Disembarking

The Old Opera House production of Anything Goes is over now.

First I will say we had a good final performance. It did not top Saturday night of course, but it was a large, responsive house. There were some mistakes in various places, but what are you going to do?

Then there was the cast party, which was all right. We looked at a slew of digital pictures that "Sir Oakleigh" had taken throughout the run. That was fun. I look rather cool in some of them.

If I were to blog about the sentimental feelings I had whenever a show closed, that would get rather boring. It would be much of the same thing each time; how I made new friends, and got to know the old ones better, and I did not have time to get to know some people as well as I wanted to, and all that. Happens in nearly every show. But there are some things particular to this show that I wanted to mention.

For one I think I did learn to feel more comfortable with dancing. Other than tap dancing which I in all honesty still do not understand. Yet overall, I came to realize that on some level, under the right circumstances I am able to pick up some things. That may be useful if I ever end up in a big musical again. I am wary of trying out for one, but if I did, maybe it would not take as long to get into the dancing groove.

I also reminded myself of something that I have always known, but sometimes forget. A character tends to be what you make of it. The Purser, as written, is not much. He has one line that is written to be funny in a half-assed sort of way, and that is about it. So, a lot is left up in the air about him. When I wrote my back-story for him all those weeks ago, I tried not only to fill in holes, but to give life to the character. Make him real. I must have succeeded, because last night, I missed him. I know that I have given a part everything I have when I miss the idea of it being around at the end of a production. Almost like a friend moving away.

The moral of the story is, despite it being a cliché' , there really are no small parts. I tried my hardest to give depth to my "small" role. Something I was very tempted not to do at first. It is obvious to me, and it seems to others, that I changed my mind about that.

A mother of one of my friend's paid me what is perhaps one of the most well stated and appreciated comments I have ever received as an actor. She said I have a rare talent for turning small roles into big memories. That is all I have ever tried to do with the purser. I am glad, in her eyes, and in others, I succeeded in doing so. May I always be able to do that when I don't get the big role.

Allow me to end by saying that I love my gargoyles.