Okay, guys, I have good news and bad news.  Which do you want first?  Right.  Before I give you the bad news, I want you to understand that it's not my fault.  There was a mistake at the factory and they promise me that the people responsible have been located and handed their walking papers.  That's not going to change our situation, if you know what I mean, which you probably don't because I haven't explained the problem.  The challenge.  But here it is.    Wonderful show earlier, by the way.  You had the audience eating  out of your hands.  Best performances of your professional  lives.  You don't have to thank me, of course, but at least you could smile.  Smile?  Anyway, where was I?  Oh, yes, the mix-up at the factory.  Somebody made an honest mistake.  Somebody else didn't catch it.  And then, somehow, the checks and balances of quality control  failed.  It happens.  Unfortunately, it happened to us.  Specifically, you two.  This isn't easy.  Believe me, I wish I were here to announce that you were both getting raises, but I'm not.  On the other, job security is always good and you two are  fantastic clowns.  Did I mention your earlier performance?  I guess I did.  To make a long story short, they messed up the formula.  The white foundation you're wearing?  It's permanent.  You might have noticed that it was difficult to remove.  Actually, it's impossible to remove. That's the bad news.  The good news, however, is that you guys look great in white.

Author's Statement

The art that most moves me is the art that seems captured mid-motion. I look and see not only a frozen moment, but understand how the subject differed a second ago, and how the subject will differ a second from now. That sense of movement creates a story arc, or at least allows me to imagine my own. These stories I've contributed are not the first I've written in response to specific works of art. Feel free to visit www.stephendrogers.com if you'd like to learn more about my writing.

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