PAINFUL... MY THREE ANGELS 1984

I've heard about many nominations for the worst show in Stage 212's history, but to me, My Three Angels was the true winner. It's only redeeming quality was the wonderful grass hut interior designed by Giacomo Leone, which served as the Inn, and was so much fun to decorate. It was a good script, and I looked forward to playing one of the three escaped convicts who invaded a tropical island and changed the lives of it's inhabitants. Jim Jewel and Mark Majewski were cast as the other tarnished "Angels."

The production was plagued by problems from the beginning. Several roles remained unfilled for several weeks of rehearsal, and many who had been cast had obligations or sickness that kept them from being at rehearsal. The opening scene was a long conversation between the owners of the Inn that was meant to set the scene but since both were elderly and had trouble remembering lines and blocking, and neither had never been on stage before, by the time it ended the audience was already yawning. From there we went through conflicts between staff and cast, which culminated in a screaming match between a backstage staff member and one of the main characters, who lost it and walked out. The show should have been cancelled at that time, but we pressed on. This meant recasting the role not long before Tech week, and the person who stepped in had never been on stage before, and didn't have the chance to develop his role or learn his lines. One thing seemed to effect the next, and the state of confusion and anxiety we all experienced made the show into one painful exercise in hopelessness. I don't recall if anyone in the audience walked out, but if this convict was sitting there, I would have done whatever was necessary to escape this torture.