Behind the Curtains - Take 2 - Getting Into Character

Have you ever tried to be someone else?  Not just dress like them or talk like them for a brief impression, but to fully embrace another's personality-quirks and all-for days, weeks, even a month.  Now try splitting your days between being yourself for half your day and living as someone else for the other half.  Sounds like fun, right?  Welcome to the world of acting.

While it's not always easy to embrace a character fully-acting like them, breathing like them, talking like them, thinking like them (you get the picture), Dave Joseph (Mel Edison) ended up finding a little bit of himself in Mel.  "I hate to admit it, but anyone that knows me will testify...I am Mel.  I hate to say that because then it seems like I didn't have to work very hard, and nothing could be further from the truth.  It took a lot of trial and error and experimenting, and that's why this is probably one of the most rewarding experiences I've had thus far for a role."

There's been a lot of camaraderie on set during the last month of rehearsal and that chemistry between the actors began as early as auditions.  Dave reflects that he's never laughed so hard during a read through and blocking of the scenes, but the fun and laughter just never stopped with all the characters' unique personalities coming to life every day.  It's that energy and friendship that occurs on set that actors feed off of that moves a production from good to great.  Every rehearsal there has been discovery, growth, and development that has made it a phenomenal production.  There are still lines that keep the cast laughing, like...

-Tera Bevilacqua (Pearl) boisterously saying, "Certainly!  MY GAAWHD!"  in a thick New York accent. 
-Dave (Mel) insightfully sharing some advice, "Three things I learned at the doctors, Harry.  You have to relax, you mustn't take the world too seriously...and you have to be very careful of what you say when you go out on the terrace."
-Amy Joseph as Jessie says, "Since he was a baby."
-Ruthy Stapleton (Edna) gets them laughing with, "Where will you get the water?"
- Burt Mamula (Harry) fires out, "It'll take him till August to blow up a volleyball!" 

These all sound hilarious, right?  Trust us...Come see the show, and we're sure you'll be laughing too.

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