Bye Bye, Butcher of Baraboo
by Esther Emery
Jo Anne and I went to the landfill today. Manual labor? Pretty satisfying. Leaving the babies at home with Delicia (where they both slept, because it seems they always sleep when somebody else is watching them)?Equally satisfying. Saying goodbye to a set that I loved? Tragic.
The Butcher of Baraboo closed on Sunday. I am coping by creating a new piece of art (the photo above) out of the death of an old piece of art.
The landfill staff wasn’t so impressed. I got chastised by a friendly fellow in an orange vest, who probably enjoyed the fact that I jumped guiltily and put my camera in the cab when he accused me of letting Jo Anne do all the work.
I did help, I swear.
Here’s Jo nursing a bloody thumb, as a pile of the wallpaper that I spent an entire day getting up without any bubbles approaches unity with a couch and some yard waste.
At least my thumb isn’t bleeding.
Happy closing, everybody! Thanks for your beautiful work on The Butcher of Baraboo!
I loved your set. All good things…
Thanks, Marisa. I loved your script.
Bye bye, Butcher.
Except that you’re already living on in my head. Every time I see someone at work sipping a cup of coffee, I hear Wendy’s Midge in my head: “two sugars!” “Very good coffee.” There’s something about this show that was funny enough, and in just the right amount of off-kilter, that it continues to resonate.
And I’m not the only one! I know of many folks who saw the show who’re carrying around a little piece of Baraboo. What a great show: I consider it a privilege to have experienced it.
A tiny piece of the Baraboo set lives on: the railings from the exterior deck are now keeping my trash and recycle bins corralled and cozy.
I am veddy sad that I was unable to come down… I haven’t been doing much driving (very good for my gas consumption, not to mention the reduction of miles on my vehicle!).
Boo.