Variety

Chapter 1

Carol's POV
I was having a talk with Harvey backstage and I told him how concerned I was for our show. " Yeah, I told the producers about it but I don't think they see the problem. Ever since that one time I had Steve Lawrence on the show, I find him sitting in the audience or I notice him or his wife Edie in disguise. I feel like something is up. One time I saw them talking secretly and when I approached, they tensed up and quickly changed the subject. Harvey I don't know what to think .."
   He turned around in his chair to think and then he turned back around. " I think the best bet to do is to audition for more regulars if you want a safer bet at saving your show in case anything does go wrong. "
  I took that into consideration.

     A few weeks later, I had put ads in papers, television, etc. And our lineup was crazy. There must have been at least three hundred people alone in the studio. Who knows how many more were outside. The producers and I gave each potential actor a script with a slapstick scene . A lot of people could act, but not a lot of them could pull off the slapstick bit. We'd probably need Tim Conway to teach these people a thing or too, but then again you can't learn comedy it has to come from within you .
    Suddenly I found the one I was looking for! Her name was Lola Stanford from New York and her comedy was perfect even before she started acting she was naturally witty. It was so lightning fast like John Lennon's if you will.
   She was instantly hired. I kept searching for more just in case and it's a good thing I did because I found another . Her name was Angie Herman from Sarasota, Florida. She said she's been learning slapstick ever since she was a little girl that it's just natural. I knew I didn't need anymore searching.
    I thought about when I went home with my husband Joe, what if these regulars bring success but not as much as I'd hope for? I need to keep thinking of other alternatives.

Lola's POV
Here I am. Wow am I dreaming ?? I'm actually on Carol Burnett's set I mean I've dreamt of stuff happening like this, and I know Vicki Lawrence got her start just as a regular teenager then suddenly became a great actress; but I didn't know things like this came true ! I'm working for Carol.
    She gave me a few pointers before rehearsal and I felt like a puppet being controlled by the master but in a good way. Today Angie and I practiced pratfalls, flips, cross eyed faces to make sure it's to perfection. I gotta admit how do these people make falling look so easy ?! It hurts so much! ..but then again I feel kind of bony so I don't know. Luckily I didn't break anything.

Carol 's POV
After rehearsal with the kids today, I went to take my own kids out and about. I took them to the pool , and as they were swimming, I was sitting back thinking..
   "Hey, what if I recruited some of my best friends who are big comedian hits to periodically come on the show? Yeah I'm liking this idea . Okay Carol, think! Hmm..of course Lucy she was the lady pioneer of comedy . Uhh..Helen! My dear friend Helen Reddy . She has an amazing voice and can pretty much anything. Oh ! Gotta have one of the Kings of Comedy, Jonathan Winters . He's a smash! Okay I have..what three? That's good right ? ...maybe I want to be safe and add one more. ...If I know anything about the Smothers Brothers, is that Tommy is a genius at writing their comedy routines. The problem is that we used to have an intimate I guess fling I should say. I haven't talked to him since maybe about two years ago. Hopefully nothing's too awkward. But I'm not an awkward person so it should be fine. Let's do this!