Lights, camera, action

What do you get when you cross a 40-year-old guy with one real community theater role to his credit and a director who is desperate when a person drops a role less then three weeks to opening night?

You get roped into helping a friend with a play. Actually, it's going to be a blast.

A hilarious book, "Dearly Beloved" is set in Texas with the Futrelle sisters getting ready for the wedding of Frankie Futrelle's daughter, who may or may not show up at the church with her future. Among the minor characters in the laugh-filled play are a fortune teller, an over-medicated wedding guest, a fill-in preacher and a dim-witted police officer (played by your favorite blogger, me).

I actually auditioned for another role in the show when my director friend e-mailed me after a cast member dropped the show. I showed up a day after my hernia surgery, hobbled up to the stage, read some lines, and hobbled off. My friend must have felt bad to drag my still-healing body out for the audition, only to give the part to another - and, truthfully, a more-qualified - person. Still, it is nice to be asked.

If you get a chance to see this play and aren't offended by references to menopause, potentially wayward preachers, and other minor indiscretions - the person I'm replacing apparently didn't like (or his wife didn't like) the "direction" the show was going, even though he had the script more than a month - I'd recommend it. I did a Google search and it appears to get wide play at various community theaters across the country.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready for my close-up.