PLAYS FOR HALLOWEEN MONTH!: A Look at "Dracula" adapted for the stage by Steven Dietz

 

Maggie Kelleher as Lucy, Mark Nadeau as Van Helsing in the middle, and me as Dr. Seward in Lakewood Theater's production of Steven Dietz's Dracula. My character should be relieved Lucy didn't marry him, since she's an undead monster now. 

I love Halloween. I suppose that isn't rare for someone who has spent most of their life in the theater. I imagine most performers  have a soft spot for a holiday all about getting into costume and getting out of yourself for an evening...

I also love horror movies and spooky books. I'm a Maine boy, so I have read a great deal Stephen King's work, because he is our Emperor in these parts. 

I also like spooky and scary plays, or any play with a Halloween vibe, though I sometimes think they are overlooked. That's why I've decided that this month, I will highlight some plays that I think are great for October, or, as I like to call it, Halloween Month. I figured I would start with Dracula by Steven Dietz, based on the novel by Bram Stoker.  I played Dr. Seward in a production at Lakewood Theater, and will share photos along the way...

Me as Dr. Seward, who is facing down madman and Dracula minion, Renfield, played by Bart Shattuck.

I have always loved vampire stories, so, as soon as I was old enough, I read Stoker's novel Dracula, the father of them all. I remember rushing to see Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation when I was in middle school (probably too R-rated for me at the time, but I had cool parents), and while I loved it (I was like 12--- what wasn't to love?), I also wondered why every adaptation of Stoker's novel seemed to add a love story that just isn't there in the book. 

I was happy to be cast as Dr. Seward in Lakewood's production. Both of my parents had been in a different adaptation of Dracula when I was a boy, and I remember watching it over and over again. So being in my own production felt like a foregone conclusion, and I was happy to be in this particular production with my friends Jak, Maggie, Nick, Hannah, Jen, and everyone else involved. 

Playing Dr. Seward was a special treat, because I particularly like how Dietz treats the character in his adaptation.  Adapting a novel, particularly a longish one like Dracula, is not an easy task. Obviously novels and plays are very different art forms. But Dietz is faithful to the source material, while making a very theatrical play, condensing events and keeping scenes moving quickly from one to the next. 

Maggie (as Lucy) gets a nice necklace from Mark as Van Helsing, while Hannah as Mina and I look on and try not to be bothered by the smell.

Dietz wisely does not dramatize each of Lucy's suitors, though they are all mentioned. Dr. Seward stands in for the rest of them, and Dietz gives him a lovely monologue as he proposes to Lucy. It shouldn't be a spoiler to say that she rejects him, though in the script, he sees the rejection in her face, but continues his speech as a good gentleman should, telling her he will always be there for her when she needs him. From this speech and scene, Dietz continues  the speech as Seward decides to take comfort in his work, and uses this transition to a seamless scene with Renfield. Again, I am fond of how Dietz is able to keep the action moving with transitions like this... with so many scenes, a production can die of boredom unless the script keeps them moving. 

What could be wrong with Lucy? I hope it's not a freakin' Dracula!

I am of the opinion that live theater can actually create a creepier experience with scary stories than movies, due to the fact that it is life, happening in the moment to be shared with the audience. When it's going well, there is a lovely energy in the air. 

And, trust me, don't skimp on the blood. 

Take a bow!

So if you're looking for a good Dracula adaptation, I am a fan of the one by Steven Dietz. Sure, there are probably wilder ones and musical ones, but Dietz is true to the story and has plenty of atmosphere, and, in my experience, can be as simple or as complex to stage as your production will allow. If you are interested in learning more about licensing it, you can visit its page on Dramatists Play Service's website by CLICKING HERE

If you are looking for a fun and funny spooky play for younger audiences, may I suggest my play Are We Scared Yet?  from Elderidge Publishing? It takes some popular spooky stories and urban legends and gives them a fun little twist. You can learn more about that play by CLICKING HERE. 

What is your favorite scary/spooky/Halloweeny play? Let me know in comments!

AN INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT SUSAN PARKER

 

NOTE:  This interview was conducted for Lakewood Theater's program for their production of Who's In Bed With The Butler?

BACKSTORY WITH BOBBY KENISTON

 I had no idea when I set out to write this final backstory of the season that it would turn out to be a kind of love story. Michael Parker, the playwright behind Who's In Bed With The Butler, passed away in 2019. I had been in touch with Mr. Parker a few years ago for an interview about his play The Sensuous Senator which he wrote with his wife, Susan, and received a very generous and kind response. I reached out to Susan to offer my condolences, and learned that she and Michael had met when she had acted in a few of his plays, including the world premiere of Who's In Bed With The Butler, where she played opposite Michael, leading to a real life love connection. Susan described the original production vividly:

“A world production means you are the first to bring to life the character that was written by the playwright. As an actor you pray that you do both the playwright and the character justice. The cast for the premiere was extremely talented and working with Michael was great. He was always encouraging and giving us insights into what he was looking for in the characters. However, he was a stickler for getting your lines correct; which is why as we walked to rehearsal, we practiced the scenes which we had together. I played Susie and he was Clifton, the butler. Finally, when opening night arrived, we were ready. I could have recited my lines in my sleep. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always imitate art, and I forgot my lines! Having the playwright in the audience when this happens is one thing, but having him on stage with you is another. I had complete confidence that Michael would rescue us! As we blindly bantered back and forth trying to find the lines, all I could think of was, 'You wrote the damn play, why can’t you remember the lines?' Eventually, the play continued, we received a standing ovation from the audience and afterwards, had a great laugh. Being in a world premiere is a once in a lifetime experience. You have the opportunity to be in a production that no one has ever seen, your name is included in the manuscript as a member of the original cast and more importantly you create lifetime memories. For me, the most special part of this play was that life finally did imitate art….Susie really did get the Butler.”

Becoming Michael's writing partner as well as his life partner was also another great source of joy, as well as tremendous learning opportunity for this former teacher. “I think having the opportunity to act in Michael’s farces gave me a much better understanding of what the actors need in order to tell the story being created,” Susan wrote. “I learned that as a playwright, it is my job to find the balance between telling an actor what to do and not giving them enough information to understand what it is you want.” The Parkers' website shares their philosophy on how farce best works, and I asked Susan if she could elaborate on this philosophy, and she happily obliged:

“The concept of keeping the characters grounded, having them play the role seriously, originates from the English farces which Michael grew up with. This is what makes Parkers American Farces different and funnier. This concept is often missed by many directors and actors who do not relate to the English style of farce. One example of a great American actor who did understand this philosophy was Bob Newhart.”

Susan is keeping up the Parker brand as she continues to write, and acknowledges how blessed she has been to have had careers as an actress and playwright, and, even more importantly, to help spread laughter to audiences all over the world. “One of the best compliments I’ve ever received,” Susan told me, “was from an elderly woman who had just seen Who's In Bed With the Butler? She said, 'My husband died 6 months ago, and this was the first time I’ve laughed since.'”

For her part, Susan likes to find productions of the plays she wrote with her husband and sit in the audience, soaking up the laughter. It is a way for her to connect with her late husband, and to “experience that same ‘aha’ moment of joy,” that she and Michael had when writing the play together.

If you would like to learn more about Michael and Susan Parker's plays and their philosophy of writing farces, you can do so by visiting their website:  https://www.michaelparkerplaywright.com

A BRIEF BACKSTORY OF "GODSPELL": It's All About Building A Community

 

The Famous Godspell Logo

BACKSTORY WITH BOBBY KENISTON

Just to get this out of the way, I, your humble essayist, played the part of Jesus once upon atime---actually, it was in 2010 in Dover-Foxcroft at the Center Theatre, but this isn't about me (never an easy thing to say). Do forgive my lapse down memory lane. 

Like many great pieces of art, one could say Godspell was created in the kind of frenzy achieved when passion connects with a looming (and extremely important) deadline. God knows that's when I have had to use my creative powers to their fullest.  But this isn't about me. 

Picture, if you will, a young man by the name of John-Michael Tebelak, a student at Carnegie Mellon University in 1970, with a thesis due in two weeks. John-Michael had been studying Greek and Roman mythology, but became fascinated by what he called “the joy” expressed in the Gospels. Nowpicture this young man attending an Easter Vigil at St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh--- he is wearing his almost constant garb of overalls and T-shirt. And finally, please picture this overall-wearing churchgoer being frisked for drugs by a police officer after the service, most likely because of the long hair and hippie clothes.

Later, when explaining the origins of Godspell, Mr. Tebelak wrote of this experience, “I left with the feeling that, rather than rolling the rock away from the Tomb, they were piling more on.” He went home and worked on the manuscript for the entertainment you are about to watch in a nonstop race to completion. He first staged the script at Carnegie Mellon with students from the music department, then moved it to the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club for a two-week run in 1971, utilizing much of the same cast.

Tebelek's production came to the attention of Edgar Landsbury (Angela's brother--- you know Angela Lansbury--- not only a Grand Dame of the Theater, but also a famous teapot and a woman who inexplicably finds murders wherever she goes), who, with other producing partners, wanted to move it to Off-Broadway. They hired Stephen Schwartz, another Carnegie Mellon alum (known these days as the composer of Wicked and Pippin, among many others) to re-score the show (though the lovely “By My Side” from the original Carnegie Mellon production by Jay Hamburger and Peggy Gordon was kept in the final show--- I may write a separate blog post about just this song some day because I love it so much). Shcwartz incorporated several styles, including folk, pop, and even vaudeville to complement the energetic, colorful nature of the piece.

Before taking New York by storm, however, Godspell had a rich life in prominent productions in Australia, England, and South Africa. I personally wish I could have been around in 1972 for the Toronto production which helped to launch the careers of Victor Garber (who reprised his role of Jesus in the film adaptation), Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Gilda Radner, Dave Thomas and Martin Short, all under the musical direction of a fellow named Paul Shaffer! The nomadic feel of Godspell's early life, and its reputation later on as a touring show, only adds to the nature of the script itself, which feels like a tight ensemble community helping to spread Jesus's message to each individual audience, inviting everyone who watches into their community for the duration of the performance, perhaps even after.

I think the reason that a show like Godspell is so popular in community theater (despite some mild controversies along the way that are, to be honest, so very silly), is because it is a show that is about building communities and inviting all people into it. Which is exactly what community theater should be about, too.

John-Michael Tebelek died in 1985 at the age of 35 from a heart attack, but he is survived by this musical, and every family of actors who perform it, including this lovely tribe of storytellers here at Lakewood Theater. May its music lift your spirits, and its message of Peace, Love and Acceptance follow you long after the curtain has closed.

Note:  This essay originally was written for and appeared in the program for Lakewood Theater's production of Godspell.

To learn more about his musical, you can visit https://www.godspell.com/

If you would like to produce the musical, you please visit Music Theatre International to obtain licensing rights.  You can do that by CLICKING HERE

A Look at "JENNY'S HOUSE OF JOY" by Playwright Norm Foster: Strong Women and Hearty Laughs

 

Promotional Material From Lakewood Theater's Production of Jenny's House of Joy, starring (from left to right to up) Chelsea Martel, Christina Lovett Steeves, Kalyn Black, Sarah Johnson, and Midge Merrill Pomelow

BACKSTORY with Bobby Keniston

Norm Foster, the author of tonight's entertainment Jenny's House of Joy, is the most widely produced playwright in Canada, and for very good reason. His plays are relatable, accessible, and oh-so human. It doesn't hurt that they are laugh out loud funny, too! I personally had the pleasure to appear in his play Skin Flick here at Lakewood a few years back, and I had a blast. I reached out to Mr. Foster with a few questions about what inspired him to write this play set in an old West brothel, and its companion piece Outlaw, which is set in the same town and year as Jenny's and features overlapping characters. To my surprise and appreciation, he generously took the time to write back with his thoughtful answers.

"First of all, the western genre has always been my favourite", Mr. Foster writes, complete with delightful Canadian spelling. "I chose Baxter Springs, Kansas as the setting for Outlaw and Jenny's House of Joy because of the role it played in the cattle drives of the day."

When asked about the subject matter of the play, he makes it clear that he set out to write a play about strong women. "I wanted to show this group of women in a different light from what we would expect of women in that profession... I think audiences should know that some of the women who took part in this profession back then were fairly normal by most standards and had dreams like any person might."

I asked Kalyn Black, one of the lovely and talented actresses you have the pleasure of watching in theshow tonight, for her thoughts about the play's female characters. She tells me how "each one of thewomen find their way to Jenny's House of Joy through various paths of finding their true self worth.Each woman has a barrier that is unique to them that prevents them from seeing their own value."

Ms. Black concludes with perhaps my favorite insight of the play, saying it is "a story about losing yourself and finding your way back."

But what about us in the audience? If we lose ourselves in the world of the play, will we ever be able to find our way back to it?

"I always intended to write a third story about the people from Outlaw and Jenny's,"  Mr. Foster assures me. "Maybe someday I will complete the trilogy."

We can always hope!

Note:  This interview/essay first appeared in Lakewood Theater's program for their production of Norm Foster's Jenny's House of Joy.

Find out more about Norm Foster's plays here:

NORM FOSTER: CANADIAN PLAYWRIGHT

INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHTS DOUGLAS E. HUGHES AND MARCIA KASH!

 

Marcia Kash and Douglas E. Hughes, a great comedic playwrighting duo!

Note: This interview first appeared in Lakewood Theater's program for their production of Mr. Hughes and Ms. Kash's play, Something Fishy.

BACKSTORY WITH BOBBY KENISTON

Something Fishy, by Douglas E. Hughes and Marcia (pronounced Mar-see-a) Kash, premiered at the Lighthouse Festival in Ontario, Canada, in 2016. Regular audience members of Lakewood Theater are no strangers to the works of Mr. Hughes and Ms. Kash--- we have produced two of their most famous titles, Who's Under Where?, a farce about love, marriage and lingerie, and Too Many Cooks, a delicious tale about cooking, gangsters and mistaken identity, to huge laughs and thunderous applause.

The writing team graciously took the time to answer a few of my questions. Their answers--- which came separately--- demonstrate just how wonderful a collaboration they have shared over the years.

BOBBY KENISTON: There is no doubt that during every election season, one can't help but find Something Fishy in the air, no matter what side of the political spectrum one finds themselves. What do you think makes politics and politicians a topic that is so ripe for farce and lampooning? Is comedy the great unifier?

DOUGLAS HUGHES: Good question! One of the central themes of Something Fishy is that politics, to a very large extent, is theatre; and as recent events have clearly indicated, that theatre can often tip over into farce. Hence the setting for the piece.

MARCIA KASH: I think comedy most definitely is the great unifier- as long as everyone can laugh at themselves as much as the other guy. Politics and politicians are perfect for farce as they, like characters in farce, are constantly caught in the spotlight, changing the story (the spin) and trying to say/do the "thing" that will win the day- whether or not it is true.

BOBBY: You began your collaboration in the early 1990s with Who's Under Where? and have since written a total of six plays together, with your latest, Deadline, having a professional reading at the Purple Rose Theater. At the risk of asking a question you might be sick of, how did you become writing partners, and what makes the collaboration work after all this time?

MARCIA: We became writing partners accidentally. I moved back to Toronto after some years away, with a half-written first draft of Who's, and reconnected with Doug, who was a friend, at the time he was embarking on a writing career. I asked him if he wanted to help me finish it and - bingo. We scored! The collaboration works because we share a similar work ethic, enjoy creating complicated plots and twists- and when we're not annoying each other, we make each other laugh.

DOUGLAS: Another excellent question, one that allows me to share one of my favourite stories about our collaboration. We were sitting side by side at my computer one day, bickering at each other about something we were working on at the time, when Marce suddenly looked up and said, "You know, this relationship is exactly like a marriage," to which I responded, "Yeah--without any sex." Marce shot back, "Like I said--it's exactly like a marriage." As flip as that remark may have been at the time, there's a lot of truth in it. Like any intimate relationship, a collaboration such as ours requires a lot of work in order for it to be successful; and fortunately, we've both been willing to put in the necessary work over the years. A fair degree of autonomy in a relationship is also a healthy thing, and we've always had that. Both of us have worked on many solo projects as writers, as well as working with other people. I guess you could call our "marriage" an open one.

BOBBY: Comedy seems to lend itself to the art of collaboration--- Moss and Hart come to mind, of course, or other Lakewood favorites Billy Van Zand and Jane Milmore. Does having a partner to bounce ideas off of lend itself to comedy more so than other genres? Like musicians riffing, seeing what works?

DOUGLAS: Absolutely! One of the most common questions we get from other writers is, "How on Earth do you manage to write with a partner?", to which I usually ask, "How do you not?" There are lots of comic playwrights, of course, who are perfectly happy to work on their own, and thrive doing so--Norm Foster being an obvious example (although Norm's been known to collaborate as well from time to time); but you're absolutely right. When you're writing comedy, it's a great help to have someone else there to bounce ideas off of. I think Marce and I have different strengths as writers--strengths that complement one another--and as such, our working together means that the finished product can often exceed the sum of its parts.

MARCIA: Totally. In our case we began our careers as actors and were very comfortable collaborating. Unlike our pal Norm Foster, we need to bounce our humour off one another. Norm has a facility for one-liners that we have to work very hard at!

BOBBY: Your plays have had over 200 productions all over the world and been translated into six languages. You even visited Shanghai to see a production of your farce A Party to Murder. [Interviewer's note: I am about to be very embarrassed to have called this play a farce] I imagine it must be quite a thrill to see your work find such wide and diverse audiences! How was the trip to Shanghai, and how does comedy, or farce in particular, cross the language barrier?

MARCIA: I believe we are translated into 8 languages now... A Party to Murder isn't a farce, it is a murder mystery. The Shanghai trip, however, WAS a farce. I broke my knee on the first day and so our adventures there had a very unusual element added in. The experience of seeing the show from a wheelchair, in Mandarin, was one I will never forget! The audiences there are very young, very tech savvy and very interested in Western culture. The production and reactions were so different from what we are used to seeing.

DOUGLAS: One of my greatest joys has been having had the opportunity to see a number of productions of our plays in different languages and different cultures--I've seen our work done in French in Québec, in Polish in Warsaw, and now, in Shanghai and Shenzhen in Mandarin. I should point out, though, that the play in China was actually a murder mystery, not a farce--although our visit to Shanghai was such an adventure that our first instinct was to sit down and write a farce about it (that idea's on the back burner for the time being). What was interesting about seeing our some of our plays in Québec and Poland was that both cultures have a deep understanding of the genre of farce, and as such, appeared to enjoy the plays on a level that I hadn't quite seen in the many productions I'd attended in English Canada. That's not to say the English-speaking audience didn't enjoy it; it was more my sense that, despite the fact that the francophone and Polish audiences were seeing translations, the plays were set in a language that they instinctually understood.

BOBBY: You both have worked as actors, and Marcia as a director (even directing Doug in a few productions). How do these other roles influence your work as playwrights?

DOUGLAS: I think the best answer I can offer is this: Marce and I were both actors when we first started working together as playwrights. So, when we got to a part in the writing where we weren't sure whether or not a moment or a bit of business was going to work, we'd simply get up and do it. I think being actors also had something to do with our comfort level when it came to collaborating as writers. Rehearsing and performing a play is an inherently collaborative process, one we were completely at home with; so, writing together just seemed a logical extension of that.

MARCIA: Oh, it all informs everything. When we work together we have a very useful shorthand.

BOBBY: And finally: As we all know, we are living in a very strange time when it comes to theater. Lakewood has managed to open at limited capacity, as Maine has remained relatively safe during the pandemic. Many theaters are struggling, and I know that as a playwright myself, it certainly makes an impact. How do you think theater will move forward during these strange times, and prove itself to be as essential as we all know it is? What do you think of theater companies using platforms like Zoom to present live performances online?

DOUGLAS: I really hesitate to predict where things are going to go, but I'll say this much: I think that, in the short term, live theatre is going to go through an extended period of upheaval. How extended that period is will be a direct result of the state of the pandemic. However, the desire to experience interactive, live performances of all kinds is an innately human trait, and in the long run, I think it's that need for a collective, communal experience that will eventually lead us back to the theatre (and the music hall, the opera, the ballet, etc.) once again.

MARCIA: I look forward to the time when theatres can reopen to full capacity and programming but I think it will take quite some time. Currently our industry is devastated and the future looks very gloomy. I appreciate all the online programming that theatre folk are putting out- but personally I can only handle so much. I miss the "liveness" of theatre. It's just not the same watching on a screen at home. I do think that many good things will come out of this time and on a personal note, I am hopeful that our plays will still be relevant and appealing to theatres and audiences when this is all over.

You can learn more about Douglas E. Hughes and Marcia Kash by visiting their websites:

Douglas E Hughes | Actor / Playwright / Novelist

Website for Marcia Kash

NOT Your Typical LEADING MAN (The Joys of Being a Character Actor)

Your Truly and Kristen Seavey from Lakewood Theater's production of "The Producers".  Photo by Hannah Weston

Welcome to Theater is a Sport.  My name is Bobby Keniston, and this is my little home on the internet to write about theater.

I'm short.  And, often, I'm a little pudgy, though, for the right part, I try to lose weight. Unfortunately, outside of a pair of elevator shoes that give me about two inches of added height, I'm pretty much stuck being short. In fact, one time, I was walking down the street, minding my own business, when a car drove by, and young man, maybe sixteen or seventeen, stuck his head out of the car window (thankfully, he wasn't driving), and yelled, "YOU'RE SHORT!!!!"   I confess, this action left me a little rattled, and I didn't have time to think of any kind of comeback as the car sped away.  I could have yelled out, "BY MOST STANDARDS, YOU'RE RIGHT!," but I didn't.  In truth, I've  made peace with my height, and, while it offers the occasional challenges at the grocery store, I don't look at it as a negative thing.

What it does mean, however, is that I'm not meant to play your typical leading man, and I don't think anyone would really cast me as such.  Once upon a time, this might have bothered me.  Now, however, I am grateful.

I don't want to be the typical leading man.

It's true that one's physical attributes can "type" them as an actor--- the funny "fat" guy, the "ditzy" blond, the "hunky" ladies man, the "thug", the "sidekick", the "plain" friend... there are dozens more, of course.  And yes, this can be very frustrating.  But we must remember, that the "leading man" and "leading lady" types or also just that--- types.  And perhaps these actors get tired of being pigeonholed into those roles as well.  In fact, I would guess from time to time they do.

Why?

Simple:  character roles are often more juicy and more fun.

This isn't to suggest that I haven't played my share of "lead" roles.  Theater has been good to me.  I've managed to play some dream parts like Leo Bloom in "The Producers" (pictured above), Lt. Cioffi in "Curtains", Prince Dauntless in "Once Upon a Mattress", Seymour in "Little Shop of Horrors", and tons of fun parts in non-musicals as well.

The one thing the leading parts I'm cast to play all have in common?  They are not your typical leading man "types".  They are character roles.  They certainly have some leading man responsibilities, but they are not the typical leading man.

Now, I would never suggest that "typical" leading man parts are without there share of fun and interesting discoveries.  Of course they are.  I just wouldn't know how to find them.

A few years back now, I was cast in a production of a musical called "Sugar".  For those who don't know, it's a musical adaptation of the excellent Billy Wilder film, "Some Like it Hot".  I was originally cast in the more sidekick type role that Jack Lemmon made famous in the film, a role that was right in my wheelhouse.  Unfortunately, the actor originally cast in the Tony Curtis role, the more "leading man type," had to drop out of the production.  The director slid me over into that role and cast someone to take the Jack Lemmon role.

Now, this is a musical about two guys dressing up like women and joining an all women band to escape detection from gangsters, after witnessing a hit.  So, two guys in dresses, you might say, wouldn't lend itself to your typical "leading man" stuff.  And, yes, I was always more comfortable in the scenes when I was wearing a dress.  The scenes I had difficulty with, were the scenes in which my character is out of his dress, in a suit, wooing the Marilyn Monroe-like character of Sugar.  Being the charming, confident fellow, you know, the type that always gets the girl.

I must confess, in those scenes, I felt stiff and phony, which isn't a good way for an actor to feel.  Funny enough, I had even played off of the leading lady before... we were opposite each other in "The Producers"!   But, in that particular play, well, her character had fallen in love with the neurotic, naive character I was playing.  She came after me.  In "Sugar", I had to woo her.

It was one of the few times I felt "short" on stage.  And pudgy.  And just not right for the part.  I didn't have a way in to the part.  I didn't know what made a guy like this tick.  I didn't know how to play a "personality".  And, consequently, I was stuck in my head (never a good place for an actor), and felt self-conscious.

I must confess, the young man who took over the Jack Lemmon role got huge laughs, and deservedly so.  I was proud of him.  Of course, I couldn't help but notice how much prettier of a woman he was than me.

So what's the point of this story?  Don't worry about being cast as the "lead" role.  Don't worry about "types".  Go after parts that are juicy, and that you know you can put an interesting spin on.  Yes, it's good to go outside of your comfort zone and try new things, but it's also good to know what kind of roles you might not be best suited for (it helps save a great deal of disappointment to have that self awareness).  I'll never play Paul Bunyon or a retired NBA player wanting one more shot at glory.  But that's okay.

I've always been more of a character.

Thanks for reading my thoughts today.  Please feel free to comment below, and follow me.

Until next time....

Behind the Scenes Look at the World Premier of "The Three Gruff Billies or Why Houses Under a Bridge Are NOT Prime Real Estate"!

Greetings everyone.  My name is Bobby Keniston, and welcome to Theater is a Sport. This video is a behind the scenes look of "The Three Gruff Billies or Why Houses Under a Bridge Are NOT Prime Real Estate", a play I created on commission from Lakewood Theater in Madison, ME.  I was very proud of the performance.

This behind-the-scenes doc of the rehearsal process was made by Jeralyn Shattuck, and I can't thank her enough.

I am currently seeking publication for this play.  If you have any interest in performing it or reading a perusal script, please contact me at theater.is.a.sport@gmail.com! 

Thanks for checking it out!

IMMORTALITY and the MOMENT: The Writing On the Wall

Lakewood Theater, my summer home growing up

I had the karmic good fortune (to borrow a phrase from novelist Roland Merullo, one of my favorite professors from Bennington) to spend my summers growing up at Lakewood Theater, first as a theater brat tagging along with my parents, and then as an actor.  I can't say for certain how many plays I have been in at Lakewood Theater, only that it is a whole lot.  Because of my association with this historic institution, I have one of the largest extended families you will ever see.

There is a rich history and many ghosts running through the walls of this building, one of my favorite buildings on the planet.  I could write an entire post on its history, and may some day, but today I would like to focus on just a relatively small piece of history that only a relatively select few are given the opportunity to behold.

The dressing rooms, behind the hallowed stage, have walls that are covered with signatures of actors who have lived inside of them for the run of a show.  All right, perhaps they are not technically "lived in", but, trust me, they are lived in.  I have been in each and every one of them over the years.  My favorite is dressing room number 2.  I have especially fond memories of number 2.  You will find my name on that wall quite a bit. 

It's amazing the names you will find in Lakewood's dressing rooms.  When I was playing Finch in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", I was delighted to find the signature of Hal Holbrook on the wall of my dressing room for the same part more than 30 years before.  Hume Cronyn is there, as well as John Travolta (who appeared in Bus Stop years ago, his signature now faded, but always a source of excitement), as well as countless others. 

And there are plenty of names that years from now no one will recognize (I count my own among them). 

Every one signs differently.  Some make huge pieces of art, others are small and humble, barely noticeable.  Some write their name, followed by their character's name, followed by the name of the show and the year it was performed (I do variations of this).  Some write quotes from the show.  Some people write their names together.  Some search to find the perfect, unobtrusive spot, and others search for the spot that will get them the most attention. 

It's all good. 

I can't say for certain that I have signed for every show I've been in, but I know I have for most of them.  And whenever I move into a dressing room at Lakewood, I look around, checking out for the names of people I know, as well as the older signatures of rep actors, young hopefuls getting their professional start as part of Lakewood's stock company, back when it was an Equity house. 

Funny, but the old lighting booth at my high school, Foxcroft Academy, is also covered with signatures of actors and techies from shows over the years (the shows are no longer performed at FA, but at the local theater in town, Center Theatre). 

Why this desire to sign the walls?  Why do actors take part in this fun, legal graffiti? 

In my opinion, I think it comes from the idea of leaving your mark.  Theater, as we know, is a medium of the moment.  A performance is a specific time in the Universe that is shared by the performers, the crew, and that particular audience.  And then it is gone from the physical, tangible world.  It is filed into the memories of each person involved, all of the witnesses if you will.  Obviously, this is unlike film and video, which is a more permanent medium. 

It is this shared moment that makes me love live theater above other forms of performing.  It is this connection, this shared memory, that makes it all worthwhile.  Each signature on the wall of Lakewood Theater's dressing rooms represents a treasured experience--- it represents an individual with a theater story to tell, a perception of a moment in time that is fixed and unshakeable and beautiful in their memory.  It is a way to capture a sense of permanence and immortality in a passing flash of creation, a piece of art that is viewed but once and must be held on to.  These signatures say, "I was here.  I was part of this connection, this communion with others.  I made something with these people, something imperfect, but all the more beautiful because of it.  I was a part of this family."

A very wise and lovely person once told me that it is a good thing that some moments are not captured by anything but memory.  Because in memory, every moment can truly last forever, and never be anything but perfect. 

I wish I could say things so eloquently.

I will be back in good old dressing room number 2 this afternoon, but will not sign its walls yet again until the end of the run.  But I will look at some of the old signatures, one in particular, and take a moment to bask in those perfect memories, those moments that have become immortal for me.

Until next time... remember, theater is a sport.