Dawson's Creek S06E06

WARNING: This Extra may contain spoilers. If you do not wish to know anything about anything that might happen on DC in the future, stop reading now.

Part One: The Casting Call

The open casting call was at Crabtree Valley Mall here in Raleigh, NC. Lasuanne Boyfriend and I got there right as it opened, and there were only a few other people there. Huge relief, since I was truly expecting a mob scene. I was also happy to note that I wasn't the oldest person there either. At twenty-seven, I thought I might be.

We filled out cards with our personal information. Most of it was straightforward enough, but my measurements I just made up, as I didn't have a tape measurer with me. Silly me, all unprepared. I also shaved a few (all right, ten) pounds off my weight. I'm not proud. So, we stood in line for a few minutes and then paid two bucks to get a Polaroid taken. Rip-off. I mean, I guess it's cheaper than headshots, but still, I'm poor. Why the hell do you think I'm here in the first place? Then the PA guy, who was dodgy about giving out his name for this recap, called LBF and I up together for our little interview. Voldemort wanted to know if we watched the show. I reluctantly admitted that I did, and LBF proudly admitted that he did not. V wanted to know why he wanted to be an extra. I jumped in with, "He's such a good boyfriend." Voldemort told us that the filming was for concert scenes, and we needed to be able to commit to fifteen-hour days both Monday and Tuesday night. We said we could, and he said we were in. Sweet. LBF looked at me as we walked away and said, "I don't know what I would have done if I was rejected by Dawson's Creek." Yeah, pretty much.

Part Two: Monday Night

LBF and I got to the Entertainment and Sports Arena (okay, yes, I know that the ESA has a "real" name now, but they couldn't get their acts together to name it for too damn long, so too late) right at 1:00 PM. This was my first foray into the ESA, home of my beloved Wolfpack and the Carolina Hurricanes. Voldemort had told us to bring a couple of changes of winter clothes and some books. We had a huge bag full. I actually ended up wearing a pair of Levi's, a blue sweater, and my ratty old Docs. I looked like I do on any other day. Same dress, maybe a tad more make-up. LBF says it was a LOT more make-up, but he's not here now, is he?

We met up with Melfro, a great friend of mine since middle school. He's a complete nutcase, but I love him and he did keep all of us quite entertained. We chilled out for a while, making fun of the other extras. We're not really so mean as much as were bored. All right, we're mean too. But I've never seen such a gathering of That Girls and That Guys in one place. Although I will say there was nowhere near the flock of hootchie mommas I was looking forward to snarking on.

After a while, Melfro and I walked over the crappiest craft services table known to man and got some pink flavored water and a saltine. Seriously. Somehow, I don't think this was what the cast was having.

Hey! Speaking of the cast, there was Joshua Jackson! Hee! He was standing over by an elevator, and oh, wait, who's that he's with? Why, it's Katie Holmes, wearing a truly kick-ass red coat. They were standing by an elevator, and then walked off further down the concourse where they were filming. Bye!

And then we sat around. And sat around some more. I read a few pages of my book. And then we sat around. Then Voldemort's buddy, Other Guy, told us how to fill out our payment vouchers. And then? Oh, yeah, that's the ticket. We sat around some more.

Around 3:30, LBF and Melfro took off to move my car from the east side of the arena, where we thought we were supposed be, to the west side, where we actually were. And naturally, that's when Other Guy came to gather up some of us sheep for our shot at the stars. Or something like that.

Other Guy took about thirty of us around the concourse and into the arena. I sat with a few other folks in the skybox. The skybox! Plush leather seats! TVs with remote controls! Wet bars! Cabinets with little gold handles! Crappy art bolted to the walls! Did I mention that I sat around for a long time before this? I soaked it up, very aware of the fact that this would probably be my one chance in a skybox.

We filmed a scene with Joshua Jackson walking into the arena and going over to Busy Philipps. I was too far away to hear a word they were saying, but I found out later that Audrey and Pacey had a falling out and this was a set-up talk, thanks to Jenn. Since I don't know what they were talking about, I'll take this lull in the action to tell you that I went to camp in Arapahoe, NC growing up. Camp Caroline, which sits right onDawson's Creek. Yes, the Dawson's Creek. The one that gave Dawson his name. It's salt water and cram-packed with jellyfish. Go figure.

Joshua Jackson. Well, I just don't know what to say about him. He's, well, very Pacey-ish, and I don't necessarily mean that as a compliment this time. Josh was very much the class clown. I wanted to go over and explain to him that we all knew who he was and that he was there; he doesn't need to attract our attention. We figured out that the cameras and director and make-up people and the rest of people gaggling around you indicate that you're somebody. Also, Josh, shave that crap off your face.

We shot that scene several excruciating times, and then I went back to LBF and Melfro. Do you want to guess what we did?

About an hour later, they pulled all of us back into the arena. We shot the same scene from a different angle, and Melfro pointed out that from our angle, Busy Philipps's skirt was dangerously lacking in the way of material. I sure hope she didn't catch a cold. Busy looked nice, except for her lipstick. Waaaay too dark. However, for added excitement, we walked up and down the steps in the background about a million gazillion times. Whee, physical exercise! For six whole dollars an hour! Once the Hollywood lights have blinded you, there's no turning back. Have I mentioned that Doc Martens are really heavy? No? Well, they are.

We went straight from that to shooting a scene with Joshua Jackson, Michelle Williams, Kerr Smith (he's straight, y'know), CJ, and Emma, the haughty beer wench. They were all sitting a few rows down from us, watching the concert. Or pretending. Like the rest of us. I think it's called acting. We were acting as if we were watching a No Doubt concert, but that part had already been filmed in Boston. So, we just grooved out to piped-in music. Michelle Williams was wearing some low-rise jeans that were spending too much time in the low and not enough in the rise, and I saw more than I ever wanted to. She does have a really pretty star tattoo on the small of her back, though. I was really bored at this point so, if you see me in the background, I'm the one dancing like a heroin addict going through some serious withdrawal. I just let go and pretended I was having a second chance at all those middle school dances I spent crying in the bathroom over What's-His-Guts. I hear What's-His-Guts still lives with his mother. Karma, baby. The dancing was fun, but I'm hoping the parts of me doing the cabbage patch or pretending to be a blessed-out born-again Christian with my hand up in the air end up on the cutting room floor.

We broke for dinner after that. We got those cutesy little lunchboxes with sandwiches, chips, an apple, and a yummy peanut butter cookie. My stupid lunchbox didn't have condiments, but LBF was kind enough to give me his mustard. What a man. Willing to have his face on Dawson's Creek and give up his only packet of mustard? Must be love. I think I'll keep him.

The final two shots we filmed were the worst. The first was for a scene in which Joey and Oscar can't get into the show because she left her tickets in her other coat pocket (probably the one she stole back from the mugger). She naturally then uses her It to get him to take her back to the dorm to go get them. We extras acted as if we were standing in line. It wasn't hard to pull off, seeing as we were, well, standing in line. You know how much fun standing in line is? We stood there for two hours. For nothing. There wasn't even a thirty-second roller-coaster ride at the end, which probably was a good thing, because Oscar probably wouldn't have been tall enough to ride. I must say that I enjoyed watching Katie Holmes work, which surprised me, because I've truly grown to loathe Joey Potter. Of course, this scene was blissfully free of melted wax faces and cutesy tongue-biting smiles. Which is good, because I'm poor and don't have money for bail. Which I'm sure I would have needed.

After that, we stood in line again, this time for a scene in which Dawson shows how dumb he truly is by bringing Natasha to the show on the wrong night. So, Dawson and Natasha as well as Joey and Oscar are not getting into the show. Hmm, I wonder where that plot's going?

Oh! My! God! Just when I thought I really wasn't going to be starstruck, there's Contrivance! And Foreshadowing! Together! Sipping on tartinis! Eating Skittles! Telling each other secrets! Pointing and laughing at all the actors! Making dinner plans! Hi, Contrivance! Hi, Foreshadowing!

And then it happened. Right before my very eyes. I'm going to have to dig deep in my soul to find the strength to speak of this. Dawson. Kissing Natasha. For extended periods of time. Think standing in line at the DMV is bad? Try standing in line watching Dawson getting his mack on. That's all I have to say about that. So let's just move on.

During this scene, the fireworks at the North Carolina State Fair started going off, so they had to hold shooting. A few of us went outside to watch. I was a bit embarrassed for us native North Carolinians. This is the first year ever that new people are running the fair. And their fireworks bite ass. I've seen sparks off a match that were more awe-worthy. Bianca Kajlich came out to watch as well, talking on her cell phone the whole time. You know the episode where Natasha is drunk and acting a fool on the movie set? I don't think she had to dig deep for that.

James Van Der Beek bumped into me. He said "excuse me." Seems like a swell enough fellow when he's not Dawson.

Finally, after that, they set us free. Melfro took off with two girls he'd met to go have drinks. I dragged my carcass out to the car, and not a minute too soon, because as LBF can testify, I was getting cranky.

Part Three: Tuesday Night

TPTB had told the extras before we left on Monday night that we needed to go for more of a "punk" look. I use quotes, because at every punk show I've been to, the majority of folks are wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and they were looking for Britney Spears meets Avril with a little Gwen Stefani thrown in. Because Britney Spears meets Avril with a little Gwen Stefani thrown in equals punk. Except for the Britney part. And the Gwen part. And Avril? Puh-leaze. Don't even get me started. However, since No Doubt really isn't punk, why quibble over dress codes? Moreover, I like Halloween.

For Tuesday's shooting, I went through hair, make-up, and wardrobe, which was interesting. The hair lady loved my hair -- or rather, my pink bobbed wig -- and the make-up lady was fine with my face, but wardrobe felt I needed some work. The woman in charge there first gave me a bustier. I was skeptical, but I tried it on. Once I picked myself up off the bathroom floor after passing out from laughing, I went back and told the lady there was no way the censors were going to let me on network TV in that get-up. We tried a few more outfits before she gave me a No Doubt t-shirt to wear. Great, now I'm That Girl. She did, however, hook me up with a sweet leather jacket that I just kept buttoned up the whole time so no one could witness my shame: wearing the concert t-shirt of the concert you're at.

The first scene we shot was Jennifer and CJ. I'm standing right. Behind. CJ in this scene. And he revealed that he slept with Audrey. I almost turned around right in the middle of shooting with a "oh no you di'int!" Somehow, I don't think that would have made the air. So much for CJ being a nice guy.

And can I just pause right here for a few words on Michelle Williams? That girl? Is one of the loveliest people I have ever seen. She's pretty on TV, but in real life, she just radiates. Really. She was the only member of the cast that I really caught myself staring at during filming. I know there's been a lot of talk about how much weight Michelle has lost, and she truly is tee-tiny. She doesn't look bad or anything, but a cheeseburger wouldn't kill her. So, hey, Michelle? time you're in Raleigh, call me. I'll take you over to the Char-Grill and even tell you the secret code word for getting the vanilla-chocolate milkshakes the workers there will swear they don't make.

We also shot another scene after that one with Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson. This will air directly before the scene with Pacey and Audrey that was filmed yesterday, and also obviously takes place before Jennifer finds out about CJ's little indiscretion. This one was the quickest scene to get through. It took maybe half an hour to do. Oh, and in this one LBF and I walk right behind Pacey, holding hands. LBF is so excited that the t-shirt from the local coffee shop he's wearing is going to be plugged on national TV. Although it's my damn shirt.

We then broke for lunch. Dinner. Whatever. A time to spend with food. We had the same lunch boxes as the day before, except this time I went for the veggie wrap. About halfway through it, I started cracking up. My little group didn't really seem to get it when I exclaimed, "It's a Dawson's Wrap, y'all!" Maybe it was the mouthful of zucchini -- who's to say?

And this is where things got ugly. LBF, Melfro, the two girls Melfro had gone to the bar with, Shelley and the Lamb, and I were done for the day, but not yet set free. You really should never leave people alone for extended periods like that. Turns out that Melfro smuggled in some Captain Morgan's, so we all settled in for some Cap'n Cokes. And things just slid downhill from there faster than Picabo Street on crank trying to find her Chapstick.

We quickly ran out of Captain Morgan's, and then the Lamb revealed that she had vanilla vodka. 7-Up and vanilla vodka? Nasty. However, if you think that held me back for minute, you've given me way too much credit. I would have drunk flat Boone's Farm to numb the boredom. At this point, we started getting a little rowdy. The PAs shushed us so many times, you would have thought we were a marching band in a library playing "When The Saints Go Marching In" over by the card catalogue. Although I think card catalogues are now little PCs spread out all over the place, but you know what I'm getting at.

We moved our little soiree outside to smoke enough cigarettes to keep the economy here in NC in fine shape until Bush is out of office. Somehow, the vodka made me forget that I quit smoking. Funny how that works. Melfro has an amazing ability to remember every lyric to every song he's ever heard, so he took over the entertainment portion of the evening. Oh, I think that I forgot to mention that the Lamb had completely made him over, including using my black pageboy wig that I had also brought with me. He had more make-up on than Tammy Faye Bakker on prom night. Looked better too. And I must say that Melfro working his rump-shaker in full make-up, singing about how Billie Jean isn't his lover, is really good stuff. The blue feather boa and pink sunglasses really gave it that extra sparkle every one-man show should have. Just Jack ain't got nothin' on my boy Melfro.

Finally, the rest of the extras came back. Thank god. Three hours of drinking cheap vanilla vodka was three hours too many. We got our vouchers signed, turned our clothes into wardrobe, exchanged numbers, and took our asses home to our individual beds. Well, some beds may have been shared, but the vodka ain't tellin' and neither am I.

And that, folks, is a wrap. Brace yourself, you know it's coming -- a Dawson's wrap.