Guest actors in "Dearly Departed"?
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
Forum Discription: For questions about handling shows, actors, crew, board members, children ...or do we repeat ourselves?
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3223
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 10:23pm
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Topic: Guest actors in "Dearly Departed"?
Posted By: jayzehr
Subject: Guest actors in "Dearly Departed"?
Date Posted: 6/09/08 at 7:57am
| I was reading about a production of Dearly Departed that used different members of the commuity each night to play the role of Bud. Anybody here tried that? Or what do you think? A check in the "pro" column would be that with prominent leaders from the community it might boost attendance. I could think of a lot of negatives as well. |
Replies:
Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 6/09/08 at 9:40am
|
Personally I think it spoils the show to ever actually see Bud. This connects with a thread in the props category where the discussion turned to the difference between allowing the audience to use a bit of imagination (in that thread a car vrs car seats). I believe actually using a Bud particularly in the funeral home would be a big mistake. ------------- Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse |
Posted By: jaytee060
Date Posted: 6/09/08 at 2:36pm
|
I directed a production a few years back when we had the mayor, some city councilmen and even the local newspaper reviewer play the part of Bud. It was greatly received by the audience. It really didn't help in the ticket sales as we kept the idenity of the local celeb secret. We simply said in the ads "with a suprise guest star".
As to not seeing Bud, the first scene is written so you have to see him. However, we did do it with Bud holding a newspaper in front of his face for the entire scene until the very end at which time he dropped the paper and performed a most eloquent (and hysterical) dead scene. The audience roared.
------------- "REMEMBER ME IN LIGHT" |
Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 6/09/08 at 3:13pm
| Did you have him keel over backwards as written in the script? If so, how did you manage that? |
Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 6/09/08 at 3:34pm
|
When I am wrong, I am wrong and in this point I was wrong. I had forgotten all about the first scene when he dies. All I remembered was the funeral scene. Just one more good reason for actors not to drink during performances. ------------- Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse |
Posted By: jaytee060
Date Posted: 6/09/08 at 3:53pm
|
Here is how we did it:
Mama says "Bud, are you listening to me" At which point Bud dropped the newspaper. stoop up, grabbed his chest, groaned and died.
There was no falling over backwards as we didnt want to injure the Mayor. ------------- "REMEMBER ME IN LIGHT" |
Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 6/09/08 at 4:24pm
|
Just on the "How we did that scene" portion of the thread (wouldn't work if you wanted to use a celeb) When we did this show we did the first scene with mama sitting at the end of the kitchen table with bud (played by the same actor as Ray Bud w/ wig) facing up stage at the table reading a paper.. On the cue line, bud fell forward and was able to make a "thud" effect as he hit the table (without hurting his head of course)
Great show.
------------- Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.." |
Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 6/10/08 at 3:59pm
| I was thinking that if a hidden portion of the floor was sufficienly padded, a mattress or something, then Bud could keel over backward without risk. But I guess that's probably asking too much for a guest actor to take a chance at. |
Posted By: avgsuperheroine
Date Posted: 6/22/08 at 9:08pm
|
We had bud next to the kitchen table in a reclining chair. Someone backstage flipped it back--he died with a bit of a "jerk" to knock the chair over backwards. Because the chair was a recliner it left his boots sticking straight up in the air when he died.
Back to the question though, I think it's a neat idea to have other folks play that part. ------------- http://www.dramaticallycorrect.com - Dramatically Correct Cast Gifts http://www.freewebs.com/costumeorganize - Costume Shop Organization Tips |
Posted By: b6307
Date Posted: 7/10/08 at 3:46pm
|
The director, a great "physical" comedy type, played Bud and about stole the show. We did the bit at the kitchen table with Momma yakking on and Bud there sitting eating his cereal. Didn't say a word through the whole scene just sat there eating and actively ignoring his wife's yammering. He even did the bit about adding teaspoon after teaspoon of sugar in his coffee, tasting it, then adding about 5 teaspoons more. Hilarious stuff. Then at the end of the scene he just slumps forward rather dramatically with his face ending up in the cereal bowl (which, of course was half full of actual cereal and milk). What a way to start the play! |
Posted By: RutTut
Date Posted: 11/18/08 at 10:28pm
I did a high school production of Dearly Departed where we used different teachers each night as "Bud." Our new headmaster stole the show the first night with a great dramatic death, so all the other Buds decided they needed to live up to the hype. So use your best Bud first. 
|
Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 11/19/08 at 7:19am
| By the way, we wound up doubling another actor as Bud. He was reading the paper and held it up so that you couldn't see his face. He then fell sideways onto the floor. Worked well for us. |