GORKY

In college, my toughest acting role came along one Summer.  I did three seasons of Summer school because of the Summer Stock acting program.   In the Summer of 1961,  I played the part of Gorky in William Saroyan's "The Cave Dwellers."   What made it so tough you may well ask?   Well for starters, Gorky is a grizzly bear, albeit trained, but a bear nonetheless.  The photo below is a scene from the play (not ours, but an equivalent.)



When I was first cast in the role, my professor, Dr. Bruder, took me on a Saturday day-trip to the Kansas City zoo so that I could study the bears and how they moved.  It was fascinating to watch those big creatures as they wondered around their open area (behind bars of course). And I came away with quite a bit of knowledge about their habits which I incorporated into the performance.  (Scratching itches was a big hit with the audiences.)

Then, there was the "suit."   It was very impressive but a grizzly bear costume and stage lights are not the coolest combination and I think I lost a few pounds during the run.

But the biggest reward for doing this role always came during the "curtain calls."  I could  usually hear audible gasps when I stepped downstage and removed my bear head and took my bow.  I hope it was because they had forgotten that I was not a real bear but an actor playing a part.   If not, well I was living the dream.