I wish I weren't such an old fart and that I could play that role again. At the tender age of 17, I didn't know what heartbreak was, so I couldn't put a lot of life experience into it. About 4 months later, I probably would have played it totally differently. And now I know I would.

I don't think I could direct that particular version of the show, either — I ADed in 1998 and I was very rough on the actress playing Belle. I realized later that it was because I was trying to project my interpretation of the role onto her, since I was too old to be playing it anymore. Not fair, but a good directorial lesson. Since then I've been better able to let it go when actors show up with their own ideas. Bastards.

I missed your book signing — had the postcard up on my fridge so I WOULDN'T miss it and then got dorked on the date. So sorry about that.

Lest it seem like I was saying that the first year sucked, let me clarify: I think it was because I became less of an actor-shmoe the second year that we started nailing it. I'm sure we would have nailed it more times than the one Elaine mentions if I had been better at what I was doing. So she is blameless.

And Elaine, my dear, what I remember our year for, and the story I tell about us…is Green Dragon. For those of you not in the know, Green Dragon was the refresher rehearsal. You did a weekend, then you were dark for a couple of days, then you would come back for a runthrough to make sure you didn't forget anything.

Of course, just running the show is lame, so you would change it up and make it funny. Fred, for example, performed Scrooge as if he was flaming. The baker from the crowd was an Evil Baker and poisoned one of the urchins. The street urchins, all kids, God bless em, had more of a sense of continuity than Marvel or DC put together. They then dragged the dead kid around for the rest of the show. In fact, at the end, when Scrooge is changing to come out after having been "converted," it's the dead kid, "Bobby," who's supposed to be playing tag with the others in front of the door to buy time. Here, they had slumped Bobby in the doorway and instead of calling out "Can't catch me, Bobby!" they were taunting the kid with "Can't catch me, Bobby…CAUSE YOU'RE DEAD!" Freaking brilliant.

Anyway, Elaine and I, right before we went on, with maybe, I don't know two minutes tops to spare, hit upon the idea of reversing the scene when we got to the crushing office scene where Belle leaves. I say we because I don't remember exactly who came up with it first.

So it was Belle who was the vicious greedy bitch and poor Ebeneezer who she leaves because he just can't get as much coin as she craves. Then he becomes a miserly bastard to try and show her what's what. Lines like "I cannot view marriage as a business" became, thanks to Elaine, "I cannot view marriage as a sacred contract!" And it's poor Ebeneezer who wants to go out to spend time with their friends Dick and Felicity but she won't have it, not the other way around. We managed to twist all the dialogue 180 degrees with two minutes prep time before the scene prior to the switcheroo.

So yeah, that's what I remember and that's the story I tell about us: best improv I've ever been a part of. Hugs back to you, lady.

And, Ebeneezer, my love, we did get it right ONCE the first year. I remember that performance. Saturday, 4:30. I don't remember if it was the first weekend or the second. But we stood in the back hall and cried for all of intermission, dorks that we were.

You're a fabulous actor, btw. Always have been.

Love to you…
E.