This was
for the same company that did the LOCALLY WRITTEN FARCE that I was cast in a
few months previously. The director for this one was the assistant director of that
one, and because he already knew me, he told me not to bother showing up for
the main auditions, but for callbacks the next day instead. Suddenly, the
set-up for that show’s auditions made a lot more sense to me.
I
recognized Whiney Macduff* from a production of Macbeth I’d been in as well as
an older man who seemed vaguely familiar. Two actors from LOCALLY WRITTEN FARCE
were there to audition, too.
As
before, it was a cold-reading from various scenes in the show with actors mixed
and matched. It was in the middle of this that I remembered who the older man
was – he was the playwright of a...not very good play I’d been in a year ago.
He…was not a good actor. Whiney Macduff didn’t appear to remember me, though.
Or he did a good acting job of pretending not to remember me. Whatever. I
didn’t care.
The last
thing the director did that evening was have the men get up onstage – one by
one – and sing a verse of The Candy Man from Willy Wonka. When it was my turn,
I bugged out my eyes maniacally and humped the air like a crazy person (hey, it
was that kind of show).
I got
cast. Not as the mad professor villain – which was fine by me – but the comic
relief weather person (which was also fine by me).
*Whiney Macduff: Brief let me be. A few years previously I'd been in a production of the Scottish Play. This guy was brought in mid-rehearsals to replace the original Macduff. And he was good! And had a very positive attitude despite the chaotic production.
The night before closing I was attacked by a motorist and had my right ankle fractured.
A month after that I auditioned for a production of The Tempest. I was cast, but I had to mea culpa my still-healing ankle to the director. Five minutes later, I was un-cast. I didn't blame the director. He had to look after himself and his production.
Flash forward a week later. I'm attending a show with some acquaintances and Whiney Macduff is there. I tell my story of being cast and uncast in The Tempest. This guy gets all glum and says, "Yeah. I was cast in the show. But it's not one of the more interesting parts."
And I sat there, thinking, "You ungrateful son of a bitch. Especially after the story I just told you. You're complaining about being cast in a Shakespeare show."
Hence the nickname.
