intact, they can do anything.

As for me, nothing's going to stop me from writing another show. If this show doesn't turn into my big break, my time will come.

Here's the closing lyric for a song I wrote. It's the only way I can think of wrapping up this piece.

I believe what I can see
Isn't a far off fantasy
Dreams can be real as real can be
If you believe in love.

I love the theater.

By the way, since I have the floor, I'm going to act as a friend's publicist. If someone out there on Broadway can't find Anne Kanengeiser (represented by Harden-Curtis) the leading role she deserves you should be ashamed. She's won two Helen Hayes Awards in three years. She may not be a ‘name' but damn it you're the ones who can make her one!

I love the theater, and if you've read this far, so do you.

Paul Weinstein's A Moment Too Soon runs through October 8 at the Shurin Theatre, 311 West 43rd Street. Schedule and Tickets: (212) 591-1405