text: [Themes: gender choice]
  
  > go downwards
  You are at the base of a very plain spiral stairway. The curving steps to the apron are to the North and the audience to the West.
  
  > go east
  The catwalk continues West and East. There is a firm BULGE in the boards, and a mysterious wisp of GAS just dissipating above.
  
  > Go east
  At the East end of the catwalk you find a short ladder leading up to the roof.
  
  > Go west
  Here, the stage lighting and effects are controlled. Doors lead East & West.
  An ominous red button is at eye level on the wall
  
  > go to the west
  The spotlight booth has doors East and West. There is no glass in the window to the North (to avoid blinding the spot operator. By, the way, don't try going through the window. It won't work.)
  A large follow spot stands by the window
  You can see the socket
  
  > go west
  Ripped wires and broken racks show where sound equipment used to be mounted.
  One tape recorder is all that's left of the equipment.
  
  > Play recorder
  IT is a wee tad difficult to play the thing without a tape.
  
  > go to the south
  You've gone as far as you can this way. You are at the front of the foyer.
  The main theater doors are to the East.
  
  > go northwest
  The foyer widens out to the East and South.
  An old vending machine stands against the wall
  
  > cut the machine with the ring
  You want to CUT the MACHINE with WHAT, pray tell?
  
  > go east
  You see an open Dutch door to the North and other doors across the room to the South and Southwest.
  
  > go north
  The coat room is almost empty. The Dutch door to the South stands open.
  On the wall behind the counter there is a ratty coat hanging on a nail.
  
  > move coat
  A gentle tug causes the coat to slip slightly to one side. Through the eruption of moths you see that the coat is covering a doorway North. Pushing the coat to the side like a drape, you go through.
  
  You have come across a store room. A stairway leads down. A closet is North.
  A small magnesium box sits on the floor
  
  > Go south
  The coat room is almost empty. The Dutch door to the South stands open.
  On the wall behind the counter there is a ratty coat hanging on a nail.
  
  > cut the coat with KNIFE
  You want to CUT the COAT with WHAT, pray tell?
  
  > go to the west
  You lurch forward over the seats, forgetting the orchestra pit ahead. You fall headlong into the bass drum and are thrown back, none the worse for wear, into the audience one seat from where you started. Do be more careful next time.
  
  From the front row of the audience you can see the stage apron clearly to the North. You can move along the aisles in other directions.
  
  > put the paper fortune on counterweight
  You carefully place the FORTUNE in the hollow on the top of the counterweight.
  
  > read the fortune
  "YOUR FORTUNE MAY RIDE ON YOUR WEIGHT." Must be for some sumo wrestler.
  
  > go to the north
  You lurch forward over the seats, forgetting the orchestra pit ahead. You fall headlong into the bass drum and are thrown back, none the worse for wear, into the audience one seat from where you started. Do be more careful next time.
  
  From the front row of the audience you can see the stage apron clearly to the North. You can move along the aisles in other directions.
  
  > go to the north
  You lurch forward over the seats, forgetting the orchestra pit ahead. You fall headlong into the bass drum and are thrown back, none the worse for wear, into the audience one seat from where you started. Do be more careful next time.
  
  From the front row of the audience you can see the stage apron clearly to the North. You can move along the aisles in other directions.
  
  > go to the north
  You lurch forward over the seats, forgetting the orchestra pit ahead. You fall headlong into the bass drum and are thrown back, none the worse for wear, into the audience one seat from where you started. Do be more careful next time.
  
  From the front row of the audience you can see the stage apron clearly to the North. You can move along the aisles in other directions.
  
  > go to the north
  You lurch forward over the seats, forgetting the orchestra pit ahead. You fall headlong into the bass drum and are thrown back, none the worse for wear, into the audience one seat from where you started. Do be more careful next time.
  
  From the front row of the audience you can see the stage apron clearly to the North. You can move along the aisles in other directions.
  
  > go to the north
  You lurch forward over the seats, forgetting the orchestra pit ahead. You fall headlong into the bass drum and are thrown back, none the worse for wear, into the audience one seat from where you started. Do be more careful next time.
  
  From the front row of the audience you can see the stage apron clearly to the North. You can move along the aisles in other directions.
  
  > go to the north
  You lurch forward over the seats, forgetting the orchestra pit ahead. You fall headlong into the bass drum and are thrown back, none the worse for wear, into the audience one seat from where you started. Do be more careful next time.
  
  From the front row of the audience you can see the stage apron clearly to the North. You can move along the aisles in other directions.
  
  > Go south
  In your haste, you forget the Orchestra Pit. You tumble head over heels through the Glockenspiel and rebound off the timpani to the Stage Apron. Miraculously, you didn't seriously injure anything but your pride and your chances of ever joining the musicians' union. Please be more careful.
  
  This is the apron (the extension of the stage in front of the curtain line). The main stage is North. You see the audience to the South and curving steps at either end of the apron starting off East and West before turning Southward.
  
  > Go south
  In your haste, you forget the Orchestra Pit. You tumble head over heels through the Glockenspiel and rebound off the timpani to the Stage Apron. Miraculously, you didn't seriously injure anything but your pride and your chances of ever joining the musicians' union. Please be more careful.
  
  This is the apron (the extension of the stage in front of the curtain line). The main stage is North. You see the audience to the South and curving steps at either end of the apron starting off East and West before turning Southward.
  
  > Go south
  In your haste, you forget the Orchestra Pit. You tumble head over heels through the Glockenspiel and rebound off the timpani to the Stage Apron. Miraculously, you didn't seriously injure anything but your pride and your chances of ever joining the musicians' union. Please be more careful.
  
  This is the apron (the extension of the stage in front of the curtain line). The main stage is North. You see the audience to the South and curving steps at either end of the apron starting off East and West before turning Southward.
  
  > Go south
  In your haste, you forget the Orchestra Pit. You tumble head over heels through the Glockenspiel and rebound off the timpani to the Stage Apron. Miraculously, you didn't seriously injure anything but your pride and your chances of ever joining the musicians' union. Please be more careful.
  
  This is the apron (the extension of the stage in front of the curtain line). The main stage is North. You see the audience to the South and curving steps at either end of the apron starting off East and West before turning Southward.
  
  > Go north
  Your luck has just turned sour. You stumble over the edge of the orchestra pit into the percussion section, sending the remains of most of the instruments and everything you were carrying flying who-knows-where.
  
  > go to the north
  You lurch forward over the seats, forgetting the orchestra pit ahead. You fall headlong into the bass drum and are thrown back, none the worse for wear, into the audience one seat from where you started. Do be more careful next time.
  
  From the front row of the audience you can see the stage apron clearly to the North. You can move along the aisles in other directions.
  
  > look at the counterweight
  It is made of a stack of heavy metal bars, bolted together and pulled up and down by cables. It has a broad upper surface with a small hollow. Which contains:
  There is a fortune
  
  > read the fortune
  "YOUR FORTUNE MAY RIDE ON YOUR WEIGHT." Must be for some sumo wrestler.
  
  > take the paper fortune
  You pick up the paper fortune.
  
  > put the plank on the weight
  You carefully place the PLANK in the hollow on the top of the counterweight.
  
  > put the bucket on the weight
  You carefully place the BUCKET in the hollow on the top of the counterweight.