Ahhh, theater! The smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the crowd. . . .
Drama Club, as well as Speech and Debate team, comprised the bulk of my extra-curricular life in high school. These two groups helped a shy teenager step outside his box and do something different. So today, just for fun, I offer some quick recollections of some of the "big" productions in which I participated. Keep in mind, these memories are from nrrmhgleftgtr years ago, so if I mess up a detail or two, I'm sure you will understand.
"Paul Bratter," Barefoot in the Park. This was a Neil Simon comedy about a newlywed couple in New York's Greenwich Village. I played Paul, a conservative, some would say, uptight, lawyer. His wife Corie was free-spirited and spontaneous. They start their life together in small walk-up apartment, where they deal with an eccentric neighbor and Corie's mother.
Having never been a part of a full length play before, it was a fascinating experience. Of course, as this was a school activity, everyone did everything, from building the set to coordinating wardrobes. It was the proverbial "learning experience," one that I look back on fondly. Plus, it was my first stage kiss.Point of interesting trivia--to me, anyway--was the fact that the 1967 movie adaptation of Barefoot in the Park starred Robert Redford and Jane Fonda (you may draw comparisons between me and Mr. Redford, if you'd like). Well, Redford and Fonda went on to star in the Netflix movie Our Souls at Night, which happened to be filmed in my home town! Yes, my home town was now hosting the same actors who played in the movie version of the play in which I once appeared in that very town. Will the amazing coincidences never cease!
"G"remio, Shrew. This! This was the bestest, most funnest production of my short career. It was a semi-anachronistic, slapstick musical comedy adaptation of the famous Shakespearean play The Taming of the Shrew (not to be confused with the hit musical Kiss Me, Kate, which was entirely different). The plot is simple: before fair Bianca can be married, someone has to marry her ill-tempered sister, Kate. One of Bianca's suitors was the aged Gremio. That was me. The fact that I would not need the special make-up now kind of tells you how long ago this was.
A lot of neat memories. I participated in an exciting sword fight, which was all too brief on stage, but took hours to rehearse the precise choreography in order to prevent, like, running the other guy through. I also had a solo. Yes, a musical solo (I know, right?). Now, I love music and I love to sing, but those who know me know I am not a singer. Fortunately, this song was performed almost like a speech set to music, and with the crackly old man voice of my character, I was able to pull it off.
And then there was the night I had a bit of a runny nose. The prosthetic rubber nose I wore had no outlet, so in the course of the evening, it, umm, filled up. Yeah, I know, gross!
"Andy Hobart," Star Spangled Girl. This was another Neil Simon comedy about a small town woman athlete (Sophie) who comes to the big city and meets a pair of struggling, underground newspaper publishers (Andy and Norman). Norman falls in love with Sophie, but Sophie finds she is falling in love with Andy.
I was Andy in the play. There was another stage kiss (what is it with Neil Simon plays?), and I think the hardest part for me was acting the part of a radical subversive newspaper publisher when I had no real background or frame of reference. That is why it's called acting, I guess.
For those of you who are fans of such things, Star Spangled Girl was also made into a movie. It starred Tony Roberts as Andy, Todd Susman as Norman, and Sandy Duncan as "Amy" (renamed from Sophie). The movie did not do well, but the soundtrack included the song "Girl" by the late, great Davey Jones.
Surprise! Yes, the name of the play was Surprise!, but I'm afraid I don't remember much about this one. Maybe it's because my character gets knocked out and hidden away in an ottoman for a good portion of the play. I tried to see if I could find it online, but my initial search attempts to find "play" and "Surprise" gave me a bunch of ads for children's toys.
But like all the plays I was in, I do remember the fun and camaraderie of taking a booklet-sized script and bringing it to life. I remember long evenings of rehearsals. I also remember the cast parties afterwards. And most of all, I remember stepping out of my shell and doing something I enjoyed.
Here's to the smell of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowds. May it never be the other way around.
