That pun was a feather in his cap. Made him cocky. You probably egged him on. But such humor should stay cooped up. Otherwise, birds of a feather will come home to roost.


--m


On Tue, Jun 15, 2010 at 9:57 AM, Clay Stromberger <cstromberger@mail.utexas.edu> wrote:
I mostly recall Bouler's immortal line after the play was over, in the dressing room (I can still see him sidling up with that deadpan expression)... "That was a real pullet surprise..."... (grooannnn)





On Jun 15, 2010, at 9:09 AM, Bouler, John wrote:

Really!? Gee, the way *I* remember it, it wasn’t a chicken, but a turkey vulture. And wasn’t it during the final casket-choosing scene in Merchant? I seem to recall James (as Bassanio) trying to stay in character as it hopped from casket to casket….huh.

 

Amazingly, given the tricks memory seems to play, we all seem to be on the same page on this one. Like Bob, I remember John remarking afterward that the situation had him contemplating murder most fowl.

--Mark

 

From: winedale-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org [mailto:winedale-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of robin mize
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 8:49 AM
To: Pees, Robert
Cc: Shakespeare at Winedale 1970-2000 alums; Eric Thomas; Bruce Meyer
Subject: Re: [Winedale-l] Fwd: CampShakespeare '10

 

Jeff Larsen and I were on stage with said chicken before john came on, and I remember Jeff walking over to it in character, and scratching his beard wondering what to do. I thought of throwing my skirts over it, but then what??? Poor John. We really should have done something. Of course, he handled it best. When the audience laughed after he booted the chicken, he put the bare bodkin menacingly under the chin of a poor audience member in the front row; he really did seem mad, and everyone got deadly quiet.

Robin

On Tue, Jun 15, 2010 at 11:32 AM, Pees, Robert <rpees@akingump.com> wrote:

"There is special providence in the fall of a chicken."  Steve's recollection is accurate.  Those of us backstage were in panic mode, but John handled the episode with aplomb.  I have a dim recollection that after the performance John said that he contemplated using the antique dagger that he was carrying, but ultimately decided against it.  Perhaps for the reunion programs we should have a disclaimer that "No live chickens were harmed during the staging of this production." 

 

Bob

 

From: winedale-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org [mailto:winedale-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Stephen Price
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 10:57 AM
To: John Rando; Bruce Meyer
Cc: Eric Thomas; Shakespeare at Winedale 1970-2000 alums


Subject: Re: [Winedale-l] Fwd: CampShakespeare '10

 

I remember our chicken well. It wandered in through stage right, futzed around on the lip of the stage, and eventually settled into the one empty chair in the front row stage left. Near panic blew through the backstage area like wildfire:  "There's a live chicken out there! How can we get rid of it?" The feeling of helplessness was agonizing, and he was out there for at least a scene & a half, maybe two. In the end, our resourcefulness failed us. In a comedy, no prob. Somebody could have walked on with a broom or broadsword or something and chased him off. But in Hamlet? What would you do?

 

In fact, a pretty good suggestion was put forth by an audience member after the performance. The wag proposed that John could have taken the bird up at the beginning of the speech and then:  "To be" (H. twists off chicken's head) "or not to be..."

 

Okay, '83ers, what have I inflated, conflated, or competely made up here?

 

Steve

 

From: John Rando <john.rando@verizon.net>
To: Bruce Meyer <Bruce.Meyer@UTSouthwestern.edu>
Cc: Eric Thomas <Eric.Thomas@uth.tmc.edu>; Shakespeare at Winedale 1970-2000 alums <winedale-l@lists.wikimedia.org>
Sent: Tue, June 15, 2010 8:56:29 AM
Subject: Re: [Winedale-l] Fwd: CampShakespeare '10

1983 - A live chicken made an appearance in Hamlet, Act III, scene i.  She made her exit roughly around the line: "there's the respect that make calamity of so long life," after Hamlet gave her the boot.


On Jun 14, 2010, at 9:48 PM, Bruce Meyer wrote:

> the chicken proudly lives with Juan E. Bango - a mythical and semi-legendary Winedale figure....
> juan.e.bango@gmail.com
>
>
>>>> Mike Godwin <mgodwin@wikimedia.org> 6/14/2010 3:01 PM >>>
> On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 12:23 PM, Bruce Meyer <
> Bruce.Meyer@utsouthwestern.edu> wrote:
>
>> the chicken appeared with us in 1979 in  AYLI
>> It also appeared in 1980 in CE (as did felt fruit - I remember Robin
>> and the Jaynes sisters sewing madly)
>> It has appeared in the reunion performances in 1990, 1995, 2000, and
>> 2005 ("this dog, my dog...").
>> Rebekah has ensured that the camp program has had a rubber chicken
>> every summer since inception (including this summer) - the chicken has
>> an honored place in our home.
>>
>
>
> Bruce, if you have an email address for the rubber chicken, I'll add it to
> the alumni mailing list.
>
>
> --Mike
>
>
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