Getting paid to act is a wonderful gift, my friends. But I have discovered a dark side to fame.
A woman approached me recently to tell me what a fantastic job she thought I had done in Greater Tuna. She was so enthusiastic and really wanted to express to me just how much she and her husband had really enjoyed the play, how really funny they had found it, and really just how incredible that Paul and I had memorized all those lines. Which I appreciate, I mean, really, I love to hear these things from audience members. I'm so pleased to know that people are enjoying the work. However, I was naked in the gym locker room at the time. And so was she. Both of us. Naked. A buffo.
I will happily autograph something for you. Just let me cover my nipples first.
Does this kind of thing happen to Bernadette Peters?
Well, the Actor's Renaissance Season of 2006 closed officially yesterday afternoon. If you're wondering where I've been lo these many weeks, that's what's been on the agenda: working my ass off. I literally have no ass left. None of us do.
The first show to open was Romeo and Juliet, followed by 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, then Eastward Ho and then close on the heels of that, the world premiere of Paul Menzer's new play, The Brats of Clarence. If anyone is keeping count, that's actually one more show in the season than we did in aught five. And they said it couldn't be done! Boo ya! It was a fantastic experience, so much more than I even expected. What else can I say? It ended far too soon.
So now I'm unemployed. Who's sensing a pattern? I plan to mooch off my amazing parents for a couple of months while I figure out my plan. Dennis Henry once said that this business requires a life-changing decision every six months; that's something I'm still trying to get used to.
Oh, for any of you who have iTunes, be sure to download the podcasts from American Shakespeare Center. It's free! There's one for each of our shows (you can hear my dulcet-ish tones on the one for Eastward Ho) and it's completely easy to download. Just search for Shakespeare under the podcast directory and American Shakespeare Center is the first thing to pop up. I'm on iTunes! SO exciting. I may cut an album next.