Tedwords' Picture Parade

[tedwords]

In contrast to yesterday's photo, what photos will my grandchildren have to look at and remember me by? Nothing military. Instead, silly photos such as this one, taken back in the days when I still had (but just barely) hair. This one was a publicity shot for a local production of Pippin, where I was playing the lead role. The director was playing around with the make-up, and for some reason felt that I should have a cleft chin and be cached in a pasty white base. Thankfully, he abandoned that thought after this series of photos.

It was a flawed production. The director was also flawed: briliantly creative, but drank like a fish and was pursued by inner demons. As a result, some of his ideas were on the wild side, and not necessarily in a good way. The script to Pippin isn't a very strong one (at least, in opinion,) but he tried to solve the problem by adding eighties pop songs into the mix. He wanted me to sing "I Want to Know What Love Is" at the end of the show, for example. That didn't make the final cut, either, thankfully. He also inserted "I Want to Kiss You All Over," during the orgy scene. It was STRANGE. 

He also asked both me and Josie to run away with him. Separately. Unbeknownst to the other. It was like something out of Rocky Horror, Frank N. Furter seducing both Brad and Janet. Neither of us said yes. I missed him terribly when the production ended and he headed off to new adventures.