text: > look around
  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 west
  The stage is lit from here. It's filled with machinery that Fred never lets anyone touch.
  
  You can see Fred here.
  
  > ask Fred about yourself
  "Maybe one day you'll make a decent technician. Until then, leave me alone!"
  
  > ask Fred about manager
  "I can't believe they didn't hire me to do sound as well! I know the sound guy they picked, and he couldn't mix his way out of a wet paper bag!"
  
  > examine the machinery
  Dials and buttons and readouts, oh my! You technically understand what these do, but Fred never allows you more than a cursory glance before he pushes you away.
  
  > ask Fred about Mandy
  "Don't ever say that name in here again. Don't ever. I was going to be stage manager, and she stole that from me! Stole it from me in cold blood!"
  
  > ask Fred about Rich
  "He can pull on ropes, and that's all he's good for. It took me three hours to get him to hang the lights right."
  
  > 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 north
  The atrium is filled to the brim with discerning theatregoers and cultured folk, demanding, in upper-class accents, to be let in. The bar is not very busy and Lola, behind it, looks bored. The manager is trying his best to quiet the crowd and mostly failing. The stage is south.
  
  On the bar is a menu.
  
  You can also see the Theatre Manager and Lola here.
  
  > look at Manager
  The manager looks haggard and desperate. He is wearing a suit and tie with sweat marks from dealing with the audience, and a keycard hangs around his neck.
  
  > ask Manager about the key
  "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 sighs and turns away, muttering. "Gosh, I could use a drink."
  
  > look at the menu
  The menu offers everything from spring water to Dom Perignon. Usually the patrons lean more towards the spring water side of the price range.
  
  > examine Lola
  You have known Lola for a long time. She still won't let you have a free drink, no matter how much you compliment her long black hair or her brown eyes.
  
  > ask Lola about the drink
  By some miracle, you have enough money to pay. Lola hands you a gin and tonic, then slowly closes her mouth and makes a concerted effort to look bored again.
  
  > give the gin to Manager
  "Thanks. You're a lifesaver." He looks like he genuinely means it as he devotes all his attention to the glass.
  
  > ask Manager about key
  "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.
  
  > look at the keycard
  The keycard to the equipment store.
  
  > go south
  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.
  
  > Unlock
  What do you want to unlock?
  
  > Door
  What do you want to unlock the Equipment Store door with?
  
  > Keycard
  You unlock the Equipment Store door.
  
  > Go east
  (first opening the Equipment Store door)
  
  Everything you need to hold a production together is here, piled on shelves. The right stage corridor is back west.
  
  You can see a rope and a table (on which are some papers and a roll of gaffer tape) here.
  
  > take all
  rope: Taken.
  papers: Taken.
  roll of gaffer tape: Taken.
  
  > examine papers
  A pile of indeterminate forms which, with your luck, you will sooner or later have to fill out.
  
  > go west
  Here, at least, both sides of the theatre are equal. The right stage corridor is decorated just as badly as the left one. North is the right wing, west is backstage, and east is the door to the equipment store.
  
  > Go west
  The actors and crew gather here when they aren't needed onstage. West is the left stage corridor; east is the right stage corridor.
  
  You can see a props table and Henry here.
  
  You hear sobbing from behind the dressing room door.
  
  > give the rope to rich
  "Thanks a bundle. Actually, I can't get into the mechanism to put the rope in. When the other rope broke, it fouled up the pulleys and I can't reach to unjam them. Can you do anything?" Rich takes the rope with this disappointing speech, before delivering some good news: "I've finished checking all the other ropes, so I can raise and lower a bar if you want me to. Just SHOUT from the stage."
  
  > examine the mechanism
  The mechanism of the fly tower is great, mysterious, and has a jammed part that is just out of reach.
  
  > jump
  You jump on the spot.
  
  > Examine bar
  Anything that needs to hang in the theatre hangs from one of these horizontal metal tubes. Rich raises and lowers them to bring things onto and off of the stage below.
  
  > Climb bar
  Little is to be achieved by that.
  
  > eat the bar
  That's plainly inedible.
  
  > ask rich about Manager
  "The manager's taking the heat for all this, out in the atrium. He's a good man, if a little easily distracted."
  
  > ask rich about the flowers
  Rich gives you a good-natured smile.
  
  > Shout
  Rich hears your shouts and lowers the bar for you.