Tag: theatre

Margerumalia – Greg the Custodian

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – February 14, 2025

My daughter had the pleasure of working as a background actor on the set of “Only Murders in the Building,” a Hulu series starring Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and Martin Short. She played one of the makeup artists getting Steve Martin’s character ready for a scene in his TV series, with Jane Lynch as his body double. These two stars treated my daughter as a fellow professional and creative artist, which you think would be natural, but it’s not as common as you’d expect. She lovingly described to us how each of them were kind, funny, and appreciative of the people around them.

I already loved the series, now it’s earned a top spot on my worth-watching list.

My turn to appreciate someone came this past weekend when my junior high students gave two performances of the play we’ve been rehearsing for five weeks. I could go on and on like a proud parent about their accomplishments and growth as actors but I want to take a moment here to appreciate one person who wasn’t given any applause or a credit in the program. Greg, the custodian. 

Greg is a soft-spoken man with kind eyes and a desire to be of service. He arrived just as a parent and I were liberating a table from the school cafeteria to use as a ticket and concession counter. He didn’t ask questions, just hefted that table and carried it all the way down the hall to set it in front of the library where our play would be performed. 

After that he unlocked the doors, delivered a package to the mail room that I had found in front of the door, and made sure he knew what to expect for the weekend. On Sunday he had the storage closet unlocked so we could return the dividers we borrowed from the art department, and he returned the ticket table to its spot in the cafeteria. Greg stayed until the students and I had returned all the costumes and props to the theatre storage room, and all the parents were leaving with their children. 

Just as we had begun, Greg and I were the last two in the building and I thanked him one more time with a handshake, telling him how much I appreciated his help. He smiled and nodded, locking the doors behind me before he started to vacuum. 

I remembered an email from the Superintendent of Schools about “Appreciation, Recognition, and Thanks” and I rescued it from my trash folder. I plan to fill out the form and use some of the same words I wrote above. I hope it gives Greg a bit of an uplift. I know it will for me.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

TTFN

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My middle grade novel, The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles, is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – Best 10-Minute Plays 2024

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – January 31, 2025

I was thrilled to open a package that arrived in the mail a couple days ago to discover my copy of The Best 10-Minute Plays 2024*. My short play “Just Book Club” was chosen for this publication among hundreds of submissions and I’m so proud to see it in book form.

Originally due to be released in October of 2024, the editor had to delay publication due to the death of her husband after a prolonged illness. I felt so bad for her I sent a letter of support and understanding. She didn’t need a bunch of selfish writers complaining about the delay. 

Life has priorities. 

On my website I offer this description of “Just Book Club” — Originally produced by the Greater Lafayette Civic Theatre in May 2023, this play shows a pivotal moment in the lives of four people who only know each other by the name of the author whose book they are carrying. Lives are at stake. Trust is hard to come by.

Intriguing, right?

I had performed in a 10-Minute Play the previous year and remember telling my wife that I could never write something that short and have it be any good. I’ve tried my hand at flash fiction, 500 words, and micro fiction, 100 words, without much success, but the challenge stayed with me until the concept hit me and I wrote this short play. 

It reminds me of Sean Connery, who played James Bond in the first six movies, when he told his wife he would never play 007 again. He still held the rights to Ian Fleming’s novel, Thunderball, Connery’s fourth film as Bond, and decided to make one more appearance as 007 with a new script based on the same plot. 

When he needed a title for that screenplay he chose his wife’s response when he told her he would be portraying James Bond one more time. Twelve years after the release of Diamonds Are Forever, Sean Connery could be seen in theatres once more as the British super spy in Never Say Never Again.

Say what you want about your limitations, complain as much as you need to, but never dismiss the possibilities of what you can accomplish. It seems that a little tickle of the neocortex can stimulate all kinds of creativity. Follow that inspiration—a word which literally means, to breathe, by the way—and get out of your own way. 

Maybe I’ll give flash fiction another try. How about you?

TTFN

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*The book contains fifty 10-Minute Plays. To order, you can go to: SmithAndKraus.com OR Amazon.com, and search for “The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2024.”

[I don’t earn money from the sale of this book, but I do hold the rights to performance of my play.]

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My middle grade novel, The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles, is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – A New Year’s Resolution, Part 2

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – January 10, 2025

Part 1 RECAP: 

Infected teeth seem to have played a role in the speech impediment I’ve developed over the past several years. And because they refused to leave a bad taste in my mouth [rim shot] the infection was draining into my bloodstream. The teeth were extracted, I got some new choppers, and it’s time to retrain my brain.

Part 2 RETRAINING

I’ve never worked with a speech therapist but a few of my family members did. 

When my wife was a little girl she had a lisp—that must’ve been adorable—and she was taught to say her S’s by hissing like an angry snake.

My dad was a twin and, together, the brothers had to learn how to say their R’s. It’s a myth that twins have their own language, they just share mispronunciations. Instead of choo-choo trains, they said choo-choo twains—again, adorable.

Dad would tell a story of he and his brother telling the speech therapist about their dog, Wags.

“Rags,” she corrected them. “Your dog’s name is Rrrags.” 

“No, his name is Wags,” they corrected her. “Because he likes to wag his tail!” 

So I’ve begun working on re-training myself. I have an MFA in Theatre and have taught enunciation as a Theatre Professor, so I decided to use my knowledge and apply it to a collection of poems by Robert Frost. The book was an opening night gift from a very special stage manager and it challenges me as I read the poetry aloud. 

I sometimes read a stanza out loud five or six times to conquer the tripping points or the mushy places my mouth wants to go. 

Try saying “more loitering” out loud. Go ahead. I’ll wait…

If you’re like me, you just said “more lortering.”

The “or” of the first word sits in the middle of your mouth with a cupped tongue, while the “oi” of the second word fits further back in your mouth with a flatter tongue and more open passage. Your tongue needs to do a bit of a dance to get from point OR to point OI. Subtle but significant dance steps.

You can find those particular words in the fourth stanza of Frost’s “The Trial By Existence.” 

My goal is to tackle a poem or stanza every day and say it repeatedly until it flows easily—“trippingly on the tongue” as Hamlet put it—and not too emphatically. 

My book sells for $13.99 and I don’t want to sound like I’m tearing off a chunk of raw meat while saying ninety nine. In fact, most of us tend to soften the T into a D and say nine-dee-nine. 

A couple other phrases I’ve stumbled over lately include “toxic masculinity” and “I was being facetious.” I’ll let you try to work out the mechanics on your own. 

You can also repeat “The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles” over and over again. Preferably in a bookstore. Just saying. 

TTFN 

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – A New Year’s Resolution, Part 1

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – January 3, 2025

As I said last week, I don’t usually make resolutions. But this year I have a specific goal: retraining myself to speak. 

Me—actor, singer, director, teacher, public speaker—with a speech impediment? What gives?

Over the past few years I’ve noticed that my ability to say certain phrases has left me tongue-tied, and it got worse in 2024. Of course, this escalated during the period when I was scheduling multiple book signings, but I soldiered on through, and people patiently waited for me as I corrected my words. Bless them. But I wasn’t satisfied. 

I got new insight into how it feels to have a disability. Suddenly I required people’s tolerance as I saw weariness creep across their faces, maybe they even had the urge to complete my sentences for me. I’ve been told by several people that they didn’t notice, so it could have been my projection. My own impatience with myself, however, made me want to avoid lengthy conversations, and I became a little bit reclusive. I also found myself tiring more easily while directing plays.

I’d had enough. 

Over the summer, my wife and I made an appointment with a Doctor of Functional Medicine, each for different reasons. We had blood drawn at a lab where it was analyzed according to the instructions of the doctor. She then reviewed the entire blood panel with each of us, identifying levels of everything from glucose to magnesium, uric acid, iron, and much more. She also drew comparisons between certain items and discussed the implications of their levels.

Near the end of my appointment she said that certain indicators told her I was fighting off an infection. Nonsense, I thought, I never get sick and my only bout with COVID was over a year earlier. I had no idea what kind of infection she might be referring to. She prescribed a few different supplements to help my body fight off this unknown infection.

Two or three weeks into taking those supplements I had a revelation. My tooth! 

Remember a few weeks ago I described my tooth extraction experience in the dentist’s office? (November 29, 2024 – Christmas Lights and Dental Blights) My previous dentist had been “watching” that tooth for about two years, poking around at the pustule in my gums. That was the infection! And because the pustule hadn’t opened and leaked into my mouth, that meant I had a constant flow of infection going into my bloodstream. 

There had also been a previous tooth on the bottom row that we had “watched” for a couple of years before that. It had the same kind of pustule that was also draining into my bloodstream for a couple of years before it started hurting and had to be extracted.

These infections were all near my tools for articulation, and close to my brain, the control center for speaking. 

I admit to being complicit in the decision to “watch” each tooth. Shall we put off for tomorrow what I don’t want to experience today? Sure, let’s do that!

When I added up the timeline of those two teeth, one after the other, it matched the time period in which my speech had started to change.

I know the expression that correlation is not causation, but with a lack of any other known infection in my body it makes for pretty strong circumstantial evidence. (Yes, I do watch The Lincoln Lawyer AND read the books, why do you ask?)

I have another blood draw in a couple of days followed by another analysis and consultation. I have high hopes for closure on this issue. 

I’d estimate that my speech is about 50% better than it was a few months ago, but that’s not good enough for me. Next week I’ll tell you about my personal speech therapy using poetry.

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PSA: Part of the reason I’ve described this situation in detail is to prompt you or your loved ones to seek medical treatment when you need it. A former student of mine just posted a similar PSA about his recent surgery for skin cancer. Early detection and treatment is so much less expensive than what may develop. Please take care of yourselves.

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My middle grade novel, The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – Standing on the Shoulders of Suffragists 

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – December 27, 2024

Last week I mentioned going to see Suffs on Broadway as our early Christmas present to the whole family. Years ago, my sister-in-law had suggested that experiences were great gifts for the holidays because of the special memories they created. She was so right! 

The title of the musical comes from the suffragists—not suffragettes, which has a diminutive suffix meaning “lesser.”  These women fought long and hard for women’s right to vote, enduring everything from simple political posturing to outright torture in the form of forced feeding. These heroes include familiar names, like Carrie Chapman Catt and Ida B. Wells, as well as many other women that deserve equal recognition. They get that in this musical.

Suffs won Tony Awards this year for “Best Book of a Musical” and “Best Original Score” and, like Hamilton, it was steeped in historical accuracy, an epic scope, and dynamic characters. It closes on Broadway at the beginning of January to prepare for the national tour. I urge you to see it when it arrives in your neck of the woods. Learn more about it at suffsmusical.com. (National tour not yet posted.)

So what about that campaign button at the top of the newsletter? That was from my mom’s first run for mayor and was given to me recently by someone who’d worked on her early campaigns. Mayor Margerum was inaugurated in January of 1980 and would go on to serve six terms before retiring in 2004. 

It’s incredible to think that my mother was born only ten years after women were granted the right to vote in the US. She earned her Master’s Degree in Political Science in 1979 and became the first woman mayor of my home town within a year. Today the City Hall is named after her. I wish she could have seen Suffs, I think it would have meant a lot to her. 

My mother also donned the costume of Helen Gouger, a local suffragist and member of the temperance movement who sued the county for denying her the right to vote. My mother would visit schools in character and talk to the students about the 19th Amendment and women’s suffrage. 

My daughter later portrayed her grandmother in a short one woman play she created in grad school. My mother would have liked to see that, too.

It’s just a few days until New Years Eve and I usually don’t bother with resolutions, but this time I have a very specific goal—retraining myself to speak. I’ll tell you about it next week. 

TTFN

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – A Christmas Story in PA

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – December 20, 2024

This year for Christmas, Debbie and I drove to the Millbrook Playhouse in Pennsylvania to see our daughter perform in The Christmas Story. She played the mother of Ralphie who desperately wants a BB gun for Christmas. You know the one: “An Official Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.”

I think we heard that wish expressed rapid fire at least two dozen times throughout the play by the time the narrator—the grown up Ralphie—says it for the last time. That actor lingered over the words with such heart and nostalgia that it brought a lump to my throat. Oh, the things that mean so much to us at that tender age, even in the face of friends and family who repeatedly exclaim, “You’ll put your eye out!”

I remember when I bought a cassette player for my car, complete with AM/FM stereo, for the drive across country to start grad school at USC, my dad said “It’ll get stolen!” He was right, of course, but like our daughter’s performance of Mother in the play, he showed compassion and practicality when I phoned home to ask for help. Ralphie didn’t put his eye out, thankfully, but the kindness showed to the son who has to learn his own lesson felt very familiar. 

The live play performance had a lot to recommend it over and above the movie. The comedic moments played out in Ralphie’s mind by the actors in the play were spot on, with heightened drama that bordered on the absurd and drew appreciative laughter from the audience. 

Now I’m going to brag on my daughter. Indulge me, Her portrayal of Mother was honest, genuine, and, when needed, charmingly playful. She also showed us how entirely capable this woman was, and intelligent, and good-hearted. A few days later, when we took her and her fiancé back to New York we all went to see the Broadway musical Suffs, about the women who fought for the right to vote. I told my wife afterwards that women like the mother in A Christmas Story would do a much better job of running the country than The Old Man (Ralphie’s father) ever could. 

I’ll tell you more about Suffs and my mother the mayor next week. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, I hope your holidays are jam-packed with wonderful experiences that you get to share with family and friends. 

TTFN 


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My middle grade novel, The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – Opening Night in Elsewhere

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – November 1, 2024

Gmail and Yahoo recently updated their security systems. Please take a moment to add my email address [eric@ericmargerum.com] to your contacts or safe senders list to prevent my newsletters from landing in your Junk or Spam box.

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It’s opening night of Elsewhere and I’m excited to see the performances unfold. The background projections and lights are all set up, the costumes, props, and sound effects were all found, borrowed, or created, and the programs and posters are freshly printed. It’s show time! 

I’m always proud to see how far the students have advanced through the years. At an age where they’re finding their place in the world, their theatre experiences give them a chance to experiment in a safe and supportive environment. After all, it’s just pretend, right? So you can express the emotions of your character at full volume on stage and, instead of getting in trouble, you get kudos for “acting out.” What other aspect of life gives you permission to embody that behavior? 

That’s not to say there isn’t real depth of feeling to go along with those experiences. A couple of years ago there was a student who had to step into a small role at the last minute. With only about three or four lines to say at the beginning and end of the play she broke into a panic attack on opening night. “It’s all real,” she sobbed in the dressing room, “it’s all so real.” 

I reassured her that she didn’t need to go on, that we’d find someone else to do it script-in-hand, but she did it, and did it well. She experienced that crashing reality of pretend where your emotional self experiences the reality of the make-believe and the feelings are all so real. 

This year, that same actor is appearing in Elsewhere as the nightmarish tooth fairy commanding her minions, the tooth goblins, to extract teeth from the mouths of the children. She’s deliciously evil and so distant from that younger version who broke down in the dressing room. She’s come so far! 

Writing goals, right? What writer wouldn’t want to see their storytelling have that kind of emotional impact, that kind of potential for growth? It’s all in the experience. The only way forward is through.

Speaking of acting out, I hope you had a delightful Halloween!

TTFN

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The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – A Happy Day in PA

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – October 25, 2024

Gmail and Yahoo recently updated their security systems. Please take a moment to add my email address [eric@ericmargerum.com] to your contacts or safe senders list to prevent my newsletters from landing in your Junk or Spam box.

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I’m going to draw the curtain on the Marcie Saga with this photo from Pennsylvania. Her forever Mama sent it to me a day after taking her home and it’s endearing to see Marcie thriving in her new home alongside the toy bell mouse we bought for her. A toy she chased enthusiastically all over the basement! We feared Marcie’s reaction to the long car ride, but she settled into the trip very nicely. 

I now have a taste of what foster parents might feel when a child moves out of their home. That was always the plan and there’s great joy in knowing the child is happy and healthy. I learned that a caring foster parent can’t help but feel the empty space left behind, longing for reassurances that the child is doing well. We’ve gone through that. 

A few days ago I opened the back door to give food to Tabitha (Marcie’s birth mama) and one of the orange kittens. He let me pet him about seven or eight times while he gobbled his food and quickly broke into a satisfied purr just like Marcie’s. Tabby watched with interest but kept her distance—she’s a survivor.

By the way, a couple of newsletters ago I set up a vote to find out your favorite image of Marcie for a children’s picture book. At the the time I joked that it was good preparation for the national elections. THAT was well prophesied! It was a dead heat between A, B, and C at 30% each with the original photo capturing the last 10%. Haha!

I hope you exercise your right to vote if you haven’t already. I did. 

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I need to go create a poster for the high school play I’m directing, so I’m making this short. The cast of Elsewhere will perform on November 1st & 2nd and would appreciate your positive vibes for a successful run. 

TTFN!

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – Vote For Your Favorite Kitten

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – October 11, 2024

In the spirit of the election season I thought I’d give you a chance to practice your democratic rights in the lead-up to our national election.

Don’t worry about registration, you qualified when you signed up for this newsletter.

Politics aside, I’d like to know which version of Marcie you think would make the best model for a children’s picture book.

I’ve researched the categories and my target appears to be for “Ages 4–8: Early (easy) readers.” I envision each page with an illustration having a short paragraph. Three sentences tops.

Having played around with the filters on the app, I’ve learned that Marcie’s appearance will never be duplicated from one photo to the next, so I’ll need to find an illustrator to provide consistency and characterization. I’ve included the original photo I took (Option D) both for your reference and for the option of just using real pictures.

Do you have children in your family? Do you have access to your inner child? I’d welcome your feedback on why you think one version would be the better choice.

My new subscribers may want to read Marcie’s story that started this project. You can find it in last week’s Margerumalia, October 4th. It’s on my website, ericmargerum.com, under POSTS. 

Which version would be the best for a children’s picture book?

A – the Cartoonizer

B – the 3D cartoon

C – the watercolor 

D – the original photo

(If you’re reading this as a blog post, you can send a reply. I don’t know how to duplicate the poll contained in my email newsletter.) 

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I’m also directing a play called Elsewhere at our local high school written by Don Zolidis. I’ve chosen to produce several of his plays not only because of his wit and characterization, but also because of his flexibility in cast size and gender. You can learn more about his plays and novels at donzolidis.com. (I haven’t read his novels but I  admire and trust his his writing skills and wouldn’t hesitate to give one a try.)

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – Tony Bennett Shaggy Dog Story

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – September 13, 2024

Photo Credit: Getty Images

My wife and I will be traveling to see family this week so I thought I’d share a Facebook post with you from a year ago. Tony Bennett had just died and I remembered a shaggy dog story that I had heard years ago and wrote it up from memory. Enjoy! 

* * * * *

I heard this one about 50 years ago. Time to dust it off and give it another run.

When Anthony died he found himself standing in front the Pearly Gates greeted by Saint Peter.

“Welcome, Anthony,” Saint Peter beamed, handing him his harp. “You’ve led a remarkable life and we’re all proud to welcome you into Heaven.”

Anthony hesitated. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful, and I’m so very happy to be here…”

“But…?”

“But today is my birthday and my dear friend Sam Frank is throwing me a big party tonight at his disco. He invited everyone and I promised him I would be there. I really don’t want to start the afterlife on a broken promise.”

Saint Peter thought about the situation. “Sometimes exceptions can be made in special circumstances. You can go to the party under two conditions.”

“I’ll do anything!”

“First, you must return by the last stroke of midnight. And, second, you must bring your harp with you to get back into Heaven.”

“I will. I will. Oh, thank you!”

With that the Pearly Gates faded away as the voice of Saint Peter reminded him what to do.

Anthony found himself standing in front of the disco where the doors opened wide and all his family and friends greeted him with open arms. Sam Frank embraced his friend, wished him a happy birthday and the party was under way.

It was the best, most memorable occasion for Anthony full of joyous reunions and warm remembrances. And it was all over too soon when Anthony heard the chiming of the clock counting down to midnight.

He hurriedly said goodbye to everyone and thanked his friend for the celebration of a lifetime. Rushing to beat the stroke of twelve, he arrived at the Pearly Gates just before the last chime.

“I knew you would be here on time,” Saint Peter smiled. “Now all you have to do is pluck your harp to open the Pearly Gates.”

“Oh, no!” Anthony wailed.

“You didn’t—”

“I left my harp in Sam Frank’s disco!”

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A couple of Facebook friends only replied with a groan, which I think is entirely appropriate. A good pun is often measured by the size of the groan. 

TTFN!

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com