Lifestyle – Journeys With Dave

A Few of My Favorite Roles

October 29, 2025davidpwahr

Okay, since I’ve been involved in theatre for nearly my entire life and am one of the hosts of The Art and Business of Community Theater (which, as of this writing at least, is still the only podcast dedicated to advancing community/amateur theater) I figure it’s about time to list a few favorite roles I’ve had the privilege to perform over the years:

Pseudolus from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: based on the number of times I’ve done this role (three) it’s clearly my favorite and one I would do again in a heartbeat if offered the chance. As the protagonist of this classical musical farce Pseudolus has the most action, words, and songs, but I would argue he also has the most fun. The character has been played on Broadway by the late great Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers (who originally turned down the part), Nathan Lane, and, for one Tony Award winning scene, Jason Alexander among other notable actors. Interestingly enough, the character is based on an actual ancient Roman character created by Plautus.
Oliver Warbucks from Annie: I played “Daddy Warbucks” twice! IYKYK.
Big Daddy from A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: the other daddy wasn’t nearly as nice as Warbucks ended up being. Who doesn’t love to play on of Tennessee William’s best known characters – though I’m sure I didn’t hold a candle to Burl Ives’ perfect portrayal in the movie.
Lenny from Of Mice and Men: though I didn’t, and don’t, have the imposing stature of Lenny as described in the novella, the director managed to find a cast that was, with one notable exception, smaller and shorter than me so it all worked out in the end. The biggest complement I got was afterwards when a friend who had a sister who was special needs told me that I played Lenny with dignity and without making a caricature of him as so often happens.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer from an unnamed elementary school play: the first role I was cast in back in fourth grade. No lines but I think I managed to get the deep pathos of the character across.
Bertha Bumiller and the gang from the Tuna series: I’ve had the pleasure of being in all four of the Greater Tuna plays (Greater Tuna, A Tuna Christmas, Red, White and Tuna, and Tuna Does Vegas) so though Bertha is my favorite in these series of two-performer plays (usually two men) I’ve played several of the characters up to four times.
Albert from Escanaba in ‘Da Moonlight: He’s da epitome of a perfect Yupper. I said “Yupper” not “Yuppie,” two different tings. Look it up.
Poppa Goat from The Billy Goats Gruff: the first role I remember playing in a masterwork that I wrote, produced, and directed in my parents’ back yard with my siblings and kids from the neighborhood to the everlasting delight of our collective parents. All who paid a dime to watch us perform!

These are the roles that first came to mind when I decided to share a list of my favorites. But there have been may others. That’s the beauty of community theatre. Stick with it and you’ll play more roles than Hollywood’s biggest stars could ever dream of! Who needs fame and fortune when you can play Jonathon Brewster, Teddy Brewster, and Dr. Einstein in three different productions of “Arsenic and Old Lace?”

I’d love to see what your favorite roles have been! Maybe we even have a few in common.

David Wahr and Mary Kurtz as Big Daddy and Big Momma in the Monroe Community Players production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof — Me as “Big Daddy” dressing down “Big Momma” (Mary Kurtz) in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Brian Burchette as Jody Bumiller and David Wahr as Bertha Bumiller in the Monroe Community Players 1989 production of "Greater Tuna" — Me as “Big Daddy” dressing down “Big Momma” (Mary Kurtz) in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Podcasts That I’m Listening To

January 22, 2025January 22, 2025davidpwahr

Not that anyone asked, but in addition to the podcast that I am on – The Art and Business of Community Theater and Popped Culture – I find myself listening to an every changing list of podcasts. Over the past couple of years though several have risen to my frequently listened to list. Here they are in no particular order:

Bigfoot and Beyond with Cliff and Bobo – the title is pretty self-explanatory but this is podcast on bigfooting hosted by Cliff Barackman and James “Bobo” Fay or Finding Bigfoot fame (okay, this is my never miss an episode podcast).
Brains and Gains with Dr. David Maconi – in this case the doctor is a dentist, but he promotes a non-nonsense, fact based approach to natural bodybuilding. Every week he invites health experts and thought leaders to share their expertise.
Dinners on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson – discussions with celebrities over dinner. Including many he’s known professionally and socially.
Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out – despite the title there’s no work outs in the usual sense. Comedian Mike Birbiglia talks with other funny people about their lives, process, and then they work out some bits that they may be developing.
Dear Bob and Sue: A National Parks Podcast – insights into visiting national parks and other public lands of the USA from a couple, Matt and Karen Smith, who have visited every national park!
History That Doesn’t Suck – a bi-weekly podcast about American history. Well researched by Professor Greg Jackson from Utah Valley University and his staff and it includes a bibliography for every episode. Entertaining and eye-opening look at events we all think we know about.

What podcast are you listening to? I’d love to know what I might be missing out on please leave a comment below with your current favorites.

The Munsters and the Problem with Reboots

October 9, 2022davidpwahr

SPOILER ALERT – the following review/rant includes minor spoilers for the new Rob Zombie film The Munsters now available on DVD and Netflix.

Okay, I haven’t really posted too many reviews of movies or television shows on this blog but one has come along that I feel I must comment on. Rob Zombie’s version of The Munsters.

High Hopes

I was really looking forward to this reboot. I so badly wanted it to succeed. I didn’t even give up hope after the trailer was released.

I am not familiar with Zombie’s other films or even his music but I understood he was a fan of the original series and that usually bodes well for a film as I suspected that the source material would be treated with some reverence and respect while adding a modern sensibility to a childhood (and adulthood frankly) favorite series.

I was wrong.

Hopes Dashed

After watching Zombie’s version of The Munsters I questioned if he had actually watched the original series. While there were some obvious nods to the first series, most notably Lily’s brother Lester and a cameo by Zombo, a lot of this movie just did not ring true. I will admit that he got the house right and the look of the characters was nearly spot on. Though I was surprised that The Count, aka Grandpa, had a mustache I finally realized that this may have been because in Bram Stocker’s novel Dracula had a mustache (or so I heard, I haven’t gone back to check).

I was not thrown off by Zombie’s directing style or the look of the movie. The acting was solid and fit the nature of the style that Zombie was using. Though truth be told, I wasn’t terribly impressed with Jeff Daniel Phillips (Herman) or Sherry Moon Zombie (Lily). Both seemed to be trying to do an impersonation of the original cast (Fred Gwynne and Yvonne DeCarl0) and missing the mark. They would have been better off actually just making the characters their own.

I had a minor issue with make up and Lily’s hair – the stripe is supposed to be down the middle of the scalp not on the side and I thought Herman’s green was a little over the top. Otherwise the costuming was spot on.

I also wish that the script had a better plot. After Herman and Lily finally got together the movie just kind of kept going aimlessly and moved the family to America in a forced and illogical way.

The Problem with Reboots

But my biggest issue with the movie was that Zombie, who is also credited as the writer, chose to re-write Herman’s origin and to a lesser degree Grandpa’s as well.

In the original series it was very clear, at least to me, that Herman (and his twin brother Charlie) was one of Frankenstein’s monsters. Not THE Frankenstein monster, but the culmination of Victor Frankenstein’s experiments. The success as it were. Maybe it has something to do with rights as a previous reboot (Mockingbird Lane) also changed Herman’s origin so that Grandpa had built him as a mate for Lily. Zombie chose to introduce a random mad scientist along with a sidekick instead and have Herman built in the present day instead of back in the early 1800s.

Similarly, Grandpa’s origin was tweaked and I had the impression that he was supposed to be the original Count Dracula (aka Vlad the Impaler) instead of A Dracula as was hinted in the original series where Grandpa was known as Sam Dracula.

The difference in the origins to me is significant to the characters. In Herman’s case instead of being Frankenstein’s success he becomes Dr. Wolfgang’s (Richard Brake) failure in a gag taken directly from Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein. In The Counts case it means that the kindly Grandpa we grew up with was now a predatory, ruthless creature of the night.

Which brings me to what I think is too often a problem with reboots of so many movies and television shows. The desire to make something new out of something old often leads to changes in the character that are so drastic that they change the dynamic which made the characters successful in the first place.

Creative License or Re-Writing History?

Now, to be fair, I get it. As a playwright I’ve taken some old properties and told new stories with them. Most notably Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. However, I believe I was able to tell new stories without changing basic things that made the core characters who they were. In the comics “what if…” kinds of stories are told all the time but usually with more success. Regardless of the “universe” the stories are set in Superman is rocketed from the doomed planet Krypton, Bruce Wayne’s parents are killed in front of him, Wonder Woman is an Amazon, Peter Parker is bitten by a spider, the Fantastic Four…well, let’s not talk about the Fantastic Four.

And I think there was a very interesting and amusing story that could have been told about how Herman and Lily met by following the original series’ “canon.” Based on the original series and the movie that followed (the underrated Munster Go Home) after Herman was assembled he left Germany to go to the United Kingdom where he was “adopted” by a family named Munster – not just given the name by a lab assistant in an offhand comment- and then he moved to Transylvania where he eventually met Lily and they then emigrated to the United States. Plenty of room for, dare I say it, an epic quest and love story.

Instead we got a jumbled mess, set in an unknown time period (now? the 1960s? who knows…), with characters who don’t act like they should based on the origins they’ve been given.

Oh well, there is a reason that this film went directly to video and Netflix. If there is ever another reboot maybe we’ll get the story of why Herman wandered from country to country so much before finding his way to 1313 Mockingbird Lane. I guess I can take some solace in the fact that The Addams Family doesn’t seem to be faring much better these days.

Fortunately, Disney gave us the sequel to Hocus Pocus so the season isn’t entirely lost.

I’d love to know what you thought of The Munsters and think of reboots in general.

Onward!

How to Audition for a Show

August 15, 2022August 15, 2022davidpwahr

One of the longest and most rewarding journeys I’ve taken in life is my journey through the world of theatre*. My first experience in theatre actually started by putting on plays in my backyard as a kid. I rounded up my sister, brother, and a couple of the neighbors and we enthralled our parents with a stirring rendition of The Three Billy Goats Gruff – written, directed, and produced by myself. I may have also given myself the lead role. Yes, it was a vanity piece.

Since then over the past half-century, and a little more, I’ve acted and directed many plays primarily for community theatre. Dramas, comedies, musicals, you name it and I’ve done it. Along the way I’ve learned a few things both as an actor auditioning for a role and as the director selecting actors for roles that I would like to share with you.

I have to stress that the tips and suggestions that follow are my ideas and they won’t apply in every case. For example, I don’t have enough experience in professional theatre to be knowledgeable in how most of them handle auditions. But I have auditioned for several amateur groups and I usually get cast. So I hope that you’ll find them helpful in preparing for your next audition.

First Things First

Before deciding to audition for a show check your calendar!

Most shows will rehearse between 6 – 8 weeks, sometimes more for a musical, and depending on the role you are cast in you may need to be at rehearsal 3 – 4 times a week for that period. Be realistic, can you put in the time necessary to be in the show? Most directors at the community theatre level will expect actors to have a few conflicts due to work and family but they will expect you to be available every night for the last week or two leading up to a show. Likewise, if you have a big vacation or business trip in the middle of the rehearsal period that will take you away for a week or more understand that this will likely mean that you won’t be cast for the lead – no matter how talented you and perfect for the part you are – if you are cast at all.

Typically, you will be asked about conflicts at the audition. Be honest, I have seen people cut from shows during the rehearsal period because they could not live up to their commitment in terms of availability. It isn’t pretty and it isn’t fair to your other cast members. Putting on a show is a team effort. If one or more people are consistently missing the entire production suffers.

Know the Rules

Though auditions are similar from group to group there are often differences. The group putting on the show will usually have expectations listed on their website, Facebook page, etc. for the audition process listed. Read them and follow them to the letter.

Know the Show

If at all possible try to obtain a copy of the script and read it ahead of time. In some cases groups may have reading copies available to lend – but don’t count on this. At the very least go online and find a synopsis and list of characters.

Know Yourself

After reading the script, be honest with yourself, is there a character that you could see yourself playing in the script? If you are auditioning for a musical is the part you want in your vocal range? Do you have the special skills that may be required of the role (tap dancing for example)?

The good news is that most if not all community theatres have policies of inclusivity when casting so opportunities to be cast have never been greater. This used to be called “color-blind” casting in which race does not usually play into selection of the character unless race is a theme of the play (for example, you are not likely to see an all white cast for Raisin in the Sun). Gender blind casting has recently come to the forefront as well with some groups but not most. Do not assume that this is the case for any show you are auditioning to be in. Sometimes the playwright has put restrictions on who can be cast, most famously Edward Albee and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, or a director feels that “gender bending” would impact the message of the play. The norm still is that men should audition for male roles and women for female roles. However, in my opinion, it doesn’t hurt to ask about this.

Race and gender aside I believe you will still find that most directors will stick to other qualifications, such as age, when casting.

You are now ready to go to the audition!

At The Audition

Remember that the audition is essentially a job interview. So basic rules apply:

Be on time if the audition is by appointment. If the audition is during a block of time – 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for example – don’t arrive at 8:45 or later and expect to be given a try-out.
Be polite.
Dress appropriately. You don’t need to wear a business suit, but be sure to wear loose fitting clothing that doesn’t restrict you movements. I prefer to dress in neutral colors so that the director is focusing on my movement and face instead of my outfit. Some people recommend dressing as you think the character you are audition to be would. I do not. Your idea of how the character would dress most likely will not match the ideas that the directing staff have. Most directors are looking for actors who will be flexible during the rehearsal process, not actors who are already set on how to interpret the character.
Be respectful of other actors who are auditioning. Many groups have open auditions in which everyone watches everyone else’s audition. Be quiet and attentive when you are not on stage.
Be ready to take risks. Too often I will see people trying to copy another person’s performance during an audition. Try to give the directors something unique about your performance that no one else did. Especially if there is a large group auditioning for the same role. You want to stand out at an audition, not blend in!

Remember this is your time to shine. You need to put aside all fear of failure and go for it! If you can’t speak up and move in front of a relatively small group how can the director trust that you will before a sold out house on opening night?

After the Audition

I think that the hardest part of an audition is afterwards when you are waiting to see if you got cast. Hopefully, the group you auditioned for told you how you would be notified if you are cast and if you are not.

In Conclusion

If you are cast in the role you want, congratulations! If you are not cast in the role you wanted or worse yet not cast at all please don’t let this discourage you. Auditioning is a skill and most people do not get cast in a leading role their first time out. Keep auditioning and you will get better at it.

I hope that these tips help you get the role you want. There really is nothing quite like being in a show and I have found a lifetime’s worth of pleasure and satisfaction in community theatre. I’m sure that you will, too.

You can find other tips for auditioning on the web, of course, and I also recommend finding a copy of Audition by Michael Shurtleff (ISBN 9780553272956). It’s a great guide and many consider it the “bible” of auditioning.

Break a leg!

My T-Shirt a Day Project

February 26, 2022February 26, 2022davidpwahr

If you read my earlier post on how Marie Kondo’s method saved my life then you know that I feel like I’m always fighting a battle against clutter. The good news is that for the most part I’ve learned how to declutter and I don’t feel so suffocated by stuff any more. However, there are a couple areas in my decluttering efforts that are still lacking. One is books (duh) the other is clothing.

Like most people in my socio-economic class I have too many clothes. Especially t-shirts (or tee-shirts, or Tshirts, does anyone know what they are really called?). I seem to collect them where ever I go as souvenirs, keepsakes, free hand-outs at conferences and event, etc. As a result my closets and drawers are overflowing.

But so many of these shirts bring back good memories – but what good is this if they are just sitting at the bottom of a drawer or in a container under my bed where I never see them.

Many solutions have been offered to me, make a quilt/blanket out of them, throw pillows, and so on. But these ideas which do have a certain appeal to me just mean that I’ll have quilts and pillows to deal with. Then my brother suggested perhaps take a picture of them and store the pictures instead of the shirt. Not bad and likely the way I’ll go.

So I’m taking my brother’s idea and the KonMarie method and my interest in social media and smashing them all together. Each day I’ll post a picture of me wearing a different t-shirt and perhaps sharing a bit of the story behind it. Then I’ll determine if it brings me joy or if it still has a utilitarian purpose. If so, I keep it. If not, it will thanked for it’s service, archived in some manner, and then either donated or tossed depending on the condition of the shirt.

Here are the shirts that I’ve featured so far (below). Follow me on Facebook (@journeyswithdave) or Instagram (@davewahr) to see others as I post them. We’ll see how long I can keep it up!

All photos by David P. Wahr unless otherwise noted in which case the original artist retains all rights. Otherwise photos and words @copyright by David P. Wahr

Meet the Green Room Groupies!

February 11, 2022July 26, 2023davidpwahr

So anyone who is following this blog has certainly noticed that my posts have grown infrequent over the past few months. Certainly my trip to Egypt was one of the interruptions though ironically it is potentially fodder for many, many posts (so keep watching for more memories and lessons from that adventure). There are also the usual excuses about the holidays, I was in a show (theatre people get this one), and there’s just so much to watch on television these days (via various streaming services).

But part of the reason is because some of my creative “itch” has been scratched by my latest project – a podcast!

I get it everyone has a podcast these days. But I like to think that the one I’m working on is just a little different. It is, not surprisingly, sponsored by my theatre group – the Monroe Community Players – and the focus is on the art and business of theatre. With a particular emphasis on community and amateur theatre.

I’m joined on this podcast by 3 other like minded theatre enthusiast and other occasional guests. We call ourselves the Green Room Groupies and we like to think that we give you a little information, a little humor, a little food for thought, and a whole lot of fun each episode.

As of this writing we’ve got 16 episodes “in the can” with no end in sight!

So if you’re tired of murder mysteries, Joe Rogan, or just really like all things live theatre give us a listen! You can find us right now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, My Podcast Page, and most anywhere you listen to podcasts.

I look forward to seeing you in the Green Room!

The Green Room Groupies engaging in their usual calm, cool, and collected discussion of theater theory! Back row (left to right): Bob Yoman, a surprise plant, David Wahr (me), Ron Roberts. On the couch (left to right): Brian Burchette-Ross, Carol Sliwcka, Kathleen McBee.

All photos by David P. Wahr unless otherwise noted in which case the original artist retains all rights. Otherwise photos and words @copyright by David P. Wahr

The Blogging Life: My Journey So Far

August 22, 2021davidpwahr

Humble Beginnings

Technically I have been blogging since 2008 which is when I opened up my first WordPress.com account and posted a blog titled Crohn’s Attack. I then didn’t post anything until February of 2010 with a post on body size, training, and other stuff which was titled simply enough Body Size, Training and Other Stuff. In fact, the first six years of this blog were the least prolific and, not surprisingly, the least read years of it’s existence. I didn’t start posting regularly until 2014 when I reached 720 views with 427 visitors. Things kept progressing slowly after that point. I wrote more often and got more viewers ready 2,177 in 2019.

Then in 2020 something both interesting and amazing happened. I posted only once that entire year – you read that correctly – one post in all of 2020 (it was called Fitness Quest: 2019 A Year in Review if you are interested), but my viewership soared. Not by a little, but by a lot. I went from 2,177 views in 2019 to 19,879 views in 2020! All without writing more than one measly post. What happened? I can tell you in one word: Google.

Google to the Rescue

After a little research I discovered that one of my post from a couple of years earlier, When is a Man’s Arm Considered Big?, made the Google front page. All of a sudden it seemed that my little blog was getting noticed and getting noticed a lot or so I thought at the time. So like any good blogger I thought – there must be a way I can capitalize on this attention. If people like that article they’ll surely like everything else I have to say.

The Best Intentions and Well Laid Plans

So I decided to dive more seriously into the blog. I rebranded what I had been calling Dave’s World into Journeys With Dave. I had the thought at the time that I would be posting more travel related content like some other bloggers who’s work I enjoyed and admired. Most notably Jon Miksis over at My Global Viewpoint who I also wrote a travel article on little known things to do around Lake Erie for this past year. In addition to rebranding I started a Facebook page for the blog to reach a wider audience beyond my friends. I also changed my mind set. If I was going to make this work as a little “side hustle” to pay for vacations which I could then write about I needed to get serious about posting. I committed myself to posting at least one new blog a week.

Results So Far

So everything was in place and I started writing weekly. I’m pleased to say that so far I’m managing to stick to my goal of something new each week. Sometimes I’d write more than once a week, like my series on the Grumpy Old Man Tour of Walt Disney World, and once or twice I did miss my self-imposed deadline. But this year is clearly my most prolific.

So far this year I’ve posted 32 times and I’ve written 43,876 words. This is more than twice my previous best of 15,973 in 2015 with 32 posts total that year as well.

Visits are on track to beat last year’s total easily as I’m over 18,000 views as of August 21, 2021 with 4 and a half months to go. So exceeding 20,000 vies and 17,301 visitors should not be an issue. My best month for viewing was January 2021 where I reached about 3,300 views. However, this is the month that I rebranded and switched from the free WordPress.com site to a paid WordPress.com site. The main reason for this was so that I could get ad revenue. As a result I saw a big drop in views in February but my readership is climbing again and I’m over 2,200 per month currently and trending back up.

Other interesting stats (at least interesting to me):

Most popular viewership time: Tuesdays at 10:00 PM
Most viewed day: January 17, 2021 with 138 views.
Average Words Per Post: 1,371

The Plan Forward

My main issue now though is frankly one of content. That post about When is a Man’s Arm Considered Big is still far and away my most popular blog. I’m not complaining about this, but I am trying to find a topic that will also hit that front page of Google – the holy grail of blogging – and so far I’m not having a lot of luck. I am finding that similar subjects seem to have some staying power, but when I try other topics I’ll get an immediate bump in readership but that’s it. I have noticed that other bodybuilding/fitness/workout type blog entries are moving up in viewership. This may be because my primary audience, at least according to Google Analytics, are men aged 20 – 24 who are not surprisingly interested in fitness and sports. So my plan is to keep giving this audience more of what it wants, like How do Your Arms Stack up to Other Gym Bros?, and even stories of my own fitness experiences over the years. By the way, the last blog was picked up by a website that promotes scientific research articles – so that was cool.

So my plan going forward is more of the same that I’m doing now. Post on a regular basis, see if I can build a new audience to compliment the one I have, and keep having fun exploring the world of blogging. I am also slowly working into other media as well such as YouTube and Podcasting. However, there are only so many hours in a day and as fun as all the social media stuff is it doesn’t pay the bills (so far at least).

Quick Lessons Learned

Here are a few things that I think I’ve learned which I hope might help you if you decided to start at blog or are working on a blog of your own currently:

Be consistent. Writing on a regular basis keeps your followers engaged and keeps your skills fresh and sharp, too.
Don’t expect to get rich quick. Or get rich slowly for that matter. If you do great and please let me know your secret. However, the odds are against this happening. So remember you are in this for the long haul. As long as you enjoy what you are doing I think that success will come but it will likely take years not days, weeks, or even months.
Experiment. Don’t be afraid of tackling a new subject. Your audience is looking for information. If you provide what they want, they will come back.
Check your stats. I pay attention to how each post does and try to learn from that. If you look at my first post and my posts today you’ll see a fair amount of change – for the better I hope!
Don’t be afraid to self promote. I’ve gotten better about suggesting to people that they check out my blog. I don’t know how many actually do, but my viewer counts continue to climb and I’ll get the occasional “attaboy” and “great blog” from friends and acquaintances.

So that’s it. I’ll check back in on the blogging effort at the end of this year just to let you all know how things are going. Good luck with your blog in the meantime!

All photos by David P. Wahr unless otherwise noted in which case the original artist retains all rights. Otherwise photos and words @copyright by David P. Wahr

The Purpose of Theatre*

August 7, 2021davidpwahr

I think that it is fair to say that theatre is essential to human existence. It has been around for nearly as long as civilization has existed in multiple forms from religion to pure entertainment. In fact, most popular forms of entertainment today – movies and television for example – have their origins in live theatre.

A Public Art

It’s also fair to say that theatre is common in most communities. You may never get to be a part of a Broadway audience, you might not even get to a large regional production, but most of us have been to a local community theatre and certainly a high school, elementary, or even church performance of some kind (I’m talking Christmas pageants by the way, not the regular Sunday service). Theatre in some form or another is ubiquitous in our society. It is not, as often ironically portrayed on stage, films or television, an activity of the idle rich. It is an accessible art form with millions of participants and as such is uniquely able to serve as a public forum for thought and ideas.

How Theatres Choose Their Seasons

Now, a few of you involved in theatre may disagree with what I’m about to say. But, I have been active in theatre nearly my entire life. I was in school plays, going back to elementary, some college classes and started a Reader’s Theatre Group as a student, and a ton of community theatre for the past 39 years. My community theatre work includes acting, writing, directing, etc. and I’ve served on multiple boards of groups at both the local and state level. This broad experience has allowed me to make note of some similarities among theatre groups. Especially among smaller groups which do not have abundant resources and endowments to draw upon.

I have heard the same basic arguments from different theatre boards and members when selecting shows, especially when the bank accounts get a little low. The discussion tends to center around what shows will sell. So as a result, because of the pervasive belief that casting children in shows sells tickets, many seasons of smaller struggling groups tend to be filled with children’s theaters, musicals, or the holy grail of ticket sales, musicals with children!

The Real Question Theatres Should Ask Before Selecting a Show

A question that I think theatres don’t ask enough is what is the purpose of theatre? And, just as important, how is that purpose being fulfilled? Regardless of how you answer these questions I think we will all agree that the purpose of theatre is not to sell tickets. Selling tickets is just a tool to raise funds to help us fulfil the higher purpose of our craft. It is an unfortunate fact that all groups need funding to continue to put on shows. But has your group become dedicated to just selling tickets? I believe that the purpose of theatre is to show a slice of the human condition in a safe environment and to give the audience something to reflect on and think about long after the final curtain call. If your board’s only goal is to make money without consideration of the important voice that theatre has are they doing the right thing?

Obligation to the Community – More than Frivolity

All theatres have an obligation to their communities and that obligation is not just to present shows that are entertaining or that can be easily cast. It means that on occasion at least that your group should be doing what I would call difficult pieces. Works that are often not associated with community theatre in fact because they are too controversial or use “bad” language (gasp). Works that deal with the troubling questions of our day like gun violence, homelessness, sex abuse, inclusiveness, and so on and so forth. I maintain that as soon as a member of your theatre’s board says something along the lines of “that won’t sell tickets” or “our community isn’t ready for this show” then that is exactly when you should produce it!

A Place for Every Type of Show

Now I’m not being dismissive of children’s theatre or musicals. Both have their place and both can also be educational and thought provoking. In fact, the best scripts and productions always are. Even old standbys like The Music Man are full of social commentary and you don’t have to dig deep to find it. But if your only purpose in picking a show is because you think it will sell tickets you are missing out on an opportunity to not only help further educate your audience – and I bet your theatre is organized as an “educational” 5019c)3 – but to develop an entirely new audience as well.

Risk and Reward?

Will your risk pay off? In terms of finance, possibly not the first time or two you perform something a little more daring. But in the long run, I think your community will learn to appreciate the intellectual debate that your productions inspire.

There you have it, my two cents. I’d love to learn what you think on this issue. Am I right on or all wet? Let me know in the comments and get the discussion started!

Admittedly, some shows are harder to justify as thought provoking than others. But sometimes just having fun is okay, too! The cast of Monroe Community Players’ production of *Gilligan’s Island*. Photo by Robert Yoman.

All photos by David P. Wahr unless otherwise noted in which case the original artist retains all rights. Otherwise photos and words @copyright by David P. Wahr

*I don’t use the word “theatre” with the “re” for any hoity toity artistic reason. I use that word to describe the act or art of putting on a play. If I’m using the word “theater” I’m talking about the performance space. I just find it an easy way to distinguish between the two.

The To Be Read Pile – An Update

July 24, 2021July 27, 2021davidpwahr

It’s been a while since I’ve updated anyone on my current reading list or my to-be-read pile (aka TBR in the bookish lingo), so here’s a picture of what I was reading back in May:

My Reading Progress

The good news is that I’ve made some progress and have been finding more time for reading each day. Admittedly, sometimes it’s in the bathroom and almost always just before I fall asleep – I’m sure many of you understand. But in the past couple of months I managed to finish:

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green – an interesting read and easy to read in bed as each chapter was short.
So You Want to Start a Podcast by Kristen Meinzer – an excellent book on podcasting and what makes a successful podcast.
Podcasting for Dummies by Tee Morris and Chuck Tomasi – more of a “nuts and bolts” book on the mechanics of podcasting.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon – a little difficult to read because of it’s format, but very worthwhile.
Without Ever Reaching the Summit by Paolo Cognetti – a contemplative trip through the Himalayas.
A stack of National Geographic magazines dating back a year through last month – these constituted most of my bathroom reading to be honest.
Jungle by Yossi Ghinsberg – a harrowing true life tale of survival in the jungles of South America.

I ended up putting aside The YouTube Formula for now. I’m still interested in YouTube but podcasting has my attention at the moment and there’s only so much time in a day. However, I finally got my Ricoh WG-M1 Adventure Camera set up so there may be a few more hikes put up on my YouTube channel before too long.

My TBR Plan of Attack

In my current read pile you’ll notice that I’ve added a couple books which are in preparation for my trip to Egypt this October. Luxor Illustrated, is mostly pictures so that will be finished quickly. The same goes for Candy and Designing Disney. I’m reading Don’t Burp in the Boardroom at bedtime since it’s relatively light fare for management style books. I love Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon series, which all take place in USA National Parks. But, if I’m honest with myself this one may not get read until I board the plane for Egypt in October. I forgot how much reading I used to get done on airplanes during the pandemic.

My read pile today. I’m making some progress.

Suggestions Please

Since I do have a couple long international flights coming up in just a couple months now I’d love suggestions of some good fiction to read from everyone else. What are you reading that you think I might enjoy?

My taste are eclectic or at least I imagine they are so nothing is off limits!

I’d also love to hear how you are tackling your TBR pile or list, too.

All photos by David P. Wahr unless otherwise noted in which case the original artist retains all rights. Otherwise photos and words @copyright by David P. Wahr

Fanboy Adventures: Meeting Butch Patrick

June 5, 2021davidpwahr

If you read my earlier post (Addams Family vs Munsters: Can’t We All Get Along?) you know that I’m a Munsters Maniac going way back. So when my friend Mark invited me to go meet Butch Patrick who played Eddie Munster in the original series I enthusiastically said yes!

Typically, I’m not one to attend “meet the star” events but I realized that this was likely my last opportunity to meet anyone from the original cast as sadly most are now gone. Other than Butch Patrick only Pat Priest, who played the second Marilyn during the original run of the series, survives. However, since she is now 84 I suspect she doesn’t tour as much as she may have before.

Trivia tidbit – technically Butch Patrick is the second person to play Eddie. The role was played by another child actor, Nate “Happy” Derman, in the unaired pilot. Likewise Yvonne DeCarlo was the second Lily as she replaced Joan Marshall before the show aired. However, unaired pilots don’t really count in terms of television.

The Munster Koach

We met each other at Freedom Comics in Toledo, OH a few minutes before 2:00 PM which is when Butch was scheduled to appear. He had already pretty much set up and was taking pictures and signing autographs when we arrived. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that Butch was traveling with a replica of the Munster’s Koach – which in my opinion is the second coolest car ever on television. The first being the original Batmobile from the Batman TV series, a show that also had a great theme song, and which, not coincidentally, was designed by the same person: George Barris. The Koach was kept in a trailer but we were allowed to go in and take pictures. The only rules were don’t touch and don’t sit!

The closest I’ve gotten to the Batmobile – my prized model. I think the highlights are red on the real thing.

Me and the very accurate replica of the Koach, and Butch Patrick’s signature on the hood.

Meeting Butch aka Eddie Munster

We had beat the crowd and only had to wait a few minutes to meet Butch Patrick. Knowing that these days many (most?) of the stars from these fan favorite shows charge for autographs I had come prepared with cash. In fact, I had enough on me to purchase a copy of Butch Patrick’s Munster Memories which he did sign for me. We talked for a few minutes and remembering some advice I had gotten years ago about meeting celebrities I asked about his current projects. I was pleased to learn that he has several things in the works including a series of interviews with surviving WWII veterans, cars, and others. If you visit his Munsters Fan website, named aptly Munsters.com, you’ll find more information on what he’s been up to and working on.

Butch was pleasant to talk to and generous with his time. I’m impressed that while Mark and I browsed the comic shop and it’s wide-array of collectibles that the line to meet Butch continued to grow. Of course there were plenty of older fanboys like myself but a number of younger people, too. It was a testament to the enduring popularity of The Munsters. Possibly the popularity of Lidsville, but I don’t think so.

I got to visit with a friend who I hadn’t seen in person for over a year thanks to COVID, meet someone whose work I enjoyed as a kid (and today), and explore a comic book shop I hadn’t visited before.

All in all, a pleasant way to spend a couple hours on a holiday afternoon!

All photos by David P. Wahr unless otherwise noted in which case the original artist retains all rights. Otherwise photos and words @copyright by David P. Wahr