We were so happy.

I was living on the floor above you.
I was asked to join The Woolly Mammoth (theatre company).
I was at some kind of hotel library (do those exist?)
I remember deciding to work on my play before I went out.

Heading home elated, I stopped by the theatre again to find out what play we were doing. He said

“Carthage”

(never heard of it), handed me an envelope (a check). I was freaking out, then suddenly I realized it was a dream. I got home and did a test: if I put my hand in my pocket and the check wasn’t there — it’s a dream. And in the dream I put my hand in my pocket and felt the corners of an envelope! Check! Yes! I pulled it out and looked at it to see my name, but couldn’t read the letters; [thought nothing of that] because I was getting paid to be an actor at Woolly!

The next thing I knew we were on some great lawn sitting in a rectangle and one man seated in the middle was telling a story. We kept shouting out new details that he had to pick up on and incorporate. We were laughing. I was fake laughing, but thinking:

“It’s not that it’s NOT funny, it’s that I don’t know what we’re laughing at.”

Then running. Apparently rehearsal had started and we were making a mad dash for the entrance to the building— the opening was small, and this woman was running next to me, I didn’t want to edge her out so I slowed down, and she got in first and said

“thanks!”

And I wondered what role she’d be playing, then thinking

“what role am I playing? Probably something small”

Then I was getting upset because it wasn’t a leading role, then I thought

“am I a company member or just doing this one show?”

Then looked at my check to find out (as if it were written there), but couldn’t find the envelope. Shit! I lost my check!Then I woke up.

But the dream was amazing for so long that even now [that I’m up] I still feel that elation.