Pasadena Playhouse smells a rat
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Well, the most positive spin we can put on this bit of theater news is that Pasadena Playhouse is diversifying its audience: During Friday night’s opening performance of ‘The Lady With All The Answers,’ starring Mimi Kennedy as Ann Landers, some audience members noticed that a rat was in the house.
Yes, a rat. A Vermin-American. Tiny paws, whiskers and a hairless tail.
Culture Monster -- which believes it is only polite, when attending theater, to pay attention to the action onstage, not on the floor -- did not actually see the critter. But according to an account from an alert audience member, as well as a Monday confirmation from Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon Epps, the rat made its entrance somewhere during the first act and was gone by intermission.
When asked about the unexpected guest appearance, Epps said, without missing a beat: ‘Well, based on your review of the play this morning, I might quote David Merrick and actually ask if it was Charles McNulty. ‘
The always quick-witted Epps was referring to our own distinguished theater critic McNulty’s lukewarm review of the one-woman show, as well as a oft-told story about temperamental Broadway impresario Merrick, who sought to bamboozle New York Times critic Stanley Kauffman by, without notice, canceling the planned opening-night ...
performance of one of Merrick’s shows.
As told by Time magazine in a 1966 article, critic Kauffman, as well as some 1,100 ticket-holders, showed up to find a dark marquee and a sign that read: ‘Tonight’s Performance Canceled.’ Merrick’s press agent explained that ‘a generator was out of order’ -- which seemed odd, given that although the marquee was unlit, all the lights were on in the lobby.
Merrick, when later pressed about the anomaly, said: ‘A rat got in the generator.’
Well, this isn’t one of those Superman/Clark Kent things -- we can prove that McNulty and the rat are not one and the same because, while the rat left by intermission, McNulty did not (although his review would indicate he wasn’t too enthusiastic about the second act, either).
And, seriously, Epps said the rat most likely ‘came out of the orchestra pit and up onto the little side stage that we call the ‘Juliet box.’ I guess I’ll just say that rats in the theater are, for many reasons, a somewhat common occurrence,’ Epps said. ‘We are taking big efforts to make sure we eliminate the guests before we start performances again.’
-- Diane Haithman
Photo caption: The popularity of Remy, the tiny Frencb chef from the Disney movie ‘Ratatouille,’ indicates that 2007 was a good year for rats in film. Remy wasn’t there Friday, but another rodent -- this one live -- made an appearance at the Pasadena Playhouse.