Ray Hayes shared some thoughts on his first volunteer experience with TLP.
I have zero previous experience in theater. After viewing two productions by The Lancaster Playhouse, I wanted to see first hand what goes into bringing a play to the stage. I volunteered to help with carpentry and wound up helping design and build the sets, find or create props, and assist with on-line ticketing.
Getting actors and crew to home in on the final details is an intense herding effort over a few weeks time. Interactions, timing, set layout, props, colors, sounds, lighting..., each aspect of the play is tried, adjusted, and tried again until the director likes the look and feel. Everyone I worked with took it all in stride and put out their best effort to make the show a success.
After watching one of the many rehearsals he offered his take on side characters.
I liked the Dunphy character. Those exaggerations like the odd walk add interest to the smaller parts. Why does she walk like that? Is she mad at Wilson, do her feet hurt, is she worn out from "
ladyhandling"
patients?
I also liked how Henry mimicked Wilson with hand gestures in the sanitarium. Makes you wonder if he’s under orders to “just watch me and do as I do” under threat of a fat lip. And the bartender's different attitudes toward Ellwood and Chumley in the bar scenes. Big pictures are made from the little pieces.
