Continuing our “From the Archives” series, we offer you another behind-the-scenes look at the unusual items in our inventory that contribute to the magic on stage. This week: The Act-o-matic.
You may be aware that Pegasus Theatre casts its shows from open auditions. That means anyone can try out, regardless of their level of experience or talent. We rely on the director to make wise choices about whom to cast in a show, who is best for the role.
Most of the time our directors do a superb job of casting. This makes the rehearsal process go much more smoothly and ensures a high quality production.
But what if the director gets it wrong? They are, after all, only human. And sometimes all they know about an actor is what they saw over the course of maybe 30 minutes of audition time. What if an actor just isn’t up to the task assigned to them?
Thank goodness Pegasus Theatre invested in an Act-o-matic early in our history! You just connect wires from the two electrodes on the mechanism to the prefrontal cortex of the actor’s brain plus the amygdala, then flip the switch, and voila! Your actor will be able to master the most difficult roles (comedy or drama) without any direction at all. It is truly amazing.
[Editor’s note: How did this get in here?! I specifically said we were never to speak of the Act-o-matic ever again, since the…incident.]
Well, of course I’m joking. There’s NO SUCH THING as an Act-o-matic. The very idea is absurd. Now run along and look at funny cat videos. Seriously.
Tickets are now on sale for Pegasus Theatre’s next show The Naughty Bits. August 13-29 at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas. Go to http://thenaughtybits.bpt.me/ and get your tickets now!