On stage again, in "The Grapes of Wrath"

It’s been over 2 years since I’ve been in a play and I’ve been missing the Theater crowd. Most of my longest friendships started holding a script in one hand and reading aloud. This June the auditions for a new production of John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” were held at the Spotlight downtown Bakersfield.

I have a long history with this piece. I’m not a person who enjoys reading. Despite this character flaw I looked for the book in the library at Highland High shortly after it opened in 1972. I was 15 at the time. I wanted to read this one. Because it was banned in the libraries in Kern County for many years, a 15 year old me was ripe for sedition. Also I had moved here with my folks in `63 and had questions.

Mom was born in Oklahoma. Her family lived on what they called a small farm, but Grandpa Hale made his living as a mechanic at Fort Sill. They didn’t move to California until WWII when, I think it was, Vandenberg opened up and Grandpa Hale was tasked to organize the mechanic’s shop.

Dad’s family could have been like the families in the book. They were share croppers along the Mississippi river in Arkansas and also Missouri (or Mizurrah as they pronounced it) Very poor. Dad was the oldest and Grandpa Parks put him to work as soon as he could follow a plow. By 16 Dad had enough of being a beast of burden and left home. When he got back from WWII his folks had moved to Salinas. Grandpa Parks had gotten a job in a dairy.

After my parents met they took elloqution lessons to lose the accent. They felt it a good career move. Mom had been looked down upon by her co workers in the LA area. When we moved here the local dialect was even stronger then it is now. I felt some kind of connection to the local “Okies” but didn’t know anything about them. I figured reading “The Grapes of Wrath” would clue me in a little. After all since it had been banned it had to have some truth in it.

My other connections to “The Grapes of Wrath” were the first production done in the 90’s. An independent troupe got a big church in westchester to let them use their great hall. I knew and had worked with most of the cast of that one. It was a great show. About 6 or 7 years ago it was revived at Bakersfield Community Theater. This time I was in the show, kind of. I was a stage hand. A central feature of the show is the truck that carries the Joad family to California. I and several others moved it around from scene to scene. I still have one of the props in my living room. The sign for the “Weedpatch Camp”.

For the current production I tried out for the character of Jim Casey, a preacher who lost the calling. Or as we learn later on in the show may have been lead to another calling. Like his deity (the other JC) he ends up a martyr. As a spiritual guy myself, having followed a calling or two in my time I figured myself a good fit. As it turned out I didn’t get the part. Oh well, the current crop of Theater folk aren’t aware of my acting chops. In theater, ambition is a good thing but you also have to trust the director. Just what he/she is looking for is not always obvious. You can always tell yourself that he/she probably didn’t have the chops to direct you anyway.

I did get what is called an ensemble part. Not only do I get to move the truck around the stage again I have small speaking parts too. And am in all the crowd scenes. Come to think of it I only got decent parts in High School and a couple at BC in the 70’s. In the 80’s I did mostly stage tech and took off most of the 90’s (my calling). As much as I enjoy theater and doing improv I never did develop my acting skills that much. Just like enjoying reading books memorizing lines is not something I do well. I have ADD so shoot me.

So I’m good. No really I’m good. In fact when Brian the director told me that I got the part of the camp director I launched into my research. There are different theories about doing research for a part, but I am pretty sure tiny parts of 5 or 6 lines rarely get researched.

Note: Since I see that Weedpatch sign in my living room every day I assumed I was the director of the Weedpatch Camp. Oh yeah, they stop at 4 different camps. I play a different camp director. Shucks. And after I studied up and found out the Weedpatch camp Director was the only character based on a real person. Tom Collins - who helped Steinbeck with his research. Look for the next post. We start rehearsals and I have questions that you the readers may have answers to.