WHAT HAPPENED WAS...                                     (click here for THE WIFE)

I sent the script to over a dozen actresses (some of whom were friends - all of whom will remain nameless) and no one was interested.  I then thought I would just ask the best actor available.  If gave it to Ron Vawter with the idea of him playing Jackie but he was busy.  I then gave it to Will Patton, a long time friend and one of the best actors around, but he said that I would do better having a woman play the part.  This was followed by a few readings that casting director Leonard Finger arranged for me.  I met a few wonderful actresses but no one who struck me as perfect.  I also find the process of auditioning not helpful in general and was afraid to trust the results of such a short meeting.  I then asked my agent Raelle Koota if she had anyone to suggest and she came up with Karen Sillas.  I decided to meet her for breakfast and just talk.  Within ten minutes I knew she could do it and offered it to her on the spot.  We started rehearsing almost immediately as the opening was fast approaching.
 

THE WIFE                                  (click here for WHAT HAPPENED WAS...)

I wrote it with Karen Young in mind for the title character and Wally Shawn for her husband. I had wanted to work with Wally ever since I had seen his one-man show THE FEVER in 1991. We had been friendly acquaintances since the late ‘70's so I called him often during 1993 to discuss the possibility of doing a play together. He didn't return the calls. In July I sent him the draft of WIFEY and waited. No reply. I called again. Nothing. Finally I called him in late August and told him that it was OK if he didn't want to do the play but at least he could call me and turn it down. (What I wasn't aware of was that Wally was going through a very difficult time and had called no one back for months.) But this last call got a response. Within a few days he called up and told me that he was totally overloaded with work and didn't have a minute but having read the script he felt that he needed to do the part of COSMO.

I wrote the part of JACK for myself so that only left finding RITA, my wife in the story. I needed a great actress who was tall, beautifully patrician, funny, and was living in New York. She also had to be willing to work for next to nothing for the next nine months. I went through all the casting books and noone struck me. I asked my agent, David Guc, for suggestions and he mentioned that Julie Hagerty was in town. She was exactly who I wanted. I failed in my attempts to contact her through her agent so I was able to get her home number through a friend of a friend and called. I left her a message apologizing for calling at home but that I made movies by doing a play as part of the development and that I wanted to be in it. She called me back the next morning and invited me over ‘to have a cup of tea'. I went over and nervously presented my case along with a copy of the script. The next day she called me, having read it, and agreed to do it.

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