Dan's Papers - May 8, 2009 -

I have a small role in the upcoming show Anything Goes produced by The Springs Community Theater at Guild Hall in East Hampton. The show opens this weekend, and for the last week we have been singing, rehearsing and building sets at the newly renovated John Drew Theater in Guild Hall. The multi-million dollar renovation is truly and amazing sight to see. As an actor in the show that will be the first musical on this stage since the renovation, I think it will be pretty cool to take the new stage out on its maiden voyage and feel it come alive.

The new renovation is a reminder of just how fortunate those in local theater have it out here. Every detail of the building and theater are first rate, including the dressing rooms downstairs, which has a French drain system, showers and loads of space. The electronic equipment in the theater, also state of the art, includes a communication system that can be heard throughout the entire stage, but not in the audience. Theatergoers will be pleased.

Putting together a set however, is still done the old fashioned way.

Last Saturday and Sunday I spent most of the day with the cast, including director Peter Fitzgerald who, drenched in sweat, was barking out orders like a mad man, building a giant wooden set in the shape of a large cruise ship.

No new technology here, just some wood, paint, saws and screws. Saw dust was flying everywhere, as local builder Glen Rozzi sawed away. Other members of the cast were painting and measuring while others showed up with coffee and doughnuts. I started to screw down some stairs as the entire theater blasted rock and roll music. This is what it's all about, I thought.

It was very cool to see so many people get so involved in the set design. I really felt like I was in some kind of Disney movie. The work seemed endless, and before the actual dress rehearsal started at 6 p.m., I snuck away at 5 p.m. and took a nap at Main Beach for an hour. It was a long day and it was going to be a long night.

When I got back there was some discussion about how Bernie Madoff's name had been crossed off of the list of donors to the John Drew Theater, which subsequently turned into a very surprisingly discussion about the economy, which was kind of surreal considering most of us were in the middle of putting on sailor costumes or looking over lines in the script.

"TOP OF ACT ONE!" Peter bellowed out. Play time was over and we slapped on our hats and took a glance at our scripts for one last memory check. What the hell do I say after Moonface pulls out the machine gun? Do I come out before the song "Public Enemy Number One" starts or do I come out afterwards? Where the hell is my right shoe? Oh my God, I got to get my ass out on stage!

Jay Bennett, the musical director of the show started to tickle the ivory as the actors scurried about hitting their marks. By day we were journalists, construction workers, teachers, hair dressers and students, but for the last two months, by night we were actors and performers in the musical production of Anything Goes and to all of us that means a lot. I know of very few other activities that tune the senses and focus the mind more than doing live theater.

"HOLD ON! HOLD ON A SECOND!" Peter yelled out. "CAN SOMEBODY FIX THAT DOOR THAT KEEPS OPENING PLEASE? IT'S VERY DISTRACTING!"