Genine here, taking some time off from the Ogunquit Playhouse. By creating Backstage Pass, I hope to share a glimpse of what it's like working behind the scenes, as well as talking about the playhouse itself (it IS America's foremost summer theatre, after all) and Ogunquit (it's the "gay mecca" of Maine!)
In this segment, I'll discuss my involvement with Fiddler on the Roof. About four weeks ago, the little town of Anatevka took over the Playhouse's stage and enchanted both young and old. With memorable songs such as "Tradition", "If I Were A Wealthy Man" and "Do You Love Me?" the show has been a major hit with audiences for years. Ogunquit's production was no exception, as we had moveable trees, an onstage "pit" band, and two notable stars front lining the cast.
Firstly, I must say, meeting/working with Sally Struthers (of All In The Family fame) again was a pleasure. The woman is a sweetheart. Although, it was a little weird at first when talking to her because she is, after all, a celebrity! Eddie Mekka (known best for his role on Laverne & Shirley) also was quite nice. I made him a birthday card (his birthday was during the run) and he wanted me to sign it...which is quite funny - someone famous asking a non-famous person for their signature. I wasn't able to get his autograph, sadly, as I was busy with changeover but I did tell him he is my favorite Tevye which he greatly appreciated.
Fiddler on the Roof is one of the few shows I can listen to over and over without tiring of it. Even on two show days. Fiddler is such a timeless piece that it still resonates with today's society. A father is doing the best he can for his family, in a time of political and economical change. In the play, it's 1905 Anatevka, a small Russian village that is threatened by the prescence of the Tzar and Russian army. For today, it can be a number of things, the continuing war in the middle east, the rise of price for gas/oil, etc. What makes the show so powerful is how deeply rooted it is in family values, faith, and most importantly - community. Over the four week run, it became more apparent to me - especially when Tevye says in the beginning, "Every one of us is like a fiddler on the roof, trying to scratch out a pleasant tune without breaking our necks."
However, the word that sums up this production is not "tradition", it's preparedness. I had to assist with quickchanges (most of which were fairly simple, save for the bottle dancer change when I fought with topstick (we used fake beards and moustaches, except for a few guys who grew their own)). Most of the changes involved me simply putting on another shirt and assisting with the belt (for the Russians). The bottle dancer had more of a routine, where I would replace the old topstick with new, get the coat on, and then be ready with the beard/stache, hat. Pre-setting was a key in this show - before each performance I would take the Russian outfit and the bottle dancer outfit over to stage right, so they'd be readily available for quickchanges. Anything can happen in those situations, and a dresser must wear an apron filled with pins, pieces of topstick, and sometimes adhesive (if the actor felt it was necessary to use instead of topstick). Tracking costumes and hats back to respective dressing rooms also became part of the rountine, and as the run progressed, the more efficient we became at this task. During the wedding, especially, it was important to gather all the pieces (this included hats and vests from the dream sequence) and make sure they were all returned safely to their respective owners.
The most important thing, as with any show, is laundry. During the second act, we would place laundry baskets in the hallway, ready for the actors to drop off their diddy bags (bags made of netting in which mic belts, socks, bras, dance belts and undergarments can be placed into), shirts, and costume pieces. Before each performance, we would arrive early to distribute the clean laundry into the dressing rooms, and steam anything that appeared wrinkled. Also, we would take care of costume notes - these could be anything from a rip in a shirt to a snap or button that needed to be reattached. After the run of the show was completed, yours truly spent roughly 15 hours total washing costume shirts, petticoats, scarves and shamatas. A tiresome and boring task, but one that had to be done.
Despite the many setbacks I had during Fiddler, it was a wonderful experience. There were times when I cried, wanted to give up, and was so stressed it's amazing that I didn't go completely crazy!
Below are a few pictures taken from the last performance (June 21st);
Our set.
Never a dull moment with Matt Kacergis (Fyedka) and Zal Owen (Mendel).
Me with Tim Stokel, one of the Russians. He's rather spiffy looking, isn't he? (:L'chiam!
~ Genine
