text: > Look around
  Standing on the fly bar, you can see the pulleys and counterweights that make Rich's job possible.
  
  > look at the pulleys
  The ropes go over and under these pulleys in their everlasting quest to pull things onto and off of the stage as fast as possible. One pulley looks jammed.
  
  > examine the pulley
  The pulley has been jammed by a broken piece of rope.
  
  > get the rope
  You pull the piece of rope out of the pulley, fixing the curtain-raising mechanism!
  
  > Shout
  Stage (on the fly bar)
  You're on stage! This would be very exciting if a performance were going on. East is the Right Wing, west is the Left Wing. The auditorium is to the north, past the currently unopenable curtain.
  
  Rich lowers the bar, and you, to the stage.
  "Thanks," he shouts from the fly tower, "that did it. I'm putting the new rope in now."
  
  Through bravery, intelligence, and not a little good luck, you have saved the production almost single-handedly! The actual show is a flop -- the lead actress is crying all the way through -- but that's hardly your fault, is it? Afterwards, Mandy listens to you pour out your story, nods, thanks you quickly, and then begins: "You know, this reminds me of the time I was doing Hamlet in Dublin and the wheels on one of the mobile walls got stuck..." You settle in for a long ten minutes of looking like you aren't inwardly congratulating yourself.
  
  > Shout
  Stage (on the fly bar)
  You're on stage! This would be very exciting if a performance were going on. East is the Right Wing, west is the Left Wing. The auditorium is to the north, past the currently unopenable curtain.
  
  Rich lowers the bar, and you, to the stage.
  
  > look at what you're carrying with you
  You are carrying:
  a roll of gaffer tape
  some papers
  a keycard
  a flower bouquet
  a card
  
  > examine papers
  A pile of indeterminate forms which, with your luck, you will sooner or later have to fill out.
  
  > Go west
  (first getting off the fly bar)
  
  The stage left wing is your home away from home. It's full of props that will be required onstage if the show ever starts. South is the left stage corridor, and east is that most glamorous of areas, the stage.
  
  You can see Mandy here.
  
  > examine mandy
  Mandy is your Stage Manager. You answer to her. Usually, that answer is something along the lines of "Yes, I would love to hear about yet another time you saved the day for whatever production you were doing."
  
  > ask Mandy about papers
  Mandy glares at you. You decide not to pursue that line of enquiry.
  
  > ask Fred about the actress
  "I will not apologise for what I said. She does look old."
  
  > Tape machinery
  What do you want to tape the machinery to?
  
  > look at what you're carrying with you
  You are carrying:
  a roll of gaffer tape
  some papers
  a keycard
  a flower bouquet
  a card
  
  > ask Fred about the machinery
  "Back off. This is my kit."
  
  > ask Fred about Henry
  "Why Henry has an actual job I'll never know. He's a wuss. You'll find him backstage, if you feel like losing your faith in humanity."
  
  > go east
  The auditorium is not yet open, and the seats are empty. If you succeed in your task, they will soon be filled with audience, admiring the theatre and dropping things. The stage is to the south, and the atrium is to the north. To the west is the lighting booth.
  
  > Go south
  You're on stage! This would be very exciting if a performance were going on. East is the Right Wing, west is the Left Wing. The auditorium is to the north, past the currently unopenable curtain.
  
  You can see a fly bar here.
  
  > examine table
  A small red table for props and other items of supreme importance to the production.
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > look at the dressing room door
  The door to the leading lady's dressing room.
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > open the door
  It isn't something you can open.
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > ask Henry about the papers
  Henry sighs and mops his brow.
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > ask Henry about Fred
  "Why Fred has an actual job I'll never know. He's a jerk. You'll find him in the lighting booth, off the auditorium, if you feel like losing your faith in humanity."
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > ask Henry about the card
  Henry sighs and mops his brow.
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  Henry sighs and mops his brow.
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > ask Henry about the actress
  "She's a good actress, but man can she get emotional."
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > give papers to Henry
  Henry doesn't seem interested.
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > show the papers to Henry
  Henry is unimpressed.
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > Tape card to door
  (the dressing room door)
  You would achieve nothing by this.
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > examine the card
  "To a beautiful young woman." It's in the theatre manager's handwriting! There is, however, no signiature.
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > examine the bouquet
  Clearly someone has an admirer: this bouquet of roses is enormous.
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > take all
  menu: Lola stops you with a quick slap.
  gin and tonic: That seems to belong to the Theatre Manager.
  
  > get the menu
  Lola stops you with a quick slap.
  
  > give the card to Manager
  The manager doesn't even glance at the card before saying "Sir, I know that your ticket says the performance should have started ten minutes ago. I'm very sorry. We're doing everything we can."
  
  > ask Manager about the papers
  "Not another one? Don't worry, sir, you will see a performance tonight. We are experiencing a few slight technical hitches, but the auditorium will open soon." He sips his drink.
  
  > ask Lola about Fred
  "Who? I don't go backstage, you know that."
  
  > ask Lola about Manager
  "The man can run a theatre, but he's got no backbone. Just look at him! If he had an ounce of chutzpah, he'd tell everyone to shut up and wait."
  
  > ask Lola about yourself
  "Why should you ask me about yourself? You tell me all about yourself without me asking."
  
  > look at the crowd
  Just the sort of people whose applause you would love to hear. Right now, they aren't applauding, just shouting. They aren't even shouting in unison.
  
  > ask the crowd about Manager
  You can only do that to something animate.
  
  > go to the north
  > Hints
  Credits
  > The curtain isn't rising. What should I do?
  What's the deal with the sobbing backstage?
  How do I get rope for Rich?
  How do I get Fred to do what I want?
  I've given Rich the rope. Now what?
  How do I fix the fly tower mechanism?