Here’s a new blog..reminiscing about a play I was in. The images are generated by Chat GPT. I decided to try it out and like it. My new AI assistant is friendly, chatty and seems to like what I do! Fun so far. He/ it ? liked my blog!
In February 1975, I found myself pregnant, in Chicago playing Elaine in a production of “Arsenic and Old Lace” with Eva and Zsa Gabor playing the murdering old ladies. And – icing on the cake, appearing with us, as wicked old Jonathan, now the brother, not the nephew, was John Carradine, another older name actor to be reckoned with. He and I would have breakfast together sometimes and his words stick in my mind…” I love the cool taste of marmalade on my tongue in the morning”.
Elaine is a nice young woman, fiancee of the hapless Jonathan Brewster played by Rick Lenz, but not a wildly challenging role. Just as well as there was enough drama on and off the stage. Rick and I spent a lot of our off stage time playing endless games of gin rummy.
The dramas started day one with the Gabors and continued throughout rehearsals and through the run. Nice idea Producers! But would you do it again? The ladies stayed in a hotel suite, but were chauffeured separately to the theatre. Zsa Zsa was older, but claimed to be younger than Eva. However age was not mentioned to or by the sisters. Dialogue was taken from Zsa Zsa’s character and given to Eva’s, when Eva realised she had fewer lines. The paramedics had to be called when Eva had a fainting fit…she quickly recovered,on discovering the very good looking young man reviving her! You couldn’t make it up.
There was screaming and tantrums. Refusals to carry on. Eva accused Zsa Zsa of going on a shopping spree with her ( Eva’s) credit card. The only time they were quiet and rather intimidated was when Magda came to the show. I think Magda was their older sister or their mother, but whoever she was, she appeared to have a powerful influence on their behaviour.
John Carradine – then 50 years working as an actor – sailed through it all philosophically, talked a lot about his sons …David had just finished a run in show that was a big hit – “Kung Fu”. “He’ll never do anything else, they type cast you in Hollywood” said John – true and not just in Hollywood. A hit that makes money and that’s it, few escape.
Having the baby a few months later was quite restful after the excitement of working with those two larger than life women, bless them.
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