1971-1972 - At the beginning of the 1971-72 school year, Bob Scrafford announced to TGP staff that he would no longer be directing TGP. No other staff members had any directing experience, and the only theatrical experience several of us had was garnered through the first two productions of TGP. With no director on the horizon., I felt very sure TGP was a thing of the past.

Soon thereafter Ted Vickery, Don Webster and perhaps others (memory fails) cornered me, suggested that I direct TGP and promised “all the help you’ll need”.

There are probably no other events in my life that have been accompanied by a wider range of emotions. A partial catalog would include disbelief (Was this a practical joke?), shock (They were serious!), fear (What the Hell do I know about directing musicals?), excitement (What if it worked out?), happiness (Some people appeared to have real confidence in me.), and... did I mention fear? (High School English Teacher Forced to Resign over Musical Fiasco.) I do remember thinking that the only show I knew much about was Guys and Dolls. I agreed to direct if we prepared that show. Thus, TGP got a new lease on life; I got a new job and once again my life took a strange turn.

There were several other changes which occurred during this year:

Audition schedules gave each candidate at specific time and students were asked to prepare. Students auditioned singly before the staff, and casting decisions were made by the staff as a group.

Ted Vickery became the stage manager replacing Fred Day who had contributed much to the early success of TGP. Aggie Armstrong was rehearsal pianist and assisted Gordon Meeusen, the “Choral Director.”

Scenery for Guys and Dolls involved the use of a series of “triangles” made of three large (4’x12’) panels mounted on wheels so they could be rotated. We could, using this method, create at least three scenes on the main stage, and that number could be expanded by having one scene neutral with various location pieces hanging from it. We thought we had really invented something new and different. Several years later I discovered that the ancient Greeks had used a similar method know as “periaktoi”. We had reinvented the wheel! Nevertheless, I would bet that there are more than 100 triangle turners among TGP alumni. We used them for years.

Rehearsal schedules were posted. Previously all cast members attended all rehearsals.

Students from the Middle School, which was one year old, came to the dress rehearsal.

The “side stages” were used for the first time by TGP. - The Broadway scene displayed the first full stage, perspective scenery used by TGP.

Other facts about Guys and Dolls include:

The cast numbered 56. The orchestra had 25 players, 5 of whom were adults.

The program shrunk to 12 pages.

Ticket prices rose to $2 for adults and remained $1.50 for students.

Several seniors in Guys and Dolls continued in theatre-related activities. Gail Garrison has performed in many musicals in the Capital District. (May you all have the opportunity to hear her sing Sondheim’s “Losing My Mind”.) Pat Langenbach, who choreographed our first three shows, ran a dance studio in Guilderland. Curt Richardson and Frank Mooney pursued careers in theatre.

Some of the expenses were $377 (costumes), $117 (scenery), $908 (rights, publicity and tickets). TGP had $1,239.12 to start the next year.

There are several incidents which I recall occurring during the preparation and performances of Guys and Dolls .

During one of the later rehearsals, we were working on a scene in which Sarah slaps Sky Masterson. In this particular rehearsal the slap came earlier than scripted and with much more force than usually applied. In that instant, the actor playing Sky learned the dangers of dating and having a disagreement with one’s leading lady. During the dress rehearsal a bench containing six gangsters suddenly collapsed just before “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat”. Six dazed actors were struggling with the problem of what to do when Kevin Stephens, in his best Big Jule voice, ordered them to line up against the wall and behave like gentlemen. They scrambled to obey and the scene was saved. After the show I was congratulated by several audience members for the great “business” I had added to the show and after at least one later performance I was asked why I cut that particular piece of business. Improvisation at its best.

At the end of the last performance, balloons floated down from the curtain track above the stage, and John Spencer grabbed a microphone and gave a speech. It was a touching moment and unique to TGP since the spontaneity of that moment could never be duplicated and all further such outbursts were subsequently banned.

Guys and Dolls was reviewed in The Altamont Enterprise and The Schenectady Union Star. The Schenectady paper said, “(Guys and Dolls ) is a remarkable achievement. Considering the youth and inexperience of many of the performers, one might have expected a nice try at a hard show - and nothing more. The result, instead, is an evening of entertainment that can be recommended without the usual handicaps allowed for student productions.” This quotation is important for it represents one of the main lessons learned by me during the 1971-72 season. Anyone connected with Guys and Dolls will recall that there was a lot of learning going on, and most of it was on the part of the director. I am eternally grateful to the cast of that show for their patience with me. (I especially thank Frank Mooney for being gracious enough to forgive me after one particularly heated rehearsal at which an overtaxed director said some things he has regretted for years.) The list of lessons learned is extensive, but one thing became very clear to me. The function of TGP should be to produce musicals (and later, plays) which would be pleasing to those people in the audience not related to cast, orchestra and crew members. Our purpose was to entertain those in attendance who dreaded attending a high school musical. If that goal was achieved each time we took to the stage, all the “educational” goals for the students involved would be possible. I recalled a time in my past when a relative praised me for a performance in a recital which I knew deserved no praise. I was poorly prepared and my performance was plain awful. I learned the meaning of hypocrisy that day, and I knew after Guys and Dolls that I never wanted praise for a production by TGP to be other than heartfelt. It followed that if this were to be the philosophy of TGP, all casting decisions would be made to insure the best results and other incidental factors such as seniority and friendship would take a back seat. This philosophy, if the performance was good, would make all the effort worthwhile and give all involved the wonderful feeling one has when one has really achieved a difficult goal.

Guys and Dolls was a great success for TGP and was the greatest success in my life up to that time. TGP was ready for the next season.

Before I continue, and for the benefit of those who do not remember the original stage, I should explain a few of the problems faced by TGP in the early years. The stage was roughly the same size it is today, but there were two major differences. The upstage storage areas were not there. Thus, there was no easy backstage passage from one side of the stage to the other. Since there were no monitors in the rooms near the auditorium, many costume changes had to take place backstage so the actors could catch their cues. This provided some interesting logistical problems in order to maintain at least the illusion of propriety. Flats leaning against the upstage walls in a sort of lean-to fashion provided some privacy. Also, the point of the stage was sharper with the stairs going directly to the main stage rather than to the side stages as they do today. There was no fly system. Set changes, if not well planned and rehearsed, could be deadly. There was no control booth in the back of the house. The directors sat in chairs behind the audience. (Seats extended further back into the house at that time.) The lighting controls consisted of nine dimmers located backstage left. The dimmers were mechanical, and when ganged together, required a great deal of strength to move. Those controlling the lighting had to execute lighting cues by listening to the dialogue and music. They could not easily see the stage. The only communication between the back of the house and backstage was through two army-surplus field phones which worked intermittently. Communication required normal voice levels. Therefore they were not used much. Most lighting effects were created by use of footlights and light strips suspended over the stage. We had only 10 to 20 lighting instruments. The one follow spot was located on the floor in the rear of the house. All costumes were created by the costume crew or provided by the cast members. We seldom purchased or rented costumes. The sound system was rented and was always good. This was a technical strong point. Over the years, the facility in which TGP present their performances has improved greatly. The skill of the performers has been consistently strong.