Thank goodness for that! I was at home after the opening performance of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum when I was told that an actor in a show at another local theater had dropped and I was asked if I was interested. I thought about it for a few minutes and replied with a "Yes." So, the current show I was in ran and closed. I had met the director and got the script on Saturday, read it Sunday evening, and showed up to rehearsal on Monday. It was a whirlwind, but I was excited for it.
The play is Over the River and Through the Woods by Joe DiPietro. I played a guy named Nick from Manhattan who gets an exciting promotion that would have him move across the country to Seattle. The thing is, he has to tell his four very Italian grandparents who live just twenty minutes outside the city. This hilarious play has a lot of laughs, funny banter, and some really touching moments about family. For a show that requires only six actors, it's a riot!
I had to work really hard to get caught up. Within just two weeks, I had essentially gotten off book. I had to. There was no option for me to take my time because the job of replacement actor is to literally swoop in and save the day. Am I perfect? Not by a long shot. Am I proud of myself for being dependable when it's a theater company I have not worked with before? Absolutely!
I've seen a production of FIddler on the Roof that Rose Barn Theatre had produced quite a few years back. I hadn't been able to see any of their works since then, so it's nice to be in one of their shows at the last minute. The show is going to be so much fun when we have audiences. I know I came into the process late, but it's still crazy to think that we have exactly one week until opening night. I'm excited, nervous, but overall happy that I still get to do what I love and have another artistic outlet.
Oh, the life of a small town actor...
