One can only imagine how hilarious and challenging it is to work with Zero Mostel. Especially, if you are playing in one of the tented, round outdoor theaters, with an arena stage at its center, the format of the Music Fair theaters \u2026 with an audience so close you can sit on them.<\/span><\/p>\nThat is exactly what Zero took great delight in doing, at any moment, during all the performances of \u201cA Funny Thing happened on the way to the Forum.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was infamous for his mercurial and incorrigible desire to provoke a laugh from his audience. However, much more fun was the challenge to evoke a spontaneous giggle from his fellow thespians onstage with him. The more \u201cone\u201d resisted, the more creative he became with his antics, faces and physical chicanery.<\/p>\n
One night, he mercilessly chased dear \u201c_______ ,\u201d who played the father of \u201cHero,\u201d and clearly an \u201colder\u201d actor \u2026 UP one of the steep aisles, circled him completely around the upper level behind last top row of seats of the theater, only to come back down the same aisle to the stage. It was pretty funny.<\/p>\n
He had pretty much \u201cleft me alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then one night in our initial scene, I began to speak my lines. He interrupted me in such a way that stopped me from continuing my dialogue.<\/p>\n
\nThen, he looked at me as if to say: \u201cSay your line! What is wrong with you?\u201d<\/i>
\nI would try again.
\nAgain, he interrupted with his look: \u201cWhat is going on? Are you crazy? Say your line!\u201d<\/i>
\nValiantly attempting to keep my composure, I tried again and again.
\nAgain and again, he persisted \u2026 repeating his interruptions for as long as it took to dissolve me into complete convulsions of laughter with tears streaming down my face.<\/p>\n
I post here the picture he autographed to me, with his own \u201cart work\u201d adorning his face.
\nHis writing is a bit difficult to decipher, but, we think he wrote:<\/p>\n
\u201cTo Sue Ellen, you\u2019ve improved in the part.<\/strong><\/em>
\nyou are no longer a virgin.<\/strong><\/em>
\nLove, Zero Mostel \u2026<\/strong><\/em>
\nNote sincere look on my face.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[aesop_gallery pslightbox=”on” speed=”5000″ transition=”dissolve” caption=”Photos by: Pam McComb” width=”75%” galleryType=”thumbnail” id=”694″] One can only imagine how hilarious and challenging it is to work with Zero Mostel. Especially, if you are playing in one of the tented, round outdoor theaters, with an arena stage at its center, the format of the Music Fair theaters \u2026 with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":224,"featured_media":697,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlight"],"metadata":{"_edit_last":["224"],"_wpac_members_redirect_to":[""],"_wpac_show_in_search":["0"],"_wpac_show_excerpt_in_search":["0"],"_wpac_nonmembers_redirect_to":[""],"ase_chapter_enable_timeline":["off"],"_thumbnail_id":["697"],"ase_map_component_start_point":["a:2:{s:3:\"lat\";d:29.76;s:3:\"lng\";d:-95.38;}"]},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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And, the documentary film: \u201cThe Bathrooms are coming\u201d. www.SuEllenEstey.com.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/performingartslegacy.org\\\/esteysuellen\\\/author\\\/esteysuellen\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Zero and \u201cPhilia\u201d in the Round - SuEllen Estey","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/performingartslegacy.org\/esteysuellen\/zero-and-philia-in-the-round\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Zero and \u201cPhilia\u201d in the Round - SuEllen Estey","og_description":"[aesop_gallery pslightbox=”on” speed=”5000″ transition=”dissolve” caption=”Photos by: Pam McComb” width=”75%” galleryType=”thumbnail” id=”694″] One can only imagine how hilarious and challenging it is to work with Zero Mostel. 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