April's Life Adventures

Monday, October 03, 2005

Romeo? Are you ok?

While growing up, my husband loved to act. He was in many plays, which we have nice blackmail video tapes of, but most of all he developed a love for the arts. I was never in a play. I was always called upon to be in the pit orchestra or something, but I never showed my face on stage. That is until we were married.

Hubby and I decided to take a summer off of school and work. One of his former employers had invited him back for a summer job, so we moved in with his parents for the summer. What could be better than spending a few months in sunny California? Not to mention, he could show me all of his old haunts and I could puzzle together faces with the descriptions that he had provided me with. On one of these outings I was introduced to Frank.

Frank must be one of the most interesting and yet baffling people that I have ever met in my life. He directs plays out of a small theater that he owns. As my husband introduced us, Frank immediately invited us to audition for a play that he was about to produce. Lucky for us, it was a summer production of "Romeo and Juliet". I was sure that I wouldn't get the lead roll, and I was alright with that. What I was worried about was my new husband being cast as Romeo and having to kiss another girl in front of me. You can spout your "stage kissing is different than real kissing" all you want. It is still kissing! Imagine my relief when he was instead cast in the lesser roll of Benvolio, the cousin and close friend of Romeo. Frank had cast his son with the lead. I was given a small bit part, I am sure it was because of my husband that I was given one at all.

We rehearsed three nights a week. Hubby and I didn't mind, seeing as we were both in the play, we really were not apart. I also enjoyed watching him in action, seeing as he really is a fantastic actor. Opening night arrived and Romeo was a wreck. I swear he was drunk, not to mention he could not remember a single line of the play. As he appeared out on stage, the cast panicked. Most of my husband's scenes were played with Romeo, which made for some rather interesting improv, but most of all, the audience really didn't seem to notice how terrible the play was.

Perhaps this memory of mine has kept me from desiring to find an opportunity to be in another play. Or maybe we just moved away and became busy with our lives. Some day I really would like to have another chance to perform. Possibly I could have the experience of being in a good play. Either way, there is only one way to go from where I started. Rock bottom, with a terrible performance, there is no possible way that I could be in a worse play. Well, unless someone shows up naked of course. That would definitely be worse.

Posted by April_Mommy :: 1:39 PM :: 7 comments