The Fun Zone

One of the best things about acting is getting to take on a role that is vastly different from your own personality. I am certainly not a beefy military action hero, but occasionally I get to play one in some sort of audio format. It's good sometimes to let go of your own life, and immerse yourself in somebody else's for a bit.

Now, while I had a fantastic time playing Tony Kirby in last year's You Can't Take It With You, I wouldn't say that Tony was all that different from myself. He was a pretty regular guy, and didn't require me to step too far out of my comfort zone. This year is different. This year, I play Walter Steed.

Walter Steed is a pompous ass. He's a radio soap opera actor with an ego the size of Cleveland, and he doesn't hesitate to assert his supposed supremacy upon his coworkers. He tries to seduce two women at the same time. He's delusional. He yells at everybody. He growls. He's a no-talent hack, and everything about his past is a big ol' lie.

I've never had so much fun.

There's something cathartic about playing a character universally hated by everybody else on stage. It's kind of like cheep therapy.

It's not just me, though. The show features a host of other great characters, each with their own zany malfunctions. If the audience will laughs at the final product half as much as we've been laughing at each other during rehearsals, it's going to be a very enjoyable show.

Loving Lives runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, April 23-25, at Spring Glen Church here in Hamden. The Friday and Saturday shows include dessert before the show. Yum. You don't want to miss it.