Just getting in, before i crash, hammer this out, thought about this on the walk home, made me laugh.....
I was asked once to do this play. Mostly I was needed just to play piano at the back of the stage, with my back to the audience, like a Tom Waits type of thing. But there were a couple of parts where I was needed to get up and do some business and one of those moments was for me and a bunch of guys to come walking in with our dates, or more like women we were supposed to have "picked up" from another bar or party...whatever....
So....before we make our entrance....you're supposed to hear female giggling from offstage. And then again. And then again. And then we walk on.
The director is setting this up in the reherasal, and he pairs us off with an actress each.....and as he's giving notes and direction, he says to the group "....and if any of you are ticklish, now would be a great time to use it."
Immediately, the actresses' eyes....kind've....light up, or something....they visibly...stir, shy smiles break out, little blushes, looking at the guys, who are looking at them with devilish grins on their faces....you could almost see them rubbing their hands together in preparation, the jig's up, and the actresses are all reacting to this suggestion....that is......all except one.....
.....the one I'm paired with.
I turn to her, and she's just calm and stone-faced watching everyone else, totally dispassionate. And I say something like, "Ok, so how are we going to do this....", something like that, reaching tentatively over to her waist...and she says, professionally and helpfully, without emotion, but maybe with the slightest hint of regret in her voice?: "Well I'm not ticklish...."
"you're not ticklish?"
"Nope. See?" And she picks up her arm slightly, and I give her a couple of touches on her side....I mean....sorry guys, I couldn't exactly do a thorough body analysis at that point, but I gave it my best shot (and I think my best shot is pretty good, trust me, I'm a doctor!) and she stood there, sort of..... laconically watching me try.
"How about you?" she asked. I shook my head, opened up my body a bit, she gave it her best shot....nothing.
And so we shrugged like a couple of Charlie Browns....and spent the next two weeks standing next to each other with bland, bored expressions on our faces while all around us, giggles and touches and wiggling around. It was such a drag, and I was so envious, I couldn't even take in the tickling that was happening before me. The only time that ever happened in my life!
I guess you can't win 'em all! But there? There was a role I was born to play.
****
I actually once did sound design for a play in which my girlfriend was held down by three guys and tickled every night. That was quite an experience, let me tell you, my heart would start beating so fast about five minutes before the scene came on. The play ran for two weeks, plus rehearsals. I can't believe I lived to tell the tale.
(there's more to that story but I'm SOOOOO tired.)
I was asked once to do this play. Mostly I was needed just to play piano at the back of the stage, with my back to the audience, like a Tom Waits type of thing. But there were a couple of parts where I was needed to get up and do some business and one of those moments was for me and a bunch of guys to come walking in with our dates, or more like women we were supposed to have "picked up" from another bar or party...whatever....
So....before we make our entrance....you're supposed to hear female giggling from offstage. And then again. And then again. And then we walk on.
The director is setting this up in the reherasal, and he pairs us off with an actress each.....and as he's giving notes and direction, he says to the group "....and if any of you are ticklish, now would be a great time to use it."
Immediately, the actresses' eyes....kind've....light up, or something....they visibly...stir, shy smiles break out, little blushes, looking at the guys, who are looking at them with devilish grins on their faces....you could almost see them rubbing their hands together in preparation, the jig's up, and the actresses are all reacting to this suggestion....that is......all except one.....
.....the one I'm paired with.
I turn to her, and she's just calm and stone-faced watching everyone else, totally dispassionate. And I say something like, "Ok, so how are we going to do this....", something like that, reaching tentatively over to her waist...and she says, professionally and helpfully, without emotion, but maybe with the slightest hint of regret in her voice?: "Well I'm not ticklish...."
"you're not ticklish?"
"Nope. See?" And she picks up her arm slightly, and I give her a couple of touches on her side....I mean....sorry guys, I couldn't exactly do a thorough body analysis at that point, but I gave it my best shot (and I think my best shot is pretty good, trust me, I'm a doctor!) and she stood there, sort of..... laconically watching me try.
"How about you?" she asked. I shook my head, opened up my body a bit, she gave it her best shot....nothing.
And so we shrugged like a couple of Charlie Browns....and spent the next two weeks standing next to each other with bland, bored expressions on our faces while all around us, giggles and touches and wiggling around. It was such a drag, and I was so envious, I couldn't even take in the tickling that was happening before me. The only time that ever happened in my life!
I guess you can't win 'em all! But there? There was a role I was born to play.
****
I actually once did sound design for a play in which my girlfriend was held down by three guys and tickled every night. That was quite an experience, let me tell you, my heart would start beating so fast about five minutes before the scene came on. The play ran for two weeks, plus rehearsals. I can't believe I lived to tell the tale.
(there's more to that story but I'm SOOOOO tired.)
