R&J’s opening night drew a sellout crowd to Potter Hall Thursday. 

The cast explored the high art of “holding for laughs” at some peculiar moments within the drama.  Among the most peculiar came in my tragic spotlight near the end.  I had to hold for laughs, literally waiting for the laughter to stop, before delivering some tragic news to Juliet.

Friar Laurence enters the Capulet family crypt to find Romeo dead and Juliet waking up. The script calls for a “noise within,” to which Laurence replies “I hear some noise.”

In our production we use a firearm.

It was unexpectedly loud.

I delivered the line “I hear some noise,” and then had to hold for widespread laughter and lingering titters from the audience. Apparently they heard it too.

The next string of lines are anything but funny

“…Lady, come from that nest

of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep.”

The laughter stopped as abruptly as it started.

 

UNDERSTUDY ALERT:

I will not be performing in the school matinees next week.  My final performance is Sunday.

Eric Burns-Sprung (left), who plays Friar John in the lead cast, will take over the role of Friar Laurence for those performances. 

Filling in as Friar John will be Jeff Jones(right), who doubles as one of the townspeople.