If I Appear in a Leg Cast Tomorrow, I Think You'll Know Why

Tonight the Possum Point Players production of South Pacific opens for its gala two-weekend run in Georgetown.  I'm making my triumphant return to the Possum stage in a small role as a flunky to that show's main comic-relief character, Luther Billis.  I'm "The Professor."

I used to perform and work backstage for Possum shows in the late 80s and early 90s. I played small roles and did a bit of technical work. Karen played in orchestras for the musicals. We made many great friends.

We both took a break to raise the girls. But with the nest starting to empty out, we're dipping our toes back into the water.

Karen played in the Orchestra last year for Les Miserables.  I did a tiny walk-on a few years back as a favor to a friend who was directing.  For South Pacific, I'm back in the mix of a large pool of talented actors, singers and dancers.

If nothing else, I can project my voice and am comfortable on-stage.

So. If you are curious about how I look now that I'm "face-bald," grab some tickets and come see the show.

Wait... Why Did He Shave and Change His Hair Color?

I am a middle-aged man, with an appropriate mixture of grey in my hair. And I have worn some form of facial hair almost continuously since I was first able to grow a scraggly beard. But, for the moment, I have changed my look.

This has nothing to do with running for Lewes city council and everything to do with playing a small role as a navy seaman in the Possum Point Players production of South Pacific. We open on April 4, get your tickets!

The directors have asked me to shave and remove the grey from my hair and I have done so. This is the first time I've been clean-shaven since March of 1988, when I played a Russian soldier in the Possum's Fiddler on the Roof. And I've had some sort of hair-color camouflage applied to hide the grey.

I have mixed feelings. I'm not without vanity and the idea of being younger is appealing. But I'm also a realist: I know that I am not a young man. And, The Lovely Karen has pointed out that I have a baby-face. That's a major reason for the beard in the first place. As a couple, we've always been proud to own our grey (and blame it on our kids).

So both the grey hair and likely the facial hair will return after the play is done. The hair color will fade (luckily, it doesn't have to grow out). And I expect I'll grow some sort of facial hair again. Exactly what will be decided in consultation with my wife and daughters. After all, they have to look at this face.

Bonus irony: Those of us old enough to remember TV commercials in the 1970s will recall the Clairol commercial which turned the Song "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair" into "I'm Gonna Wash That Grey Right Out of My Hair."

In Which Pat and Mike Play Golf With Jay and Silent Bob

I got a chance to play golf at the Sussex Pines Country Club today. It was a fund-raiser for the Possum Point Players, a community theater group in Georgetown, Delaware.

Karen and I used to take part in Possum Point shows on a regular basis. We dialed back a bit when the kids came, but I have been back a bit since.

My friend Pat came down from New Castle County to join in and we were paired with two gents named Jay and Bob.

We played a scramble format, in which we each hit our ball but used whichever shot out of the four that we judged to be the best. Often, that was Bob's drive; he was playing very well. Pat was also playing well. And though he started slowly, Jay proved to be a long-driver as well. I was the weakest, of course, but among us we managed to play fairly well.

We finished at 3-under par - a 69 -- and finished fourth in the tournament. I believe there were 18 teams. The winners, by the way, scored a 61!

The weather was a challenge. Rain was forecast for the afternoon, but it started in the late morning and by the time we finished it was a steady, cold rain. At one point, we took refuge in a gazebo to wait out a particularly heavy squall. I found myself considering just how wet my feet were getting.

But we persevered and finished our 18 holes. And my play wasn't all terrible, I made a wise choice and used one of my mulligans to sink a long putt for a birdie that may have made the difference between fourth place and fifth.