Friday, October 16, 2009 (This is from a blog that was written by the main actor David in the Broadway Show "Wicked". The second paragraph is about my brother Terry!
We begin this entry in the great State of Iowa with a continuation of a little road talk. I had mentioned in my last post, that an internet connection and a volume knob in the dressing room were sine qua nons of “the good life” for an actor on the road. [please note: dangerous capacity for hyperbole] Another to add to that list: a good dresser. I’m not referring to those boxy clothes hampers in your bedroom, but the men and women who toil by helping actors with the most execrable part of their job - putting clothes on and taking them off. Changing clothes makes up a disproportionate amount of one’s time as a stage actor. I have done many multiple-role gigs, where it’s all about changing clothes and I robe and disrobe with an ugh and a heavy sigh. It’s one of those chop wood/carry water things that I should find some spiritual comfort in, but...come on, man... it’s boring. I have counted myself lucky when I can put a tux on at the beginning of the evening and leave it on until the end. Heaven!
Having a competent, accommodating dresser can make the backstage experience easier and a lot more pleasant. I have been blessed with many great dressers through the years and this tour has been no exception. Everybody has been, for the most part, just great. There is a preference list for dressers that I generally think holds true, and if you will pardon my reckless stereotyping, I will say that it is most preferable to have a woman dresser, next best is a gay man and at the very bottom of the totem is a straight man. Why? Well, frankly I think a woman generally has a more nurturing nature (hmm interesting turn of phrase) and that quality declines somewhat down the list. Granted, I am making gross generalizations and stereotypes are always thwarted by someone. That someone is my dresser here in Des Moines - Terry Anderson. Being dressed by Terry is a bit like being dressed by Merle Haggard. He’s a crusty old bear, who usually works the running crew up on the deck, but is not too proud to come on down and throw clothes on actors, if that’s where the paycheck lies. He’s an odd fit, making his living as an odd jobber - siding, plowing, whatever needs doing - but I have to say, he’s a damn good dresser. We’ve had a wonderful time. So much for my theory.
The State Capitol here in Des Moines is worth the trip. Quite the edifice. I learned all about a technique of creating a faux marble called scaglioso, which was brought over from - you guessed it - Italy, and is used throughout the building, but can’t remember any of the details. It’s some kind of paste that hardens and is then carved. You honestly cannot tell the difference between the scaglioso marble and the real thing. It seems to be stronger too. Iowans are rightly proud of their gorgeous hall of government. They really don’t make them like that anymore. I’ve talked about this before, but given the tenor of the times, where people only want to think of tearing down our government, seeing a beautiful symbol of civic pride is rare. Other than the capitol tour I didn’t do a lot, besides my homework. Wow! PowerPoint is really kinda cool when you start messing around with it - geek that I am. The fact is, there isn’t a lot to do here in Des Moines. That may be part of its charm. Anne Brummel, one of my cast mates, recalled that in a lot of cities, there is a subtle sense of obligation to see the sights, do the town - and here, it’s possible to be very quiet and not feel guilty. I think that a lot of us have been laying low, partly because the weather has already turned winterish. And that’s...okay.
The people in Iowa may just be the nicest people in America. There must be something to the notion of midwestern friendliness. Another one of those oddities of life on the road is that you are constantly going into unfamiliar grocery stores with each new stop, and it’s dizzying to have to figure out where the microwave popcorn is in 14 different stores. So when I found myself spinning around endlessly with my shopping cart on my first visit to the Hy Vee, I finally gave in and asked a clerk if he could tell me. “Oh here let me show you!”, he said, and proceeded to escort me to the motherlode of microwave popcorn. This personal escort service happened on another occasion and I mentioned it by way of saying how doggone nice everyone was here, and I was informed that it is a company policy at Hy Vee to escort anyone who asks where something is.
The Hy Vee is not just an ordinary grocery store. Several of us were actually contemplating moving in to the store if we could. Hy Vee is located in eight states and headquartered about a mile from our hotel. It’s employee owned and a fine place to work, according to Mike Johnson, an assistant manager with whom I spoke, while he stacked Colgate Toothpaste on an aisle end. When the weather turns nasty here - and it already has - the Hy Vee is the place to go because contained therein is a post office, a dry cleaners, a pharmacy, a Starbucks, a liquor store, a restaurant - and lots and lots of food. Oh...and lots of nice people.
The big news of the last week was the marriage of one of our cast members to his longtime partner here in Iowa. Apparently their now legal conjugation marks the end of an arduous journey to make their partnership legitimate in the eyes of the law. Daniel and Matthew are NY residents who tried to get married in Massachusetts, only to be told they had to be residents of the Bay State. But here in Iowa, of all places, they are now pronounced husband and - husband. Don’t worry - no diatribes here. Isn’t it enough to say that love is all - that impeding it is the true sin, and for those who might not understand the motivations or the mechanics of homosexual love - “there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” (Hamlet Act I, Scene 5) Lest it be forgotten, kudos to Iowans, for their compassion and common sense. Let’s hope you lead a path for others to follow.
Sadly though, we mark the passing of Tom McGowan’s mother who died earlier this week. Tom, of course, plays our Wizard, and is one of the class acts of our business. He will be leaving us soon to join the San Francisco company, which is great for him, since he is a resident of LA and will be able to fly home and see his family every weekend from there. But we shall miss him. He really is one of those special guys who is nice to everyone and makes a huge contribution to the vibe of our company.
He got a flight out as soon as he could, but I know how hard must have been for Tom to not be with his Mom when she passed. I was on tour when my own mother passed away. It does seem intrinsically wrong not to be with the people we love for their entrances and exits. Why do we separate ourselves? Loss is a long and winding road that is hard enough to trod. How does one hold tight when one is so far away? It’s a question I have been asking myself for too long.
Tom and I frequently rode into the theatre together here in Des Moines and one evening we drove into a driving rainstorm with the setting sun to our backs. Visible from end to end - like the Gateway Arch in St. Louis - was the most wondrous rainbow that I have ever seen. “Okay”, I said to Tom as I tried to hold this mind boggling phenomenon in my view as long as I could, “I’m good.” There were no pots of gold to be found - but it was a beautiful reminder that there really are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy.
4 Comments
Patricia Middleton (patriciamiddleton@email.com)
Hello, I've been following your blog for a few months now and I wanted to tell you that I enjoy the insights into the different places you visit. There have been mentions of quite a few cities that I have yet to see and I appreciate your insights into the culture and history of each place. I currently reside in Wichita, KS, and I hope you are able to find my town just as friendly and authentic as we can be. If there's any particular sight you'd care to see, I'd love to play tour guide. When people visit I often recommend seeing the zoo, the art museum, and the county museum.
Sunday, October 18, 2009 - 12:46 PM
David
I just might take you up on that. We arrive next week, which will be crazy, but when the dust settles...
Sunday, October 18, 2009 - 07:23 PM
Patricia Middleton
I ran into a woman at Barnes & Noble on Thursday who raved over your presentation at the go Wichita lunch. She was quite impressed with all the details you shared. You are definitely creating fans wherever you go, it seems!
Saturday, October 31, 2009 - 12:50 PM
Tonie Campbell
Hi David, my name is Tonie Campbell, I live in Idaho. Terry Anderson that you speak of in Des Moines, Iowa... aka your dresser... is my awesome Brother. I do know that he enjoyed working this show "Wicked" and he even told me about you. Thank You David for what you did for Terry. He is a Good, Good Man and a very hard worker. I would love to see this show if you ever come to the Nampa Idaho area .Love Tonie from Idaho.
Sunday, November 22, 2009 - 12:05 PM
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