tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12631722.post2895418690472780818..comments2024-03-23T15:06:27.495-05:00Comments on The Lucas Countyan: Two gay guys, a nun and a big old houseFrank D. Myershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09553291415988366101noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12631722.post-10672788424187115442019-03-04T07:43:42.158-06:002019-03-04T07:43:42.158-06:00I was a freshman at the U. of Iowa in the fall of ...I was a freshman at the U. of Iowa in the fall of 1970. Second semester I took a class called Drama in Western Culture to get out of taking regular English. I thought it would be more easy and more interesting. I was in the honors section, and our discussion class was taught by Victor Power. In class Victor had us read from plays. After class one day he said to me, "I like the way you read today. I'm doin' a play on campus and I have a bit part that I need to fill. If you'll be in the play I'll give you an A in my class." I was shocked, but I said yes. I played General Hooligan's aid. We did the play in the old armory building on campus. It was theater in the round, kinda scary for a non-theater major with the audience surrounding you. The old man who played General Hooligan was an Australian Phys. Ed prof who apparently had met Victor at a faculty party and told him that he had always wanted to be in a play. He was a brawny, barrel chested guy, and as an actor he was hopeless. Terrible stage fright, couldn't remember his lines. My small part got bigger each week when Victor realized that the guy wasn't going to make it. The guy never could learn the Irish accent so Victor rewrote his character's part so that he could speak with his Oz accent. During one performance he missed his cue and was no where to be seen. So Victor told me to go onstage and tell the 2 actors waiting for him, "General Hooligan's been delayed." I'll never forget the look on their faces. As I tried to rush off stage, one of the poor fellows facing an ad lib of unknown length grabbed me by the arm and asked me, "When will he be here?" I said something like, "I don't know, I'll go look for him!" and tore away from his grasp, leaving him with the other guy to ad lib until I could find the general. All in all it was a terrifying theater experience for a kid who was just trying to get out of taking English.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com