Meet Ed Smallman, a veteran actor from New York in his first production at the GCP!
ES: Erronius is described as a “befuddled old man.” Hopefully, the audience will see him that way. He has been searching for the past 20 years for his two children, stolen in their infancy by pirates. In the first act he returns to Rome, unsuccessful in his attempt to find his son and daughter, and becomes involved in all the craziness of the show.
GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
ES: This is my second production with GCP. I worked on the stage crew for “Singin' In the Rain,” and enjoyed every minute of it, including mopping up all the water on stage at the end of the first act. Also in that production, I had a very small “walk-on” part as a bouncer who evicts a young Don and Cosmo from a burlesque performance. That experience whetted my appetite for more time on stage. Though this is only my second show with GCP, I was involved in the Glens Falls (NY) Operatta Club, now the Glens Falls Community Theatre, throughout the 1970s. During that time I was in musicals including “Brigadoon,” “Fiddler On the Roof,” and “Oliver!.” I also performed in plays, my favorite being “See How They Run.” My preference is to play smaller roles, since that gives me more time each show to enjoy the performances of the other very talented people on stage. That is certainly true of the actors in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” What a multi-talented cast we have!
GCP Girl: Why did you audition for this show?
ES: This show has long been a favorite of mine, and is one in which I have wanted to be involved for many years. I was particularly excited to learn that it had been chosen as a production for this year.
GCP Girl: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?
ES: My favorite part of this show so far has been meeting and being on stage with the cast and crew of this show. They are not only very talented people, but great people as well. I also have to say that I have enjoyed the set construction and painting that I have done. That experience has allowed me to connect with everyone involved in this show, and really enhanced my enjoyment of the experience.
GCP Girl: If you could sing one song in the show that is actually sung by another character, which one would it be and why?
ES: I don’t have a great singing voice, which is why I have the only non-singing part in this show. However, if I had the voice of any of the other male cast members, I would really like to sing the “Lovely Reprise” in Act 2. This song has the wonderful melody of the original song sung in Act 1, and introduces the comic element that I really enjoy. It is more than just a good song, it is a good song and a good laugh.
GCP Girl: What do you hope audiences take away from this show?
ES: I hope the audience leaves the performance with a sense of having enjoyed the past few hours, and having had some very good laughs. I have enjoyed every rehearsal and every performance, and I hope our audiences have as much fun watching the show as I have being a part of it.
GCP Girl: What inspires you?
ES: Dedication and strong commitment to anything inspires me. Perhaps that is why I enjoy being a part of GCP. Everyone is so dedicated to GCP and to putting on the best performances possible. Everyone puts a great deal of time and effort into offering excellent shows and opportunities to have an enjoyable time. Being a part of that inspires me.
GCP Girl: Broadway is drawing a lot of its inspiration from TV shows and movies lately. What TV show or movie would you like to see turned into a Broadway musical?
ES: Unfortunately, there isn’t much on TV that I would like to see on Broadway. However, would have to vote for something like “Family Guy.” It is funny and has some outlandish characters. And I’ve always been a big cartoon fan, going back to my days watching “The Flintstones” when I was very young.
GCP Girl: Tell me something about yourself you'd like everyone to know!
ES: Having grown up in New York City, I have been going to Broadway shows for as long as I can remember. Seeing 'A Chorus Line," "Phantom of the Opera," "Shenandoah" and "No, No, Nanette" stand out in my mind as particularly enjoyable times. Given that, I’ve enjoyed the productions I’ve see put on by GCP as much as many of the Broadway shows I’ve seen, and have really enjoyed being a part of “Singin' In the Rain,” and now, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” I want to thank GCP for allowing me to be a part of community theatre again.
Thanks, Ed! Look for me at the preview performance tomorrow night! Tickets are $5, and the box office opens at 7 p.m.!
xo xo GCP Girl
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