“I know that there are two subjects in paintings that no one will buy. One is Jesus, and the other is sheep.“
I have been cast in an upcoming production of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile, playing Picasso’s art dealer Sagot. The company is Stages Theatre in Fullerton – Fullerton is a college town with a healthy arts community that’s fed by both Cal State Fullerton and nearby Chapman University, so they have several highly-regarded community theater companies in very close proximity like Hunger Artists and the Maverick; and the competition tends to produce some of the best non-professional work in Orange County. Yeah, there’s South Coast Rep – that shining and impenetrable fortress – but when it comes to the “everybody else” category, Fullerton has a good reputation and Stages is a thriving location there.
I have wanted to be part of a production of this play for years, so it’s especially exciting that my first Fullerton show will be this one. Stepping outside myself as an actor for a moment – even though I didn’t peg this role as one to chase at first, I can see the sense of it. I fancied the idea of playing Einstein, but I’m 10 years older than either he or Picasso are meant to be – and with the salt-and-pepper in my beard I walked in there looking it. That’s not insurmountable with makeup, a good razor and a little imagination, but it doesn’t just matter for me but for who I am cast alongside. The two characters should feel united by a common energy of being young and on the cusp of greatness. I can try and fake that but if you stick me next to someone legitimately baby-faced it will feel…wrong. Just one of those visceral things that, fair or not, you can’t fight.
I knew that going in I was probably too old; and maybe this means I’ll never get to play one of those roles, but it’s okay. Because Sagot isn’t overtly flashy compared with the others (really, we’ve got Picasso, Einstein, and friggin’ ELVIS in this show, not to mention the Great Schmendiman, which is as scene-steal-y as scene-stealing roles get), he can easily become the weak link in the ensemble. I get this stealth challenge to keep up my end and make more out of less; true character actor work.
And it feels great that, as with Dracula and Much Ado, I walked into a roomful of strangers and convinced them to take a risk on me. Several of the others in the cast are friendly with the director and/or veterans of the company. He’s had time to get to know what they can do. I had two minutes at the audition and about ten total at the callbacks. And now my network broadens.
Show opens first weekend in March. Not much time, really. It’s a brief show – about 90 minutes, no intermission. Going to burn a lot of gas going back-and-forth to Fullerton. Totally worth it. As I said – there were a lot of shows auditioning, and some intriguing offers made to me; but I got the show I dared to want, and that feels really good.