Charlotte's Web

THEATER 59
-summer 2001
I received a call from The Naples Dinner Theater. Artistic director Michael Wainstein had gotten my name from Stephanie Davis. Michael was witty and warm, and needed a final actor for a children's musical production of CHARLOTTE’S WEB, someone to play Templeton and Lurvy. The voicing of the scrounging, gluttonous Templeton by Paul Lynde is the stuff of legend, so i was interested. I read about four lines, and he said "perfect, you're in". I accepted, at the rate of $275 a week. Naples was about a half hour drive, but it was a brief rehearsal schedule. The theater had been running for a couple years, a big, beautiful new space. Sweet farmhand Lurvy, not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, was just as much fun. A lot of jaw-drops and double takes. The cast was very sweet. Talented and funny T.J. D'Angelo played Wilbur, and we took a shine to one another. Fourteen year-old Dana Galter played Fern. She was sweet and bright, and fit in with us adults very easily. Talented and genuine Ray DeJohn played the elder statesman sheep. He and i hit it off. Friendly Jill Defina, a recent theater grad, played Charlotte. A wonderful voice. Scott Kilgore played my boss, Mr. Zuckerman. He came up with dopey amazed expressions to match mine, and we cracked each other up endlessly. Kim Wilson, a great singer, played the goose. Jeff Bradford, a good guy, played the gander. The atmosphere in the men's dressing room was great. Michael had a nice way of knowing how much (or how little) directing is needed. Musical director Ben Bedenbaugh was sooo funny and talented. Working the harmonies with him was so wonderful. My start in acting had been exclusively musicals, and before that, it had been band music throughout my teens. But i hadn't created music in ten years. My biggest number was "Spinning", with Kim and Ray. So wonderful. I had gone through a few bad years with my singing voice, after straining my chords in my final college show (indeed, i had wondered whether i'd ever re-gain my singing voice). A surprising connection to my college days popped up, when i discovered that the script was the same one that had premiered at Opera Delaware while i was at WCU...it had been directed by Professor Jane, costumed by Dr. Hash, and cast with WCU students. Now, years later and a thousand miles away, i was in the second production of the script. I hadn't been able to crack the cast in college, but here i was acting professionally in it - i couldn't wait to call Jane. I also played a contest judge, marching out with Kim and Ray while mumbling importantly. Such a kick. I was also the president of the fair, who speechifies grandly. It was as Templeton though, that i shone most. The kids in the audience howled with laughter and disgust at my antics. I had a second rat costume with a two pillow-stomach, which also killed. I developed a touching connection with the costumer Stacy. We fell in love a bit, but she wasn't free to pursue it. We played to crowds of 100-200, and went to the lobby after each show, in costume, to interact with the kids. I was always the last to get back to the dressing rooms.