May 27, 2004

Now Playing: The Cat in the Hat

Filed under: Art and About Literature — admin @ 3:53 pm

I am fascinated by Mike Myers portrayal of the Cat in the Hat. It’s a part I know very well. I have studied the role in depth and played it countless times. The Dr. Seuss classic is one of my son’s favorite stories and so that darned Cat plays in repertory at my house for bedtime performances.

I have watched other caregivers perform the Cat in their interpretation of the mischievous feline. Some believe he speaks very slowly and deliberately, luring the story’s children into his web of fun. Some hear the Cat with a silly giggle, and add that sound effect to the end of his lines. One of our relatives cannot simply read the Cat — he must pantomime as well.

I have culled from these various performances and determined that my definitive Cat is a playful authority figure with a confident exterior housing an easily bruised ego. He’s part Mary Poppins and part Robin Williams. For some lines, I do a dead-on impression of Kathy Najimy. I don’t know why, it just feels right. I’m sure there are infinite interpretations of the role by millions of method-acting amateurs around the globe who have played the Cat.

Long before the movie came out, “The Cat in the Hat” got me thinking about the work real actors have to do. I know the art of creating a living, breathing and believable character isn’t easy, and I’ve always appreciated that skill. The part that bamboozles me is how an actor can stay engaged with a part they are playing when they are in the middle of their eighth stage performance of the week, or their twenty-third take of a scene in a movie. Yul Brynner’s commitment to the role of the King of Siam astounds me. Although Sean Connery was certainly the best Bond, I completely understand why 007 and the actor had to go their separate ways.

I’ve done enough theater in my life to have heard the spiel about “keeping it fresh” from people who actually like the art of acting. Growing up, I was in a number of shows playing a variety of roles, big and small. I couldn’t muster enough interest as a performer to keep it fresh, keep it new, after the gazillionth run-through. I looked forward to the performances because that meant the ordeal would soon be over. Once we got to show time, I would mark big, red Xs on the calendar in celebration of one less time I would have to endure a particular show.

At the tender age of 18, I finally admitted that acting was boring to me and resigned myself to the fact that I was meant to enjoy acting from the other side of the stage line. I packed all my past acting opportunities away in the trunk of life experiences and labeled it “been there-done that.”

Then I had children and suddenly I had to read my son’s favorite book of the month umpteen times a week, if not a day. The feelings of boredom when approaching the text were eerily similar to my boredom on stage. But a show ends after only a few performances. My kids’ childhoods will play on for years. I had to come up with a solution to entertain myself while entertaining the small folks.

It was “The Cat in the Hat” that inspired me to approach reading children’s books as if I was an actor hired to keep it fresh, sincere and honest. And now, my performances are breaking box office records for smiles, hugs and kisses.

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