In Part Four of a series of interviews with the cast of Vagabond Players’ Moon Over Buffalo, meet Carol Evans.
Joel: Please introduce yourselves and tell me why you wanted to be in the cast of Moon Over Buffalo?
Carol: I am Carol Conley Evans and I have been on a roll playing fun, funny and fantastic old ladies for about 6 years now; this is at the end of an acting career that started when I was 11. Keep in mind all of these characters are much older than myself, really. I wanted to play Ethel, the mostly deaf, fully lovable old lady in the show mostly to be a part of the the Vagabond Players’100th season at my favorite theatre. It was also an opportunity to work with John Desmone and that has been fun.
Did you bring any personal experiences to your performance? How has your performance changed since the show opened?
I am deaf in one ear and can’t hear in the other so for years I have misheard things. It has never caused the problems in real life that it does in the show, but then I don’t really know that it hasn’t. I’m not sure my characterization has changed much. We have such a wonderful cast and had a really perfect rehearsal period so characterizations were fully developed ages ago. Still, there are little actions I find myself enlarging.
Who do you play in the show and how do you relate to your character? Has your feelings for the character changed since the show began?
I am Ethel, mother to Charlotte Hay, mother-in –law and nemesis to George Hay and Grandma to everyone else. I like Ethel because she is a doer and a droll troll. She loves the theatre and her family and does what she can to keep it all going.
What have been some of the things that have not gone as planned during the performance and how did you handle it? What have been some of the funniest moments of playing your character?
Everything has gone as planned for my character. This whole show has been unusual in that respect. For a play that has a lot of things that could go wrong, none have for me but then I am not sword fighting, kicking people in the groin or shooting a gun. Ethel’s job is to set up the mistaken identity and the drunkenness that fuel much of the farce. I have many laugh lines, but the most fun is hearing the audience reaction when they realize her mishearing is going to cause a lot of trouble. Uhhhhhh!
What has surprised you about the audience reaction to the show and your performance?
Really not much on the surprise front. Moon Over Buffalo is a clever farce and the audience has a lot of fun for a rollicking 2 hours. All the characters have some really funny moments and some have some lovey dovey scenes too. I appreciate the kindness the audience demonstrates for me and my castmates at curtain call.
Why should audiences come and see Moon Over Buffalo?
It is a really, really good show that will make each person happy. No thinking or analyzing allowed. A plus is the historical venue and the wonder of this Little Theatre founded and fostered by people who love theatre without being paid for it for 100 years non-stop.
Why do you think Ken Ludwig’s play is so popular?
It does not require thinking or analyzing, yet it does require full attention to the twists and turns of the plot. It moves fast and does not waste any time on reality. Ludwig knows how to create comedy that appeals to all kinds of people of all kinds of ages.
Moon Over Buffalo plays through June 26, 2016 at the Vagabond Players—806 South Broadway, in Baltimore, MD. For tickets, call the box office at (410) 563-9135, or purchase them online.
LINKS:
Review: ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players by Lauren Honeycutt on DCMetroTheaterArts.
Meet The Cast of ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players: Part 1: Caroline Kiebach.
Meet The Cast of ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players: Part 2: Jess Kim.
Meet The Cast of ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players: Part 3: Moon Over Buffalo Cast: Michelle Guyton.
Meet The Cast of ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players: Part 4: Carol Carol Conley Evans.
