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 By Jack Lepiarz Oct. 31, 2005 "In here, life is beautiful!" -Cabaret I write this article after returning from a party in a neighboring town, full of mostly strangers. While it gave me a great chance to meet new people, I couldn't help but laugh at the two labels I acquired over the course of the night. One came from being the son of Mr. Fish, since my father had done a show for them several years back, and more than a few people remembered the show. The other was as "Willard Hewitt," a character I portrayed in "Footloose" this past summer. This got me thinking about various images someone can get from simply seeing someone on stage or television. I've gotten a lot of assorted reviews based on my performances. When I was Rolf in "The Sound of Music," I had people coming up to me just to make sure I wasn't a nazi. After portraying the bumbling Willard Hewitt, I had people asking me what part of Texas I was from (Waco, actually). By far the most bizarre, I would say, would be someone asking me to their homecoming after seeing me perform in "The Odd Couple." Strange... It seems that people seem to assume that actors are generally like their characters in real life. People imagine that I am my character. I suppose that could be interpreted as a compliment; I portray my character well enough that I make it believable. I do enjoy it when people stop me on the streets of Madison telling me how much they enjoyed the show. After all, that's the point of entertainment: for the audience to be entertained for the 90 minutes that they come to see the show. If I've kept them occupied during that time, then I've done my job. I cannot help but laugh now, almost three months since I officially portrayed Willard on my high school stage, and I still have people ask me to sing "Momma Says." Especially when I've never met those people. I think that when people see a show, they forget that the actors are also people themselves. They have problems, just like you or me. I remember seeing my older sister perform in various Renaissance Fairs, constantly smiling at the audience and performing according to every various rule. Nothing like the tyrannical older sibling I knew. As a final thought, I'd like to relate this idea to the quote I put in at the top from the show "Cabaret." The actual quote reads, "So, life is disappointing... forget it! In here, life is beautiful!" The Master of Ceremonies tells people to forget their troubles, and despite the worries of Germany during the early 1930's, the M.C. continues to smile, even though he might be worrying about the rent, food, or his many other expenses. Actors and performers learn how to smile in order to make others how to smile. It's all part of the charade of making someone believe that you are someone else. Because, what is entertainment supposed to be for, anyway? Not making money, but entertaining the masses. ------------ About the author: Jack Lepiarz is a senior at Madison High School. Born in Waco, Texas, he lived with the Big Apple Circus for much of his early childhood, eventually moving to Madison, New Jersey, where he now resides. Although he is often described as stubborn and egotistical, he tries to keep an open-mind towards new ideas and treat people the way he would like to be treated. Email: Jackwuzhere42@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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