Rehearsal of the Nerds!
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By David Vale!
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I’m a behind the scenes guy with the Bigfork Community Players. I run board meetings; I take
pictures; I do publicity releases; and I get to watch the rehearsals. Rehearsals, that’s the best
part. As director Karen Kolar commented, it’s hilarious to watch comic actors experiment and
play off each other as they find the right chemistry to make a comedy work. And I’ve been
watching rehearsals of The Nerd, a play opening April 4 in Bigfork, for a couple of weeks now.!
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The Nerd is a comedy. The script is funny. The characters are funny. The actors playing the
characters are funny. It’s about Willum, a boring architect; his girlfriend, Tansy, who believes in
something bigger than what Terre Haute has to offer; his client who is wealthy in dollars and
wealthier in ego; and his debt of honor to a long ago war buddy who is, to put it simply, weird.!
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Don McAdam plays Warnock Waldgrave, the self-made multimillionaire who’s never met a
problem that money and bluster couldn’t solve. “Close friends would call Waldgrave a jerk,”
says McAdam. “Closer friends, if he had any, would call him a big jerk.” !
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I listen as Waldgrave deals with his out-of-control eight-year-old son, Thor, played by Joshua
Rogers. “I’ll give you thirty bucks if you’ll come out of the bedroom.” Thor demands fifty. “I’ll
see you in hell first,” Waldgrave roars.!
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“Artistic license is very liberating,” admits McAdam. “It allows you to behave in ways that might
get you arrested in real life.”!
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Scott Roskam, who play’s Axel, a somewhat devious friend to the principals, echo’s the
sentiment: “When I did these kinds of antics in school, I'd have to sit in the corner. When I do
them here, I get laughter, applause, and encouragement!”!
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Clelia Waldgrave, played by Meghan Rogers, is Waldgrave’s wife. A special education teacher
by profession, she deals with her son and husband in a prim, professional manner. But when
she feels that life may be besting her, she asks for a saucer, which she carefully places face
down on the table before her. Then, withdrawing from her purse a small hammer, she smashes
the saucer to smithereens.!
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But Clelia and Waldgrave represent the foil of sanity for the zaniness in this comedy. And Axel
seems but the master of ceremonies as Thor threatens in a few short appearances to steal the
show. “What’s gotten into him,” Waldgrave questions. “I can’t conceive,” Clelia responds.
Axel’s commentary: “We all wish.”!
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The Nerd, of course, is Rick Steadman, played by John Goroski. Rick saved Willum’s life in
Vietnam and Willum, played by Blake Williams, has vowed to be Rick’s best friend and
supporter for life, even though he hasn’t seen him since Vietnam. In fact, as Willum first sees his
friend down the throat of a dinosaur mask, it almost as if he doesn’t recognize him.!
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“Willum is a rather ordinary guy trying to do the right thing,” says Blake. “Maybe a little too easy
going for his own good, as in the case of allowing Rick to take advantage of his sense of honor
and responsibility. His friends would call him loyal to a fault.”!
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I find myself readily engaged with the story, even as I watch just bits and pieces of it in
rehearsal. Who is this play going to appeal to, I ask. Blake responds. “I feel this play will
appeal to anyone that has any sense of humor. The antics of the characters and the play of
personalities give it an easy feel and plenty of room for humor. With the range of characters in
this play everyone should find at least one they can connect with or sympathize with, maybe
both.”!
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Allison McCarthy, who plays Willum’s girlfriend Tansy, is more succinct: “The play will appeal to
anyone who wants to laugh until they cry!”!
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The Nerd opens Friday, April 4, at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts. Performances are
at 7:30 p.m. on April 4, 5, 11, and 12 and at 2:00 p.m. on April 6 and 13. Tickets are $15 for
adults; $10 for BCP members, students and seniors; and $5 for children under 12. They are
available online at www.bigforkcenter.org, at Bigfork Drug, at the Kalispell Grand Hotel, from any
cast member, and at the door. Laughing is encouraged; tears are optional.!
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Photo caption: (Rehearsal-119CF.jpg) Don McAdam as Waldgrave; “I’ll give you third bucks to
come out.”!
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Photo caption: (Rehearsal-143CF.jpg) Meghan Rogers as Clelia: Small saucers are her drug of
choice.!
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Photo caption: (Rehearsal-134CF.jpg) Joshua Rogers as Thor: Sometimes there is a monster
in the closet.!
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Photo caption: (Rehearsal-101CF.jpg) Blake Williams as Willum: “Rick, is that you?”!
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Photo caption: (Rehearsal-080CF.jpg) Scott Roskam as Axel: Trying to one-up Rick.!
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