ActorQuest - Kristin Huffman Goes Inside 'Company' 25

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 twenty-fifth story about the "Making of Company."  If you haven't read the others, go back and do so and then rejoin us here!

TWENTY-FIVE: TRICKS OR TREATS

Hi all! A little break from the Company stories to tell you about Halloween this year post-Company.

October 31st:

Last night was Halloween and I was truly excited to be apart of it this year.  It's a big deal here in our neighborhood to see who can hand out the best candy and impress all the parents of the children.  Last year I was in Company and had to miss handing out candy so this year I made sure to buy five bags of tootsie rolls and suckers and assorted chocolates…and to hide them. 

Living with a chocoholic is hard since there really don't seem to be any CA (chocoholics anonymous) groups in our area.  I have learned to hide the candy I buy so that it is not completely gone by the time October 31st comes around.  

This year my husband found my hiding spot without my knowledge.  But like most addicts who truly want to be 'found out' he left a trail that I could follow.  Tootsie Roll wrappers and snicker pieces peaked out at me from the oddest places.  Finally I confronted my husband about his addiction and of course he denied it.  It may be intervention time.

I know I bought five bags of candy and there were only three left in my hiding spot.  The problem was that by the time I found the candy wrapper evidence I was two bags short and it was almost Trick or Treat time. 

Last year, when I was in NY doing the show, Andy just turned off the lights and hid upstairs so that he wouldn't have to deal with the children.  Maybe that was his way of fighting his addiction.  But this year I was determined to save face with the neighbors and to get through the night in tact and without hiding.

I poured the three little bags of candy we had left into the pasta strainer because I couldn't locate any cute bowls.  Then I waited.  And waited. And waited!   Where the hell were those little brats?   It was 7pm and no one had come to our door to yell "Trick or Treat".    Here I was berating my husband for giving in to his addiction and diminishing our treat supply and there weren't any kids in skeleton costumes coming for them anyway!  What was worse was that I could see Andy eyeing the rest of the candy that was going to waste in the strainer. 

I began to be paranoid that the neighborhood had put out some kind of notice to avoid my house.   Maybe the parents thought I was a bad influence now that I had been on Broadway.  Did they have that antiquated view of all actresses being 'loose and immoral'? Did they think I would corrupt their children and put a mickey in their candy? I don't even really know what that is.  I ran across the street to the neighbors we actually like, with the candy in tow, and was relieved to find that they hadn't had any visitors either. On my way back I ate a tootsie roll or two just to calm my anxiety.

Finally, at about 7:30 pm we had our first batch of kids.  Both Andy and I jumped up when the doorbell rang.  I grabbed the candy strainer and he grabbed the dog to keep her from running out to greet the children.  Two little ballerinas and one pirate.  So cute!  Always the teacher, I made them repeat "Trick or Treat" in louder voices. It's never too early to learn to project.  And I gave them each a piece of candy.

After that there was a steady stream of little costumed freaks.  Andy's favorite thing to do when a very young spiderman or princess showed up was to reach in their candy bag and come out with a handful of treats saying "oh thanks!"   The looks on those kid's faces was adorable.  They would stand in shock as Andy walked away with their candy.  But he would always put it back.   Only I know that he wasn't really joking.  Addicts are like that.  To get their 'fix' they will steal candy from babies.    

I had been handing all the children a piece of candy instead of letting them reach in to get their own, but at one point I was busy dealing with my dog and fending Andy off the little children's candy bags, when one child reached into the strainer to pull out a huge handful of my candy!  "Manners!" I yelled and told him to take only one.  Who teaches these kids trick or treat etiquette?  Finally after many ninjas and bunnies and darth vaders came by I noticed that we were running dangerously low on candy.   We got a huge group of teenagers at about 8:30 and then I knew we were in trouble.  After berating Andy for the missing two bags he ate, we scoured the house for other treats that we could give the remaining kids.

I discretely asked Andrew if he had any hiding places I should know about, and of course, he denied secreting away stashes of milky ways..  I checked our refrigerator and found only little pudding packs.  I could use those I guess.  I checked my spice rack and decided cumin and rosemary were not treats for children, although their moms might like it.  Andy offered up some dog food and I considered it a moment. 

Then I remembered all the Chinese food deliveries we had ordered lately.  Our house is getting new windows and it's hard to cook in the kitchen right now.  So to my delight I found about 10 Chinese fortune cookies.    We were saved!

Finally 9PM rolled around and we were officially finished with our Halloween experience. Both of us quickly turned off the lights and ran upstairs to hide.   I don't know what those kids thought when they got home and checked their bags, but I was just happy we had saved face this October 31.

Kristin's column sponsored by:  www.gardengate.unfranchise.com   "Visit us for cutting edge products in health care, nutrician, weight management, makeup, skin care, website solutions and much more!"  THE ONE STOP SHOPPING EXPERIENCE! For more information also visit KristinHuffman.net

Photos: Honey and Andy; Honey waiting for the Halloween children