Our director for “The Producers”, C, is well known in the local theater community. While not old enough to be considered an “icon” or “pillar” of the community, he is well on his way to becoming so. A very caring friend and hard worker.
And, yeah, he’s openly gay.
Again, that’s not really important, except for a couple stories that came out of the rehearsals for the show.
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C Story #1:
C is amazing at set design and construction. He’s won many local awards (it was not so jokingly suggested at the last awards ceremony that it would have been easier to count the number of his sets that did NOT win an award). For this show, he again put his heart into it and designed a great set. Great sets often require great effort to build. Thus the need, in community theater anyway, for the cast to pitch in and help. Well, he wasn’t getting the support he expected and, not wanting to fail, spent long and late hours doing it mostly himself. Finally, he’d had enough and called a cast meeting, garnering the support of his choreographer, A, to help share his message of concern.
After an impassioned speech by C, wherein he worked himself to tears bemoaning the likelihood of the set not being finished in time, he had to turn over the verbal spanking to A. A continued with anger at the lack of support. It was beginning to get real uncomfortable. Yeah, the cast was not supporting as they should, but we are volunteers and don’t like getting yelled at. A was working into a frenzy – – –
A: “I mean, c’mon guys. This set will not build itself! It’s not like there’s some magic set fairy that comes in every night!”
A glances over at C. Their eyes locked. And immediately the angry mood was broken. Both of them smiled and, C, raised his hand slowly and said,
C: “Well, yeah, there IS a set fairy.”
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C Story #2:
After a late rehearsal, one of the actors came back to the green room (where the actors hang out when not on stage) and announced that he had to go, but that C had a flat tire and was looking for help.
Looking to curry do a favor and not in a hurry to leave (hell, there’s only work to look forward to the next morning), I wandered up front to find an seemingly unconcerned C yakking with one of the theater staff members. After confirming that he did indeed have a flat tire, I offered to change his tire (not a euphemism). In hindsight? I should’ve just asked if he had a AAA card and suggested he call them to do the job. But, he is a caring friend, so I thought, “What the hell.”
We wandered out to the car in a darkened parking lot. While we…okay, I—C just showed me where stuff was… were getting the spare and jack out, another cast member, B (who happens to be gay as well), came wandering out to go home. I asked B if he could help by bringing his car around to shine the headlights on the proceedings, which he gladly did.
And then I began the process of changing out the tire, while B and C stood there yakking about the play and community theater and whatever…
B made the revelation and asked,
B: “Quiz! You come across three men changing a tire. One is actually changing the tire and two are standing around watching and talking. Which one is the straight man?”
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Story #3:
After B’s revelation and pop quiz, the talk came around to C’s infatuation with certain young, male cast members, especially J. I mentioned in a prior post that a couple of the cast members were undeclared as to their orientation. Curiosity got the better of me and I had to ask.
GnuKid: “So, is J gay? I’m just not sure.”
C: “God, I hope so.”
GunKid: “How about Z?”
C: “Oh, hell no.”
GnuKid: “How are you so sure about that?”
C: “Well, his cock tasted straight when I blew him.”
…[blink]… [blink]… [blink]… [blink]…
C [breaking out into boisterous laughter]: “Damn, I’ve been waiting for such a long time to use that joke. And it worked!”
Hmmm, I never did get the answer to my question. And, that’s okay.
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More show stories to come…
The Wilds of Ohio 