ActorQuest - Kristin Huffman Goes Inside 'Company' 10

In November, Kristin Huffman made her Broadway debut as Sarah (flute, piccolo and sax) in John Doyle's production of Company.  The actress, with a new series of tales that go inside the making of Company from an actor's perspective, starting at the Cincinnati Playhouse and on to New York, continues her stories about a 15-year career that has led her to the door of the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

This is the tenth story that I wrote while we were in the midst of the "making of Company" at Cincinnati Playhouse before we moved to Broadway.  If you haven't read the others, go back and do so and then rejoin us here!

SCENE TEN:  STOMACHE ACHE, March 30, 2006

We all have stomach aches.  My first thought was to think I had some horrible stomach disease, but after speaking with my other cast mates and realizing we couldn't ALL have that same disease, I wrote it off to nerves.  You would think with all the wonderful press and great reviews we would be on Cloud Nine, and we certainly are. But riding around on that cloud can make you airsick too. 

Just when you think it's ok to relax, some other big name shows up.  This week George Furth was here to see the show.  It must be wild sitting in a theatre hearing an audience laughing and crying to words you wrote about people you knew.  Mr. Furth told us that all these characters are based on real people he knew and was writing about while in therapy. Knowing that I write as my own kind of therapy and that he went to Northwestern University as well, it made me feel closer to him.  He felt really close to Raul too, and after the show, he jokingly proposed to him.  In his own unique way he gave Raul a ring box…full of condoms.  I can now see how this man had the sense of humor to write the food org*sm and karate scene of which I am a part.

He loved the rest of us too by the way and told us that he was very moved to see the show this way. He even posted a big sign for us backstage that said "Whoever reads this, I love you."  One of Raul's lines in the show.   

Once the hubbub surrounding Mr. Furth was over, we were hit with a 10 am school matinee. On the right side of the theatre were seated the inner city school kids.  On the left, Catholic school boys. And in the middle, a whole herd of Ohio high school rednecks.   We knew that the kids wouldn't get half the references and jokes, but they did laugh at anything that had a cussword in it.  They enjoyed my food org*sm but didn't get the virtual karate at all.  Since none of them have been married they could only see their parents in some of the scenes and that just isn't cool.  The Catholic boys didn't laugh or even move for that matter during the Catholic jokes.  They did giggle at the Jewish ones though.  The inner city school kids got them all. 

Finally we got to the "Bobby, have you ever had a homosexual experience" line that is uttered by Matt, playing "Peter."  You would have thought you were at the Jerry Springer show.  Not only did we hear loud groans and laughing and boos, but one young lady screamed, "OH NO!"  The adult audiences have behaved much better, but kids are far more vocal and sometimes more honest about their feelings.  When Bobby seems inclined to continue batting for the heterosexual team you could hear the whole audience sigh with relief.  I think it's good for them to have to see and hear things they don't hear at home.  Especially if it is presented in an artistic way that has integrity. 

While that is the only student matinee we will have to do, we still have two more weeks of shows left. We are all homesick and ready to get back to the East Coast.  Even the fact that Ed Stern, the artistic director of Cincinnati Playhouse, gave us all shirts that say "I'm a Doylie"- the name Stephen Sondheim dubbed those of us who are lucky enough to work with John Doyle - still doesn't alleviate the acid reflux we are currently suffering. 

When most of your body is on Cloud Nine, it seems that your stomach can still be reminding you that you need to stay grounded.  We have no real power.  None over the many producers coming from New York to see our show. None over the future of the show. None over the audiences that see the shows.  All we can do is be truthful with the work we do.  And suffer the indigestion.

Photos by Fred Rose - 1) Heather Laws; 2) Kristin Huffman meets George Furth; 3) Fred Rose and Elizabeth Stanley; 4) The whole company of Company in "I'm a Doylie" t-shirts