Fenz was bursting with Fulton Theatre subscribers, staffers, and actors on Thursday night after our opening night performance--great food, champagne cocktails, and company. The show itself went really well--we all had a lot of fun--and while we were sad to say good-bye to our fearless leader, director Bill Roudebush, we were very excited to begin our run. I still can't believe I get to wear those beautiful clothes everyday for the next two weeks, get to work with such interesting and smart actors day in and day out, get to go to work at such a beautiful theatre eight times a week. It really is extraordinary.
As our first week of performances comes to an end, I've been struck by how very good a play Dial M is--not that the idea hadn't occurred to me before but as I get to know it better and better it really stands out as a well written piece of theatre. In his obituary, the NY Times describes Frederick Knott, the author of our play as "notoriously unprolific." Knott was born in China to Quaker missionaries, was educated at Cambridge, and served in the Royal Artillery. He wrote Dial M for Murder while holed up at his parent's Sussex home for 18 months, and had, reportedly, such a hard time attracting any interest to this, his first play, that he very nearly gave up. In his obit, his widow is recorded as saying that he had imagined two unpenned plays, and had turned down countless commissions for new work--so it seems we're quite lucky to have this script to begin with. And I can't wait to hear how you find it--Dave T., your silence is deafening!
I've already experienced a working actor's rite of passage--that of being recognized about town: once at the Tanger outlets, where the woman helping mw find some (silk) stockings suddenly said "are you in the theatre?! I saw you last night--I knew I knew you!" and the several people at the Marriott this weekend--a heartfelt thank you to the gentleman who sent me a much needed glass of wine as I waited for my dinner. It's neat to be in a community where so many of the people around you have seen the work you're doing on any given day!
