| FORUM!! |
| Once in a very great while, if you're very lucky, as an actor, a show will come along where the cast just really gels as a unit. Not only do they work well together, they PLAY well together. And if you're really, really lucky, it's a show that you get to be really involved with, like a lead. This was my show. In May 2002, Westminster Community Theater put together "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum." It was unusual for WCT because it wasn't one of the 'usual' house directors and he hired mostly 'non-Westminster' people. It should be noted that WCT's rep is not really the greatest, either, compared to other local theaters. Mark Torreso had a vision and he included us all in it. The only reason I went to this audition is because I had gotten royally dissed at an audition I had been REALLY wanting, and was looking for something else. I almost talked myself out of it twice on the way over there, but decided, "Psuedolus ONLY. It's too far to drive for anything else." Well, as you can tell from these pics, I got it, but I got so much more. The show was the first one review for the theater in about 2 years, and was the first show in a long while to actually MAKE money. Critically, the show was a smash, with what I consider an across-the-board strong cast, especially the men. More on that later. |
| Everybody Ought To Have A Maid |
| Anyone who knows the show knows that Psuedolus drives the show, and if Psuedolus sucks, then there's a really good chance the show will, too. From day one, I took a look at these guys and said, "Eric, you have got your work cut OUT for you." These three guys are INCREDIBLE. Chris, our Lycus, is SO solid an actor with the knowledge and experience to back it up. He's a drama teacher and I relied on him to keep me honest with what I was doing, even if I didn't always listen to him. Karl I've worked with before in Gourmet Detective and I was tickled to be working with him again, especially in a musical genre. He's the best, plain and simple. Stan, for how amazingly calm and still he is in real life, is an incredible dynamo of energy and talent. He and I clicked like 'that'. Some people tell me that I was the frontrunner in this show. Well, if that's true, it's only because I was trying to keep up with these three, and everyone else. |
| Stan and I still keep in touch and go out frequently when neither of us is doing shows, but that's pretty much NEVER. However, we do have time for the occasional Friday Night Karaoke and dinner. His girlfriend Masaya (MAS-ee-ya, not Mas-SIGH-ya) has the most amazing voice I've ever heard and I predict she's going far, as will Stan. I'm very glad and proud to know them. |
| Melissa and the Twins. 'Nuff said about that. In any case, YES, that is one of my bullwhips (but it's not Annabelle) and YES, I taught her how to crack it for the show. |
| Here's a lovely pair... of actors! Tiffany Berg and Justin Bowler. I trust I don't have to explain which one is which? Justin Bowler is Justin Credible! From day one, he was solid and already where he needed to be to be in character. I can't imagine a finer actor than him. Tiffany was the most fun Phylia I've ever worked with and has succeeded in being the first to ever crack me up on stage, during a show. Strangely enough, me breaking character on stage happened a LOT during the run of this show, and although it's never ever happened before, it made the show a lot more fun. But Tiffany... Tiffany was my first... :P |
| Various Curtain Call and After Show Shots! |
| Stan Morrow (YES, it's a padded bra), Me and Drew Johnson mugging for the camera! Note the chronologically accurate Band-Aid on my thumb! |
| Mira Aynes (Panacaea), Lance again, and me. |
| Justin-Bob, Lance again and Kerri Hellyer, Vibrata and choreographer extraordinaire. |
| From Right to Left, Chris Hull as Lycus, me, Karl Jaecke as Senex, and Stan Morrow as Hysterium |