Memories of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"

 

Presented by The Little Theatre of Northern Wells June 6-15, 1975, I'm pretty sure this is the first show in which Denny Bechtelneimer directed me...though we were both in the cast of Lend an Ear at Arena Theater a year earlier. It was also my introduction (again, "I'm pretty sure") to Jari Cook, 20 years my senior, but the holder of a special place in my heart and the woman who introduced me to the music of Bette Midler.

I was cast as one of "The seven proteans, men with incredible versatility and dignity." Whenever the script called for sailors or soldiers or singers or slobs, we took care of the need. It was a fun group of guys, but, as can be seen below, our costumes were...um...interesting.

I pity the folks in the orchestra pit for the view they no doubt had

Thanks to Doreen Dunphy Ayers for these pictures. (Even this one, where I am but a mysterious shadow in the upper right.

Words of a Departing High School Senior

 

Here are two paragraphs I don't remember writing for a piece in the final high school newspaper, "Seniors Leave with Varied Emotions".

I also don't remember drawing the illustration that appeared with the article, but it's definitely my work.

"It would be easy to say that I'll miss the kids the most, but I don't think that's true. What I'll miss most are the feelings and affections that have grown between other students and myself. I have special feelings about the class of '75; feelings that are good and won't be replaced until I spend twelve years of my life with someone else.

"These last few days of school have been really strange. I always thought I would be a 'good student' to the end, but I've been inflicted with a terminal case of Senior-itis. It's so confusing to not care at all about school and wanting to leave, while at the same time, I don't want to be left alone without the fellowship that school provides."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

And from a "Memory Book" published at the same time...

"Can you imagine Dewey Roth without his sense of humor?"

DUANE ALVIN ROTH

Nickname: Dewey
Favorite
     Song: My Sweet Lady
     Color: Selsun Blue
     Food: Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun
     Pastime: Memories & Poetry writing
     TV Show: M*A*S*H
     What will you miss most about NHS? Those special people
     Pet Peeve: Wall Builders
     Words of Wisdom: All that's gold may not glitter

I, Dewey Roth, being of faulty mind and forgotten body do hereby will and bequeath my share of Donna Keech's glasses to Barry Gordon, a near-sighted dog.

[P.S. On the page describing the "Ideal Senior", the ideal senior boy would have my personality and wittiness! How nice!]

Memories of "Carnival"

 

The spring musical my senior year of high school was Carnival, with performances April 3-5, 1975. I played Jacquot, an assistant puppeteer...a part originated on Broadway by the voice of Beauty & the Beast's Lumiere, Jerry Orbach. I was also the puppeteer and voice for the French fox, Renardo.

The show opened with my character playing a harmonica solo (something I learned to do just for this show, but using my fingers to isolate the notes, instead of my tongue and lips, like a real harmonica player would do). As we began the dress rehearsal on April 1, my solo was interrupted by the voice of someone offstage: "I want to be in the play!" The director pretended to be confused and annoyed, but it turned out the would-be cast member was the school's football coach, Mr. Huber, already wearing a strongman costume. The directors had convinced him to join the cast at the last minute.

I must have really enjoyed being in the show. The school paper quoted me as saying "Carnival was definitely a nice thing to be involved in. In all the plays I've been in, there's been a certain closeness between the cast members, but Carnival and the people in it were extra special. I liked the chance to be sensitive in a part rather than just a comical figure, and yet, Renardo allowed me to be a ham if I wanted to. I'm very happy about the whole experience."

"There were moments in the play that I'll never forget such as Dewey's intro to 'Cirque de Paris'." [Anne Dormire...which reminds me that one of MY favorite scenes was when my character listened to HER character sing "Mira". That was all I did, and it was lovely.]

"Mr. Jacquot - Don't really know what to say or how to say it, except that you're really fantastic!! The character that you've developed for Jacquot is so warm, sensitive and loving -- for me, it's just right!
     "My admiration for your acting potential has jumped about 20 points during our show, and I feel very sure you're going to do extremely well in your future - just work hard!
     "I think you know me pretty well, and I hope you realize that I do believe in the 'magic of the theatre,' and Renardo and Jacquot...but most of all, I believe in a super-talented guy named Dewey Roth who expresses that special magic better than anyone in our cast! Give 'em Hellems. Break a Leg  -  Mr. H" [Show's director and school's choir director]

Memories of "Lend an Ear"

 

This is the show in which I made my Fort Wayne stage debut, which felt like a big deal at the tail end of the summer between my Junior and Senior years in high school, August 23-31, 1974.

It's fun looking through the program and seeing names of people that I met in this show and then worked with several times in the following few years. It's also frustrating to see the names of castmates and not be able to pull a face or any memory at all to the surface. Including Carolyn Glossenger who wrote, "It's been great that an 'old lady' and such a nice young man could become such great friends. It has been a joy working with you  -  hope it won't be the last time." (I'm guessing it was, because I have no idea who she is/was. Sorry, Carolyn.)

The show itself was a musical review that opened on Broadway in 1948. We cut some of the musical numbers and sketches and replaced them with other, more recent, tunes and jokes.

The Arena Theatre was a dinner theater that performed its shows "in the round" at the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce building. The director, Larry Wardlaw, would always let us know whether the audience was going to be a good one based on alcohol sales.

Random Memories:

• I remember us taking a break during a rehearsal and listening to Nixon resign the presidency.
• Castmate Jordan Hamm tricked us into thinking she was a mother by asking if we wanted to see her pride and joy and then showing us a picture of two products with those brand names.

• In the cast was Denny Bechtelheimer, who had just directed me in Li'l Abner two months before. "Dewey -  Here you are, big 17-year-old star...making your Ft. Wayne stage debut! (With me at your side, of course) You're gonna be great! Break a leg tonight! Love, Denny"
• The director was Larry Wardlaw, who I would later co-star with in Inspector General. "Dewey, My chance to tell you Thank you! for being one of the most exceptionally talented and creative young men I've ever worked with! IT's there  -  and your theatre future can only be bright! Thank you, Dewey! Always, Larry"
• I borrowed a pair of tap shoes from a veteran Ft. Wayne actor/dancer. They were a size too small. Kept me light on my feet!
• I was nominated for a Parky Award: Best Supporting Actor in a Musical ...like a Tony, but just for shows produced by Arena Theatre.
• Abby Dormire (cheerleader and high school principal's daughter who I had just co-starred with in Oliver that spring and Li'l Abner in June) and I were dating at the time and she wrote me a note for opening night: "Dear Dewey, WHO is going to be fantastic tonight and stand out as the 'shining star? You are! I wish you the best of everything. I will not be there in body but very, very much there in SPIRIT! Yah! Rah!"

Memories of "Li'l Abner"

 June 7-16, 1974, The Little Theatre of Northern Wells presented the musical comedy, Li'l Abner, based on the Al Capp comic strip. Along with a cameo appearance as the President, I starred as Pappy Yokum.

As I browse through the program and script notes and newspaper clippings in 2023, I am impressed at how much about this show I have forgotten. For example, I have always thought that Denny Bechtelheimer directed this production, but it turns out he was going to direct, and did advanced planning and auditioning and the casting with that intent, but scheduling issues led him to step down to being "only" the Musical Director, leading the orchestra and choreographing the dance numbers. Don Stewart functioned as the show's Director: "Dewey, I want to thank you for being in the cast of 'Li'l Abner'. I thoroughly enjoyed you and your characterization of Pappy. You have good stage presence and a lot of talent. Keep up the good work!  -Don"

Things I DO Remember:

• Filling in for a missing castmate in a minor role during one rehearsal and having everyone in stitches and the director wishing I could do that bit in the performances
• Abby Dormire (Mammy Yokum) getting sick between weekends and her part being taken over by Denny's sister, Cheryl
• Cheryl making a circle with the forefinger and thumb of her left hand and inserting the forefinger of her right hand on the line "That's the time between when the gal sez 'Shore do' and the preacher sez 'Go to'!"
• "A wiry Pappy Yokum was created by Dewey Roth of Markle" [Laura Pipino - News Sentinel]

Memories of "The Boyfriend"

 

This Little Theatre of Northern Wells production took place in the early summer between my sophomore and junior years of high school. And yet, I was cast in the title role! And yet, I don't think it was a huge part...the program says my character only sang one song (which I don't even remember doing).

This should be a short post because I have very few memories of this show at all. And yet, the ones I have are very specific:

• Following a performance, an audience member who ran a dance studio said she thought I could benefit from her instruction...and made it sound like a compliment.
• The director, Larry Life, had me change my pronunciation of "fallacies" from my incorrect "fal-uh-sez" to "fal-uh-seez", saying that my way sounded like "phalluses," a word which, at the time, I did not know the definition of.
• In one of the very few stage kisses I've ever needed to perform, my character kind of surprised the object of his affection and, as I took her in my arms and leaned over her, she appropriately reacted with an open-mouthed gasp. When I told fellow cast member, Doug Hunnicutt, that the actress, Vickie Fuller, maintained said mouth posture throughout the kiss, he told me I should "slip her some tongue."

All of that, and I'm not in any extant photos of the show...

Memories of "Dracula"

 

'Twas December 1-2, 1971...late fall of my freshman year of high school. Either I gave an amazing audition reading or there just weren't that many guys interested in being in a non-musical because I was cast in one of the lead roles, Jonathan Harker, for which I was far too young.

Random memories:

• This was my first stage kiss, as recounted in THIS edition of Almost the Truth.
• Dracula "magically" made a mirror shatter by throwing a small pocket knife at it. It looked like he was doing a flamboyant "alakazam" hand gesture, and the audience was far enough away they probably couldn't see the knife.
• In one scene, Professor Van Helsing (played by Lee Bynum) entered the room just as my fiance, Lucy (played by Judy Lambert), was about to bite my neck...saving me from becoming a vampire. During one performance, Lee was distracted by a card game backstage and was late making his entrance. Judy just kept hovering over my neck, fangs bared, for what seemed like forever, until the good professor appeared...sliding into the arched doorway like Tom Cruise in Risky Business (but fully clothed!).
• I earned enough points with this one role for membership in the National Thespian Society...something that ticked off a few of the older theater nerds.