Rachael’s Fan Meet
Rachael’s Meet – Providence Christmas 2006
“It’s like meeting someone you watch on t.v. in the supermarket. Suddenly you’re not meant to be there buying zucchini, you’re meant to be there!“ – Charles Shaughnessy (ironically I met him too!)
In order to tell the tale correctly I gotta tell the backstory. I have been a fan of William Petersen since I started watching CSI. However, I knew of him before hand when I originally saw FEAR. I thought he was gorgeous but didn’t know who he was. My friends all thought I was nuts…I mean, hello. Mark Wahlberg????
Anywho, my friend is a big fan of CSI and Mr. Petersen and her husband got her tickets to see “A Dublin Carol.” I was told that I was more than welcome to attend with them provided I got a ticket.
So we head up at 700 am. Alll day long we had been joking back and forth about how to phrase having to use the bathroom. C (my friend) says “powder my nose,” which I found funny for some reason. This will be important later, I promise.
We arrive in Providence around 1:00pm with a 2:00pm start time for the show. There’s a pub connected to the theater called the Trinity Rep Pub…(I know, really ingenious.) So we had a bit of lunch in there, not that I ate much mind you. We walked around the block to the entrance of the theater and received a program from an usher with Bill’s beautiful (artist rendering) face on the cover. We were all blown away by how tiny the theater is and my heart never really settled again while we were there. Seriously, it was like sitting in his lap for an hour and a half!
The play was amazing. He is such a gifted actor and truly blew me away by his performance. The best part was that he knew that most people were there to see him for ‘Gil Grissom’ but he didn’t let an ounce of ‘Gil’s’ mannerisms show through in his performance. It was like you were really sitting in this funeral parlor and this old alcoholic was reminiscing about the way things used to be, instead of Gil Grissom preaching to the audience for 80 minutes.
As someone else mentioned at the end when they take their final bows and he received a standing ovation he seemed to be truly humbled by the fact that so many people were cheering. He is a tremendous theater actor!
After the show I stood outside in the lobby with a few other girls hoping that he would come out. My friends stayed for the talkback and every time someone would come out all of our heads turned. Finally an usher came outside and said, “I know I’m not as gorgeous as Bill Petersen but I gotta tell you he’s gone. He takes off right after the performance.”
We were all disappointed but at that point there’s nothing else to do. So I waited for my friends and we left. Outside we started talking about what we thought about the performance and C offered to walk around for a bit since we had been sitting for so long. (6 hrs in the car 80 min in the theater…it adds up). So we start walking around the block, toward the pub we had lunch at.
Something made me turn. Let me tell you, if I didn’t believe in fate before I do now. I turned to my right, glancing into the pub and whose beautiful blue eyes are glancing right back? He was sitting at the end of a table with a few other people and happened to be looking right at me when I turned. *THUD*
I grabbed C’s arm and said through clenched teeth. “William Petersen is in that bar.”
Later I was told that I looked stricken but really I was just excited.
“Well do something about it!”
“Like what?”
“It’s up to you. We’ll be here.” They stood in the doorway.
“But what if he gets mad? I don’t want him to yell at me.”
“Do what you need to do.”
*Inserted later*
“Take my program too.”
“I already have one,” as I took off. (My mind wasn’t exactly thinking clearly at that moment.
**
The sun glared in through the window forcing me to follow a shadow which had stood and headed toward the bathroom. (Getting where the potty humor from earlier comes in now?)
“Mr. Petersen.”
He didn’t hear me and kept walking.
“Mr. Petersen?”
He turned and smiled.
“Hi.”
“I’m sorry. I was wondering if you would mind signing this for me?”
I handed him the program but forgot the Sharpee.
Laughing at how I had caught him, “Sure, Got a pen?”
I pulled the sharpie out and he smiled, knowing that I came prepared. He put the program on his thigh and proceeded to sign it.
“Good job by the way.”
“Thank you.”
C came up behind me and whispered, “Ask him for one for me too,” to which he giggled.
“Apparently she wants one too.”
“No problem.”
He signed hers and handed them back. He makes no motion to walk away and is looking right at me.
“I have one more question for ya. Would it be possible to get a picture with you?”
C pipes in, “Ok now you’re embarrassing me.”
“Of course. Nah, It happens.”
“I’m sorry. I can wait til after you’re-“
“Nah, it’s alright.”
I practically threw the camera at C as he puts his arm around me. The flash didn’t go off.
“It didn’t flash.”
“Technology. These new fangled things. Let’s take another one.”
Her husband claimed there was an image on the screen but I went over to see what had came out … really dark and fuzzy. Evidently C told him that she has a nephew born on the same day, different year.
“Oh the poor soul.”
He puts out his arm but while I was checking the camera C went and stood by him. So I got a good picture of them together. Then I walked back over to him and put my arm around him again.
“I’m sorry.”
He laughs, “No problem.”
He smells SOOOOO good. I was shaking like a leaf and I guess he could feel it.
“Calm down. Just relax. You’re alright.”
We smiled and the flash went off. This was the result.
C and I both thanked him and he said “my pleasure” to me and continued on his …er um…journey.
All in all, an absolutely amazing event. He was soooo gracious when he didn’t have to be and so sweet to stand there and indulge one fan in a bar in Rhode Island. I’ll never forget it. Not only is he an amazing talent, in live theater as well as screen, but he’s an absolute sweetheart and seemed genuinely happy to be meeting one of his fans, even if he did have to use the little boy’s room.
I’m paraphrasing but essentially all this was said. There was a whole lot of apologizing and him laughing and saying that it was alright sprinkled in as well. No words can fully describe that amazing experience. Didn’t he say something about wanting to meet people in a pub he could have a pint with? Technically i got the first part right…..
Wow.
