Last morning in this fine city called New York.
Yesterday was another mammoth walkathon clocking up about 16km (pedometer decided to reset itself half way through the day). Did the International Center for Photography in the morning then walked down to the Empire State Building and onto the Flat Iron Building which has to be my favourite of everything I have seen.
Then I just strolled, strolled, strolled through Greenwich Village stopping for cups of tea, a bit of shopping and a huge slice of cheesecake (decided to throw food intolerances to the wind and treat myself).
And then the reason I am here: The Pride. The Lucille Lortel is a curious theatre. You virtually take two steps off the street and you are in the auditorium. There is no bar or kiosk of any sort just the stage, seating and a loo. No wonder the tickets prices are so high, with the programmess being free it's the only source of income.
Anyway the play was marvellous but I won't write about it here. What I will say is that I broke all my rules about encountering actors/famous people I admire and hung around at the stage door to get Ben Whishaw's autograph. I got the rest of the cast too so they didn't feel left out. (Hugh Dancy just signed and handed back and seemed in a hurry, Andrea Riseborough was chatty)
Ben was the last out and tried to sneak off down the road but I called him back (yes I shouted at Ben Whishaw in the street!) as there were a few of us waiting in the freezing cold.
He was really sweet though looking a bit embarrassed that he'd tried to sneak off.
A lady got her programmes signed first saying she'd come all the way from the West Coast.
It was then my turn and so I said I'd come all the way from London and it was a great play. He thanked me and said: 'We've come all the way from London too'. (Which isn't strictly true as Hugh Dancy lives with his wife Claire Danes in New York but I wasn't going to correct him.) He took his time to sign his name so at least you can read it, unlike the other scribbles. And he took the time to look everyone in the face as he handed back the signed programmes rather than just signing, handing back, signing, handing back etc.
And that was it. Brief and to the point.
Of course afterwards I thought of all the things I should have asked or said kicking myself all the way back up town to my hotel but in a way I'm glad I didn't because I probably would have made a tit of myself by saying something stupid. Which is why I have the rule about celeb encounters: Don't do it you'll only make an idiot of yourself and then feel mortified afterwards.