Hank Nuwer as Bottom in Nevada-Reno production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
One little confession: When I returned to acting onstage after nearly a half-century since I played Bottom in a Reno stage production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1975, all my performances of my one-man hazing-prevention plays were stage readings. I honestly did not know if I could memorize an entire play any longer. The local Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre took a chance on me as Prince Escalus, but out of fear I said I could not play longer roles of the Friar or Lord Capulet. That lovely Romeo and Juliet production gave me the courage to tackle the Kris Kringle lead in Miracle on 34th Street and now my own hazing plays will be acted, no longer read. Here’s the point: After Saturday’s performance, FST director Emily gave me a hug and said, “I don’t want to hear any more BS about you not being able to memorize lines.” Fellow Old Timers, we may not have kept ALL of it, but we still got SOME of IT! LOL