I’ve told this to folks I know in person, but never on the internet, so I’ll do my best.

I don’t remember how I learned about this event. It was maybe 15 years ago at this point. All we knew is that there was going to be an event called, “The Room: The Live Reading, The Play”. I’d gotten a few other people into it at the time, my friends, Pete, Margret, & Pam. Pam thought it was a good idea to wear a red dress, and I thought that was hilarious.

So we turn up, sit in the middle of a reasonably small theater with a small stage and movie screen at the front. Things kick off, and it’s literally a play version of The Room with scenes changed (I’d later find out by Greg) to make the whole thing make a bit more sense.

Folks are doing all of the same chanting and such, only there are live actors. I felt bad for the lady who played Lisa, because people were saying sort of the same things. It’s one thing when you’re yelling at a screen. It’s another when it’s a lady doing this for like $50 off Craigslist. Anyhow, midway, they’re doing a football throwing scene, and they’re playing catch with the audience, etc.

Show ends, I realized most people have left to get in line for the actual screening of The Room they’re having about 30-40 minutes after and Greg is standing right there. Mind you, this was back in the day before the movie, before the book, before any of that shit, so this is like hardcore, early fans.

I went up to him and we had a fairly normal conversation about the movie, the stuff they changed in the play, and he mentioned that he never thought the movie made sense, so he thought it’d be fun to fix those problems. He was super nice, normal, and completely generous with is time.

I wound up saying something like, “Oh, I just realized, where’s Tommy?” and Greg goes, “He’ll be out in a minute, I’m sure.” I was like, “Ok, let me see if I can find my friends,” and we parted ways.

I found my friend Pete, but couldn’t find Margret or Pam, when Tommy comes bursting out from the back somewhere like a Tasmanian Devil.

My friend Pete and I were like, “Uh, hey Tommy! Can we get a picture?”

He goes, “Yeah, sure. Follow me!”

Out the door he goes, so I’m grab Pete and am like, “Come on!”

We follow Tommy straight out the door, completely bewildered when outside there’s a line down the block and Tommy goes walking through the crowd, high-fiving people left and right.

Pete and I figure, “What the hell?” and start high-fiving people, too. Three of us (me, Tommy, and Pete) burst through the doors of the lobby like celebrities, follow Tommy in. Mind you, they’ve not let people inside yet.

Now inside, Tommy turns to us and goes, “Ok, let’s take picture.” Margret and Pam had just been inside talking to Greg, inviting him out to a bar later.

We get our picture, Tommy sees Pam, and goes, “Let’s take a picture with your wife!”

Pam and I both waved him off of that notion. We were always just friends.

We get our pictures, and go out to the bar to share our sides of the story. Had some drinks and waited for Greg to show, but no dice.

A truly surreal experience and one of the MANY reasons I’ll always be a huge fan of The Room.