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| A theatre-related Sidney Poitier story. | |
| Posted by: kieran 10:55 pm EST 01/07/22 | |
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| This was posted on Facebook by director John Clancy: n the late 1990s we were doing this very strange little play by Brian Parks titled "Vomit and Roses". It would become the first half of our breakout hit "Americana Absurdum" but back then it was just a play we were doing that everyone told us to re-name. The stalwart and steadfast Jody Lambert was in the cast and he told us all one night that Sidney Poitier was coming down to see the show. Jody grew up in L.A. and went to school or something with Poitier's daughter but we all just laughed at him. "Right. And save a seat for Meryl Streep." But Jody was adamant. The show started. No Poitier. That night one of those torrential New York rainstorms hit. When you step outside and it's like stepping under a waterfall. Instantly drenched to your underwear. Twenty minutes in someone starts knocking on the door and then pounding. They're drowning out there. Now we're playing Todo Con Nada, a legendary basement theater on Ludlow Street which some of you remember and most of you are glad you never knew. The layout was such that the street entrance was backstage once the show started. You had to walk across the stage to get to your seat. The pounding becomes more insistent and another cast member, the ever-attentive Rik Walter, who is standing backstage and thus in front of the door unlocks the door, swings it open and fiercely whispers "The show has already- oh. Come on in, Mr. Poitier." Rik grabs the great man by the arm, shuts and locks the door and gives him the universal finger to the lip "Quiet!" sign. Rik knows the show and knows there is a very short scene happening down stage right, six or so feet in front of where he and Poitier are standing, hidden by a black curtain. Rik hears the last line of the scene, knows the next scene is extreme stage left and grabbing a folding chair that is improbably perfectly right there backstage, hustles the iconic actor across the dark stage, flips open the chair, pushes Poitier into it, whispers "Enjoy the show." and scrambles back backstage. But here's the best part. The show did very well and we were sold out that night and Nada was a very small basement theater on the Lower East Side so Rik had essentially sat Mr. Poitier onstage. After the short scene extreme stage left we click right back to stage right and the audience as one gasps in astonishment to see David Calvitto, Nancy Walsh and SIDNEY GODDAMNED POITIER. It was like we had pulled him out of a hat. I think Dave and Nancy were a little thrown too. He was right there. And of course he stayed after the show and shook everyone's hand and was exactly as you would dream he would be. He even asked me "So. You directed this?" I confessed. "Wonderful. Wonderful work." Poitier said, staring me right in the eye. And that exchange, I think, is the best acting Mr. Poitier ever did off-screen. R.I.P. to one of the Titans. |
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