Open, Shut Them

George Street Playhouse gets its doors in order for the farcical ‘Lend Me a Tenor.’

By: Jim Boyle

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TIMEOFF PHOTOS/FRANK WOJCIECHOWSKI
Romain Fruge and Patrick Quinn rehearse in Lend Me a Tenor at the George Street Playhouse.


   It’s a pretty simple act, opening and closing a door. Twist the knob, push the door away or pull it toward the body (depending on which side you’re on), walk through and shut the door behind you. So why is the cast of George Street Playhouse’s production of Lend Me a Tenor spending hours of rehearsal time practicing such a basic action?
   "Doors are pretty standard for a farce," says Patrick Quinn, one of the show’s stars. "We have six doors on stage, and somebody ascertained that they are opened and closed a total of 97 times. Something like that is based on total timing. Opening the door at the right moment is the difference between a medium laugh and a gut-busting laugh.

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Mary Testa as Maria.


   "Today we’re working on spacing the set and blocking the scenes," he continues. "Tomorrow, it’s all doors. A lot of farces have audio cues for the doors, something in the dialogue that signals when to enter or exit. We actually don’t have a lot of those. Instead, we have lights above the door. The stage manager watches the action and hits a button to signal with the light when to come in. Those all have to be timed out perfectly to get the right reaction."
   After weeks of dialogue and script work, the seven-member cast and director David Saint are finally taking the rehearsals to the George Street Playhouse stage to fully prepare for the show, running through March 6. Even though the material is significantly lighter than the intense dramas often put on at GSP, the actors are all business.
   "The script is a lot of fun," says Mr. Quinn. "But comedy is just as serious as drama. Comedy is very difficult to do. Fortunately, this cast has wonderful farceurs, and some of us have worked together before, so there’s a family-type atmosphere. That makes it safer to take more risks without thinking you’re going to get ridiculed. It’s a real ensemble feel, and all the roles are equally important, so there’s no sense of competition."

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Romain Frugé as Max (left) and Peter Maloney as Saunders in Lend Me a Tenor.


   The story, written by Ken Ludwig in 1985, revolves around a big night for a Cleveland, Ohio, opera house. Mr. Quinn plays world-renowned soloist Il Stupendo, who is slated to sing the title role in Otello. Of course, it isn’t long before Murphy’s Law kicks in, and everything that can go wrong does. A double dose of tranquilizers mixed with alcohol has rendered Il Stupendo unconscious, sending a desperate manager (Peter Maloney) in search of a replacement. He convinces his assistant, Max (Romain Frugé), to replace the star, unbeknownst to the rest of his staff.
   "It’s a classic comedy of errors," says Mr. Quinn. "It’s total fun. There’s no hidden, deeper messages. There are some sweet moments that come from the play’s honesty. Every slapstick has to be based on some reality so that the audience can believe the scenes. But this is for pure laughs. It’s the funniest farce I’ve ever done."
   In fact, Mr. Quinn has plenty of experience with the uproarious play. One of the Philadelphia native’s early roles was as Max when the show was on Broadway. Even though he considers the role one of his favorites, Mr. Quinn has happily passed the torch to Mr. Frugé.
   "The thing I find amazing," says the Manhattan resident, "is that I see him making a lot of the same choices with the character that I made. He’s wonderful to watch and an extraordinary actor. I don’t have any territorial feelings with the role, but seeing Romain brings back a lot of happy memories."
   They are a lot of memories that Mr. Quinn almost didn’t experience. Although he was a participant in high school productions, Mr. Quinn entered Temple University intending to become a history teacher. However, after taking theater classes in the school’s communications department, he discovered a love for the stage. His newly discovered affection for the art, coupled with his hungry ambition, led to a strange set of circumstances in his sophomore year.
   "During the summer," says Mr. Quinn, "I auditioned in New York and got a job in summer stock. The professional work earned me a union membership with Actors’ Equity. So here I am a sophomore theater student with a union card."
   His good fortune didn’t stop with graduation, after which he quickly earned a spot in the traveling production of Fiddler on the Roof with Zero Mostel, which eventually went to Broadway. As his work piled up, he also began earning the respect of his peers, so much so that he was elected president of Actors’ Equity in 2000 and again in 2003, a position that has plenty of perks. And penalties.
   "I love it when I walk into a room and the actors say, ‘Good Morning, Mr. President,’" he jokes. "But it does eat into a career and personal life. Sometimes I dedicate 40 to 50 hours a week to being president."
Lend Me a Tenor plays at George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, through March 6. Performances: Tues.-Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 2, 8 p.m., Sun. 2, 7 p.m. Tickets cost $28-$56. For information, call (732) 246-7717. On the Web: www.gsponline.org