… You just have to grab center stage!”
Tonight was the last performance of “The People vs. Frankenstein” and it was going to be unlike any performance that had come before it. I’ve had the role of the Male Juror who was the Jury Foreman. I had two lines int he play and was in the audience watching and reacting to the play every night for 8 of our shows. Tonight however, was different.Tonight I got the entire buffet.
At the cast meeting our director was absent. He was not feeling well and was trying to recover in order to perform. I thought nothing of it. Figured that he’d be fine and back in a little bit. I was wrong.
At 1:30pm the stage manager came to me and explained that the director, Tony, was sick and could I play the character of Cornwall Bellini tonight. here we were on the final night of our 9 show run. This show had all sorts of challenges along the way. Two weeks before the opening night the director had to step in and take on the role of the lead, Cornwall Bellini, the defense attorney defending Frankenstein’s monster, Max Berg. So to accommodate this last minute change all of Bellini’s lines were printed on old style paper so that the director could use them while performing. And he did a fantastic job.
Tonight he got sick. So sick that he could not stand without swaying. The stage manager made the decision that someone else would take on the role tonight.
That someone was me.
When you often feel like a background character in your own life, to be tasked with being the lead is utterly surreal. However, as the character Bellini states, “Life’s theater, Coop. You just have to grab center stage!” I agreed to step up and do the role for our production. Mind you this was 20 minutes before curtain. I texted Allison, “Bellini is sick and they just made me Bellini. Not a joke.”
She’s seen the show the past two Sundays and surprised me with people there every time. People came to see me say, “I do” and “We have, your honor” and do some very extensive back of the head work and eyebrow movement. Tonight people got to see much more. Luckily she and my son were able to rush over and get there before the play began. Sadly, Eva was home because it was a day of baking and she had just put Swiss chocolate squares into the oven. She was disappointed to say the least. But there were some photos and video of the play.
Allison and andy rushed to the theater. There they were given complimentary seats when people discovered who she was because of what I was doing.
I had an incredibly supportive cast and crew behind me in this moment. so much love and encouragement, I did not know what to do with it. I went out and did my best as Cornwall Bellini so that she show could go on. I had a lot of fun doing it. I was totally shell shocked but I gave it the best I could. There were some hiccups and I’ll probably think on those but when I came out at the very end to give my bow the shouts and applause from the cast and crew outstripped that of the audience. It was humbling. People said that I saved the show and that I was a hero for what I did. I like to think I just did what was needed when it was needed. As I overheard the stage manager tell the front of the house, “Drew’s in the suit, he’s ready.” What else could I have been?