TORN BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
I Hear Theater's Casting Call
Into the Theater
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Via the Concession Stand
My thanks go to two "older college girls" who worked in Fort Wayne's Jefferson Theater concession stand. The McCormick sisters gave me a love for the stage - in front of the audience and behind the scenery. Maggie and Patty got me involved in the Purdue-Indiana Theatre (PIT) company while I was still in high school (where I never took part in the school theatre group - Masque & Gavel.)
They convinced me I should audition for their next production: "RICHARD THE SECOND." You might have guessed, there were a lot of roles to fill. Dr. Cashman cast me in five different roles. It called for many make-up and costume changes, but William Shakespear only wrote ONE word for only one of my five characters: "Sire."
I played the milkman in Pinter's "THE LOVER." Again I had only one line. But this time I said the same word TWICE. That word was, "Cream?"
My BIG break was in PIT's production of Strindberg's "SWANWHITE." It was playing the role of the Blue & Green Gardener. I actually had an entire paragraph, "Seeds. Seeds..." Uh, gee. I forget the rest of it. It became obvious: I was not meant to have speaking parts.
So, I tried directing. My first effort - a very bizarre Bertold Brecht work called "PLAY." It features three people.
Actually, you only see their heads. Giant urns take the place of their bodies. The story has the taste of Jean-Paul Sarte's "NO EXIT." It features a man, his mistress, and his wife jousting with words after their apparent deaths.
By far, my biggest theatrical thrill was directing a musical one act play which I also wrote. I still remember the warm tears that streamed down my face as a packed house went crazy when it was over - applauding and cheering wildly for the writer/director of "ANTI-GOAL."
Seeing and hearing the public reaction to my work was too scary and too much for me to handle. Perhaps having such an aversion to public bows of appreciation drove me to spend my career in broadcasting. It's tough to hear the audience if you don't pick up the phone. hee-hee
Briefly, Anti-Goal is about a man who reflects on how everything he does to reach his life long desire prevents him from reaching that goal.
He bemoans his plight to the audience downstage.
Mid-stage right, he seeks but gets no answers from a psychiatrist, drinking buddy, and priest.
Upstage center he plays out his various failures.
A single actor played his "three silent listeners." A single (incredible) actress, Pat Fisher, played the roles of nine women who prove to be his nemisis. And a young actor/musician named Chris Hamilton played the protagonist, Sean St. Patrick. I won't say how "ANTI-GOAL" concludes.
Hit the back key and click the next
link to get a copy of "ANTI-GOAL"
Click the graphic to visit the other world
which exerted its gravity on my soul.
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