For those of you who do not subscribe to Facebook  and so did not read my “High School Reunion of the Living Dead” post, I should sum up my high school reunion experience (I know this will get posted to Facebook as well and will be a tad redundant but such is my fascination with my own thoughts). It was…interesting. Poorly attended, lousy food, but interesting nonetheless. Now I know that a bunch of people have taken upon themselves the thankless job of putting these reunions together and I don’t mean to diss them. They did their best. They can’t control the turnout or the food quality for that matter. They did a good job.

It’s just that we’re all so old, yknow? Now I’m generally not too concerned with aging. Other than cancer, diabetes, heart disease, deafness, and unexplained weight loss, I’m in great health. Women still find me attractive. Well, old women actually. To young women, I am like an aging Ken doll. I have smooth parts down there; I am genderless and sexless. No matter. I just wish everyone didn’t look so…old. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all look great for about 85 years and then just drop dead? Think of all the increased libido. Sales of sex enhancing drugs would sky rocket! Of course the orthopedic hosiery industry might take a hit but hey, we’d all be smiling a lot more.

So the reunion blew.

Now on to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. It is murder to memorize these lines. Lou the director has been extremely lenient and understanding. I’m doing okay. Pretty much have Act I down but I still miss cues. It is still my goal to have all Acts committed to memory by the beginning of December. Which is only a week away! Yikes! If only I didn’t need to work for a living. Okay, I’ll settle for Act 2 memorized by the end of next week but I’ll still shoot for all 3.

It’s so good to be in a show. Tiring as hell, frustrating at times, scary even, but the best. I’m really enjoying the fact that this show is straight acting, no singing. Not that I don’t love to sing but often in a musical that’s where the bulk of the rehearsal goes; to singing and dancing. With drama there’s no net. No big production number to bring down the house and make the audience forget that no one is acting very well. This is what makes it scary however. The thought of going up on lines is causing all of the malyanki little hairs on my plop to stand on end. But this is such a good cast! They’ll save me. I’ll save them. It will all work out.

Virginia Woolf is going to be amazing. I’m not saying that just because I’m in it. Faithful readers know that I don’t always give my own shows props, especially early in the rehearsal process. This show is so well written and so well cast and directed that I believe anyone who takes the time to check it out will be amply rewarded. It is also the most difficult character I have ever attempted to portray. Previously I thought that Victor in An Empty Plate in the Grand Cafe du Boeuf was the most difficult and challenging role and indeed that role was incredibly daunting. This role is harder. The character of George, in addition to having 1,000,000 lines, changes mood and tempo a good deal. He needs to be strong and vulnerable, mean and endearing; it’s a workout.

Lou Stallsworth cast this thing very well. I don’t think that he had the kind of turnout he desired and it seemed that he was a bit tentative in his final decisions, but the cast has proven to be winners all. Ruth Markoe is going to open eyes when she gets going in a role that is probably one of the best for a female “of a certain age.” I mean the roles get skinnier for all of us as we age and George and Ruth are rare examples of nuanced and intelligent roles for us old folks. Dan Siegel is proving his mettle as Nick; an ambitious young professor locked in a relationship that in some ways echoes the relationship of George and Martha. He’s a worthy opponent. Ashley Stuart is just going to kill the audience with her dead on portrayal of a lost and needy neurotic who is every bit as manipulative as Martha but in a more passive/aggressive manner (as opposed to Martha’s in-your-face aggression).

I love the fact that this show is rarely done in community theater. I’ve never seen it and I believe most of our audience, if familiar at all with the show, is so because of the movie starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Unlike many of my colleagues who tend to sneer at movie interpretations of plays, I was bowled over by the movie version and I’ve always dreamed of playing George. The play is much more intense however and the emotional impact, much greater. Mark your calendars. It opens January 9 at Kelsey Theater.

In other news, I’m attending my (gasp) 40th High School Reunion tonight! More on this tomorrow!

I went to see Rocky Horror at Kelsey last night. This show is a lot of fun. If you’re a Rocky “virgin” you can’t go wrong seeing this production. Do yourself a favor and buy the prop bag in the lobby, it will help you have the experience. If you’re not a virgin this production will have you writhing in the aisle. Last night was opening night, there were shows at 8 and midnight. I went to the 8, being old and tired. The audience made me look young! I think the season ticket holders and older relatives who chose the 8PM show were largely clueless and bemused by the copious amounts of young female flesh on display. I personally was dazzled by the copious amounts of young female flesh on display. The cast is so attractive and energetic! And nearly naked!

There were some glitches, this being opening night, but nothing to detract from the fun of the production. I really want to encourage y’all to go and see this production. Take my word for it, you’ll have a lot of fun. Everybody was good and will get better with the run. Just a quick shout out to actors with whom I’ve performed in the past: Michaela Tomcho as Janet was amazing and obviously more than ready for her close-up; Nicole Spadafino as the Narrator had a lot of fun and was well cast, Dani Tucci-Juraga was sooo energetic and a pleasure to watch as a Phantom.

In other news, we had a read-through of Woolf last week. This is such a well written show. You know how sometimes you read a script and the dialogue just seems contrived? Not Albee baby! This script is amazing. I am somewhat freaked by the acting demands of the role of George. Not only does the role require a vast range of emotional tones in order to maintain interest and do justice to the character, there are a shitload of lines! I’m going to have to get off of book sooner than I’ve ever done. Make plans to come see this; it’s going to be great. The cast is: Ruth Markoe as Martha (she is going to amaze everyone who knows her), Dan Siegel as Nick and Ashley Stuart as Honey. Oh yeah, I’m George, did I mention that?