Re-tying Old News
Jul. 7th, 2008 11:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
howeirdIn 1969 I directed a production of Arsenic & Old Lace at the UW Showboat Theater for the student drama group, Theatre One. It was quite a roller coaster ride, but we sold out for the whole run and had a lot of fun. The cast party was in a funeral home, and I still have the death certificate the cast presented me with.
This weekend I received email from my assistant director, Arlene, the first I have heard from her since 1972, saying hi, and breaking the news that she married one of the cast members, Doug, in 1973, they have two grown children and are now retired and living in Seattle.
Nice to hear from them.
The roller coaster ride started when the man I cast as Dr. Einstein, who was perfect for the part, declined the honor saying he was only auditioning for practice. Auditions only scared up one person more than we had parts, so I cast a woman in the role Peter Lorre played in the movie. It worked, somehow. Then the leading man disappeared. I have no idea what happened to him - he just abandoned his dorm room and girlfriend and my show. I tell people he was in jail on a drug charge. Probably true, but who knows? Anyhow, this meant moving everyone up a notch. I auditioned Doug and Mike, and picked Mike for the lead. Arlene was drafted to be one of the cops.
This weekend I received email from my assistant director, Arlene, the first I have heard from her since 1972, saying hi, and breaking the news that she married one of the cast members, Doug, in 1973, they have two grown children and are now retired and living in Seattle.
Nice to hear from them.
The roller coaster ride started when the man I cast as Dr. Einstein, who was perfect for the part, declined the honor saying he was only auditioning for practice. Auditions only scared up one person more than we had parts, so I cast a woman in the role Peter Lorre played in the movie. It worked, somehow. Then the leading man disappeared. I have no idea what happened to him - he just abandoned his dorm room and girlfriend and my show. I tell people he was in jail on a drug charge. Probably true, but who knows? Anyhow, this meant moving everyone up a notch. I auditioned Doug and Mike, and picked Mike for the lead. Arlene was drafted to be one of the cops.
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