Say It Ain't So, Joe

Do you know, before December 2006, I had never acted on stage. Wait. I take that back. In my sixth grade class at St. Christopher's, I was in a play. I had a couple of lines in an uncredited role.

"The shield, the shield! Look at King Arthur's shield!"

Yeah...sadly I remember it. It was around 1970 or '71. How can anyone remember something so insignificant from that far back? I dunno.

What made me remember that? I guess I should explain. I just watched an "insider's" show on how "Friends", the TV show, was cast.

It made me think of the few characters I've portrayed. Certainly, I don't deserve to be on Broadway, making films in Hollywood, or even on TV. (I sure would like to try.) But in my own self-assessment, I wondered....

How good am I?

And it dawned on me.

The most memorable characters are the ones where the actor and the character became synonymous.

Can you imagine Chandler Bing without Matthew Perry. He wasn't the first actor offered the part...try Jon Cryer of "Two and a Half Men". How about Courtney Cox as Monica. Not the first one to read for it. In fact, it was offered first to Janeane Garofalo before Courtney. Ex-squeeze me? How about Barney Fife without Don Knotts? How about Lloyd and Harry without Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels?

I could probably bore you with another 20 minutes of useless, albeit interesting, information about who could or should have been cast in this role or that. But I won't.

My hope is that I haven't found my "defining" role yet. Don't get me wrong. I loved portraying Uncle Billy, Coach Dunbar, Vinnie, Pete Fox, Spats, and Lt. Blunt. But, now that I'm playing Tony Alto, it makes me wonder...

Have I already portrayed my "defining" role? Have I already done my best work? I sure hope not.

The thing to remember about "Friends", like it or not, is the fact that it was an "ensemble" cast. No one actor was given more, or less, credit than the others. The whole is greater than sum of its parts, right?

That's what I like about the dinner theater productions. No one actor is given higher billing than another. We are a TEAM. We work together...no stars...no divas...just a group pulling together to make it happen, cap'n. Not to mention that it's fun as all get out!

I love acting! I love creating characters that are memorable. I wish I could shake the hand or hug the neck of every actor/actress that has moved me emotionally. I guess I'd be standing in line for the rest of my life. The neat thing about the dinner theater...I get to "beer me five" with folks that move me every rehearsal or at every performance. Yes, say it IS so, Joe...'cause I'm loving every minute of it.