Master Thespian
A Geezer’s Notebook, By Jim Foster
I was a little surprised to read that Mariposa Arts Theatre is staging Macbeth this fall. One of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, the ‘Scottish Play’ is one serious production. It is not everyone’s cup of tea (although with a dram or two of Glenmorangie 17-year old single malt added it’s not bad.) But then I thought, why not do Macbeth? MAT did an excellent job on Jesus Christ Superstar and that was heavy stuff and hardly what would be called light entertainment. They certainly have the talent to do Shakespeare so why not go ahead?
Unfortunately, if asked, I will not be able to accept a major role because of prior commitments. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir are both considering me for solos in their Christmas programs. As it stands, I am going to have to disappoint one of them.
I am quite familiar with Macbeth having studied it in Grade 11 and several years ago saw a production in Stratford. In fact I was almost killed during the performance when Lady Macbeth mistook me for Duncan and threw her knife into the audience. The ‘out damned spot’ she was running on about later was there all right, it was wet and in the back of my pants.
As I told you in a column several decades ago I started to rewrite Macbeth for Playboy magazine casting TV’s Golden Girls as the three witches. I added Maw (Estelle Getty) as the fourth. My version was perhaps a little racier than Will’s original. I had to abandon the idea when my printer refused to print it. Well, not exactly refused, it caught fire. Hewlett-Packard threatened to repossess my machine if I ever tried to print it again.
If MAT can come up with the money, I would be prepared to sell them my version of that classic. It will save them a fortune on Opera House rentals alone. If my three witches scene is used on opening night, I can almost guarantee they will not need to shell out rental money for a second performance.
MAT has come a long way since its first production On Monday Next in 1970 as they tackled deeper and more complicated works. In the early years MAT produced at least two shows at the Pav in Orillia’s Couchiching Beach Park. I was in both Ten Nights in a Bar Room and Little Mary Sunshine. An odd thing about Sunshine, I met a Catholic school teacher a few years later. He had been a priest and left the priesthood to get married. We were talking at a dinner one night and the conversation got around to amateur theater. I mentioned I had been in Little Mary Sunshine and sure enough he had too.
I asked him what part he played. It was ‘Mary’. The show was produced and performed in the seminary. The entire cast was male, so who else but a guy to play the lead? He was kind of cute now that I think about it.
There was a great comedy role in Sunshine, Corporal ‘Billy’ Jester. I really wanted the part but the director, Jackson Spear, gave it to Ray Storey. A year or so later Jackson directed Man of La Mancha. I wanted the comedic role of Sancho Panza, Don Quixote’s man servant. Jackson gave it to Ray Storey. I told Jackson later if he ever directed the story of my life, he would give the part of me to Ray and I would be cast as my best friend.
Ray was great in both shows. He went on to become one of Canada’s finest playwright and television writers.
As for me in that show, I was cast as Pedro, a muleteer. Even then I got skunked, while the rest of the muleteers were chasing the lovely Aldonza (Mary Jo Masterson) all around the stage, Jackson had me stand there like a dummy and sing.
Man of La Mancha was a pretty heavy piece of work too, not Shakespearean but definitely not a typical Broadway song and dance musical.
The more I think about it Mariposa Arts is more than capable of taking on serious theater. I am looking forward to Macbeth even if they choose to go without my Golden Girls. Say, what about Maw as Lady Macbeth? I’ll start working on that right away.
(Image Supplied)
