As an artist eventually you have to take a leap of faith.

One of the most exciting opportunities I've had in show business came from musical director David Loud inquiring if I was available for a reading of a new work by Stephen Sondheim. At the time I was scheduled to play the lead in another workshop but dropped it as the prospect of working on a Sondheim piece was a dream.The director was ERIC SCHAEFFER.

Eric Schaeffer

Previously I had worked with him in , "Under The Bridge" at the Zipper Theatre in NY.

 It was a fun show. We had a good time.

THIS reading was called "Bounce"  and the names on the cast list were intimidating.
For example, I sat next to Bernadette Peters. I found my eyes sliding her way a touch too often, not just because she was/is a mega star and goddess of talent but also because she's hot. You can't help but steal another glance from time to time.
Early in rehearsal Eric addressed the cast in his customary twang, "Look, I need y'all to make bold choices with these characters, flesh 'em out, take a chance. Give them something different. Find some humor in them."
I was an ensemble member but had a few solo lines as a boxer named Stanley Ketchel
As an actor when one approaches a character, the first impression of who they might be is often a stereotype or the most obvious choice. A typical way to play a boxer might be to make him sound stupid or slow with a husky low voice. The first impression is not always a well fleshed out character choice.
I like to make a character choices that are interesting...perhaps different than one might expect.
On the Decamp #33 that night rolling through the Meadowlands toward Bloomfield I thought about what I could do to make this boxer stand out. Make him a different. Find some humor.
    "Willy had style. Willy had brass. Willy said Stan I'm gonna give you some class. Taught me to dress. Made me a sport. Gave me social status and something to snort. Learned a lot from Willie having laughs getting tight. Coked till we were silly by the dawns' early light. Learned so much from Willie I forgot how to fight!  But oh what a year! THAT WAS A YEAR"
In a moment of inspiration I had an interesting, funny idea.
The most ferocious boxer I knew growing up was Mike Tyson and an ironic thing about Iron Mike is that his voice is high pitched and he has a lisp.
My voice is high pitched, so, I thought, well, why not add a lisp?
Had I known Ketchel was of Polish decent I would have given him a very slight slavic accent instead. Life was hard before Wikipedia.
The next day when we got to the solo I was nervous. Richard Kind, Marc Kudisch and John Cullum watched cooly. Stephen Sondheim was in the room. It was a big moment.
I was doing this in front of the most famous people I had ever been around and I was ALL IN.
I stepped out onto that ledge and I jumped into the expanse of creative risk.

As I finished Eric threw up his arms cutting off the pianist and exclaimed,
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?"
I could feel my face burning hot. I didn't know what to say. I was mortified.
Someone, I don't know who, said, "Well you told us to take risks."
I am forever thankful to this person.
"Well I didn't say to suck," replied Eric.
Sometimes when you take an artistic leap this happens...

Still funny though.