Retro RFH Tower Players’ Fall Play Time

This was a rehearsal for Neil Simon's 'Plaza Suite' at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School circa 1977. Photo/screen shot of RFH yearbook. — Rehearsal for Neil Simon’s ‘Plaza Suite’ at RFH circa 1977
Photo/screen shot of RFH yearbook.

As Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) actors readied for their production of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite in 1977, more of the same is happening at the high school right now.

The Tower Players are gearing up for their production of Nutcracker … the Musical.

There’s always been a fall and spring production at the high school.

In the past, though, competition was stiff and only Tower Players, who had auditioned to get into the club, could even audition for the fall show. In the featured photo, the cast is pictured here rehearsing for Plaza Suite.

One of the actors is now gone — Billy Weithas (far right). RIP, Billy. Let’s not talk about director Ed Varian. That would be tantamount to about 100 stories for another day. Lisa Golder (right) and Danny Olshansky (left) are still with us; and both have been at the RFH Class of ’78 reunions. Danny even apologized for dropping five pages worth of lines on me (left with Danny and below with Varian), saying he was never really an actor and was mystified by his casting.

I told him it was like happily riding a terror train; but, a great lesson in on-the-spot improv to last an actor’s lifetime. And it was. Rolling a serving cart around the stage and rambling for what seemed like an endless amount of time before he picked up his cue was, well, any good actor’s cue to roll with it or quit the biz. Rolling was the choice for this actor who ended up specializing in interactive theater and comedy improv. Some people just never run out of anything to say. Ahem … But, I digress …

Bloopers are always fun, even though they can be quite taunting at the time. That was the Plaza Suite Tower Player blooper. Acting … genius … Thank you! No, no, thank YOU!

Any others? We know there are plenty of Tower Player blooper stories to tell. Tell us your tale of being in an RFH production.