[NEohioPAL] Honoring Commitments- Final Chapter (A Happy Ending)

[DVangaasbe at aol.com]

Several weeks ago, I wrote two e-mails concerning actors who do not keep  
their commitments to theatres who have cast them in productions.  Included  
in those e-mails were discussions of why theatres and playhouses should make  
sure those actors honor the commitments at hand.  I, at those two times,  
stated that we would persevere and move on.  Well! I have excellent  news.  
One of my actresses remembered a little seventeen year  old fireball she had 
acted with and we auditioned this fireball and  discovered much to our 
delight that she was far better than the fellow who  dropped us to go play a 
minor part in Beauty and the Beast in Canton,  Ohio.
 
Once Upon a Mattress played to enthusiastic crowds all six  nights.  The 
jester, Sarah Brazier, along with our Princess Winnifred  (Jackie Piatt), King 
(Ray Olivera), Queen (Sandra Schmeltzer), Prince Dauntless  (Jon Neumann), 
Lady Larken (Tara Shooks), Sir Harry (Steve Long), and Minstrel  (Matt King) 
brought the house down.  Sarah was a tremendous replacement  actress and 
worked well with Ray and Matt during several scenes.  Her  rendition of Old 
Soft Shoes was far superior to the young fellow who left  us.  So we were 
blessed in our greatest period of need.  Divine  Intervention- I do believe so.  
A good memory of an actress - I definitely  believe so.  Are we happy with 
Sarah Brazier? Yes we are.  Are we  happy with all the actors and actresses 
who participated in Once Upon a  Mattress, you bet your sweet bippy. (Shades 
of Rowan's and Martin's  Laugh-in) Those actors and actresses include the 
above and Lisa Van Gaasbeek,  Shannon Levesque, Sarah Price, Rachel Zachardy, 
Drew Hutchinson, Theresa Graves,  Laina Cohen, and Irene White.
 
As for the actor who left us.  Well! he has a very short  memory.  In 2006, 
when we did The Odd Couple, he wanted to play  Oscar Madison real bad and 
to tell you the truth he was very good.   However, he was working at another 
playhouse doing Cinderella and he  wanted to play the king's part in that.  
We honored his commitment to the  other playhouse and moved our production 
two weeks back so he would have  sufficient time to get ready.  We ran 
rehearsals and got everyone up to  speed so when he came in we could hit the 
ground running.  That  occurred.  He got to play a part he desperately wanted to 
play while  honoring another commitment.  It seems that when he got the 
small part in  Beauty and The Beast in Canton, Ohio, he seemed to forget who we 
were.  I  do hope that the director of Beauty and the Beast does not have 
the same  situation occur to him in the future since all he had to do was tell 
this young  man to honor his original commitment.  However, with the 
arrival of Ms.  Brazier, I am glad he did not have that heart to heart with this 
obviously short  in memory young man who will never grace our stage again.  
No unsuspecting  cast should have to put up with those antics.  
 
David Van Gaasbeek
Director
Canal Fulton Players
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