ChesterVillageWestPlayers“dish”ontheaterandlife
TheChesterVillageWestPlayers,lefttoright:GertrudeHughes,SusanClark,SueAtkinson,Joyce
Beauvais,ScottyBloch,ArtEgelhofer,FloraTucci,LeeHowardandGloriaEgelhofer
What’sitliketoexerciseyouracting“chops”inretirement?
Especiallyifyou’veneverbeenonastageinyourlife?
ForChesterVillageWestresidentscastinathree-actreadingofapopularplay,afewwords
floatedtothesurface:Exhilaration.Humor.Andfreedom.
ArtEgelhofer,anaccomplishedguitarist,isusedtoperformingforanaudience.Butactingout
theplay’smaleleadwasnewandappealing.WithfellowresidentsScottyBloch,SueClarkand
FloraTucciplayingtheotherleadparts,Artlaunchedintohischaracterwithgusto.
“Ididn’tfindtheprocessdifficultatall.Aswepracticed,dialogbegantoflownaturallyamong
castmembers,”Artexplains.“Weworkedtogethertocreatetheatmospherefortheplay,and
tocreatehumorinthescript’sconflicts.”
Challengingrolesrequireastretch,butthecastwasuptothetask.“Whileafewofuswere
initiallylukewarmtoourparts,wetookthemasachallengetoelevateourcharactersto
anotherlevel,”Artsays.“That’swhenpeople’screativeabilitiesreallycomeout.”
Art’swifeGloria,aretiredinteriordesignerwhosupportedtheplay’sstagingandprops,agrees.
“Thisscriptwasalittlemeatierthanourfirstproduction.Itrequiredeveryonetodigalittle
deeperintotheirroles.”
UnderthedirectionoftheatercoachJoyceBeauvais,thecastrehearsedweeklyfortwohours
atatime.OneofJoyce’soldestfriendsandcolleagues,residentScottyBloch,playedoneof
Arthur’sthreewives.Aseasonedactor,Scottybringsawealthofexperienceandhumorfrom
her40+-yearcareerinsoapoperas,TVmovies,TVseriesandplays.
“Irehearsethescriptasmanytimesasittakesforeveryonetobecomecomfortablewithit,”
Scottyexplains.“Timingandpacing–thosearethemostimportantthings.Ilovetotakea
comedicroleandmakeitevenfunnier.It’sessentialtopleaseyourselfinyourperformance;
youdon’twanttowalkoffthestagewonderingwhatyoucouldhavedonedifferently.And
whileyoudon’talwaysplayforlaughs,youdolearnfromyouraudience’sreactions.”
TheChesterVillagePlayers’secondproductionplayedtoafullhouseofappreciativeresidents
andtheirfamilies.“Theaudiencelaughedinalltherightplaces,”saidArt.“Weallhavedifferent
personaswithinusthatwecalluponindifferentsituations.Actinggivesustheopportunityto
projectthoseonastage.Ouraudiencegottoexperienceusasdifferentpeople.Andthat’salot
offun!”
“WhenIdirectaplayreadingwithseniors,Iseethemfocusingontheirlines,openingupand
lettinggoalittle,”saidJoyceBeauvais.“TheactorsinChesterVillageWestproductionsareso
specialandwarm.Iseefriendshipsandexcitementaseachoftheplay’sreadersaddemotionto
theirpartsandreacttotheothercharacters.Whetherweareselectingcostumes,re-hashing
scenestogetherorremindingeachothertoarriveatrehearsalontime,webondasafamily.I
amincrediblyproudofthem.”