|
From NorwalkPlus.com Entertainment
In between Hyslop appeared with the titans of the theater like Sir John Gielgud, Laurence Harvey and Sir Tyrone Guthrie. “I’ve made a living in the business,” Hyslop says. Now at 82, in Shakespeare on the Sound’s upcoming outdoor production of “Julius Caesar,” he plays six supporting characters with as many costume changes although, as he puts it: “I manage to hang onto the same pair of pants for most of them.” Shakespeare’s probe of the human soul in the politically-charged intrigue of ancient Rome opens Thursday night in Rowayton’s Pinkney Park for 15 performances and then shifts to Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich July 4 for nine more. There is no admission charge. Donations are collected, suggested at $20 for adults, $10 for students and seniors All performances start at 7:30 p.m. and run Tuesdays through Sundays with no presentations Mondays. Typically the festivals draws family-oriented audiences with picnic baskets crammed with goodies, seated in deck chairs and sprawled on blankets, out to enjoy a night of dramatic pageantry and creative vitality in the package of Shakespeare’s essential truths, all under the stars against the backdrop of Five-Mile River and Long Island Sound. New York-based Hyslop, fittingly patrician in appearance, is part of a cast of 18, largely members of Actors’ Equity, augmented by a cadre of aspiring young Connecticut performers in supporting roles. He takes the stage entirely without retirement intentions. “I intend to keep doing it,” he says, “so I can remain engaged with people. “The most gratifying thing you can do is something where you don’t have to stop. Theater is, after all, a way to understand the world and how things work.” The festival’s director, Ezra Barnes, values Hyslop as “an extremely resourceful actor who has taken several small roles and made each one distinct and memorable. He is a joy to watch. He comes up with small details that distinguish each character and he brings to our production a sense of discipline and commitment that is inspirational. To bring out the richness of the play, it’s great to have actors who can do justice to those parts.”” “I love doing theater for just that reason. You come together as a group of strangers and become a company with the common goal of bringing the author’s words to the stage from the page.” Looking back, Hyslop recalls his debut on Broadway in 1949 with Karloff in the leading role of a stage thriller called “The Shop at Sly Corner.” “Karloff,” recounts Hyslop, “was an extremely intelligent and charming gentleman, a person of modesty who looked offstage not all like the horror characters he played. ‘What a way to earn a living,’ he used to say.” Sir John Gielgud? Hyslop worked with him in the long-running theater production of “Charley’s Aunt.” Hylsop remembers Gielgud as “extremely distinguished and tall but quiet and if you ran into him on the street you would never know he was a world-famous actor.” Laurence Harvey was a headliner with Julie Harris and Shelly Winters in the play “I Am a Camera,” which was transformed into “Cabaret” for the screen. “I had a small part,” Hyslop recounts. “Harvey was an extraordinary talented individual. What sticks in my mind about him is that in the buildup to a fight scene, he was meticulous about blocking out the moves. ‘Let’s figure out what we’re doing here so no one gets hurt,’ he warned.” Tyrone Guthrie meanwhile directed Hyslop in Thornton Wilder’s “A Life in the Sun” which had a short run at Edinburgh Festival and was later rewritten as “Alcestiad” with no more appreciable success. Guthrie is remembered by Hyslop as “a large energetic and outgoing personality who recognized and nurtured the talent of his colleagues and was especially good at organizing crowd scenes.” Hyslop’s work as a network TV producer led him to an association with Jim Henson and “The Muppets” and also “Sesame Street” and “Captain Kangaroo,” entertainment for kids with unprecedented endorsement by parents and educators. As a collaborator, Henson is described by Hyslop as “calm, organized and extremely hard-working.” In the movies, Hyslop’s credits cover the 1999 black-and-white fantasy-comedy “Man of The Century” and the science fiction drama “Minus One.” He also produces plays in the Adirondack community of Chester showcasing the townsfolk onstage and backstage. And his one-man show “A Christmas Carol” has run for 35 years in Galveston, TX. He gravitated to the theater while serving in the British Army in World War II, signing up as an entertainer with the British equivalent of the USO, known as the Entertainment National Service Association. The audiences used to twist the acronym ENSA. “They called us “Every Night Something Awful,’” Hyslop reports. © Copyright by NorwalkPlus.com |
