OK, I admit to a little vanity, this was 1983 as I recall. Hmm, yes I was young once.

 It was a Musical Productions titled “Canterbury Tales”. I was 41 at this time and in this scene a 21 year old college student. Amazing what make up can do for you on stage.

This five week production which had four performances a week’s was sold out for every performance.  By the second week you could not get a ticket.

I have some fond memories of this production. It was bawdy, ribald and outrageous. What more could you expect it was Chaucer.

Songs such as “Hymen Hymen Light Your Torch, Gentle Flame That Will not Scorch”.  A ode sung to one’s pet rooster, “I Have a Noble Cock”.

I recall two different performances that have never left my memory. One night when the end of the first act I was finishing up the vignette of the Miller Wife scene. I had seduced the miller’s daughter, instead of climbing into the bed with my cohort and fellow college student I had ended up the bed with the miller.  As I was recanting the roll in the hay with the miller’s daughter I said, “three times tonight the millers daughter helped me grind my corn”. The line is repeated three times. The last time I am up on the edge of the stage within a few feet of the audience with a look of pure ecstasy until  I notice the miller has risen up with a cleaver in his hand to avenge the seduction of his daughter. As I run exiting the stage the scene and the first act ends.

One evening as I began the line that lead up to the  first of the three lines I noticed a woman who took up two and a half seats center isle front, about 8 feet from me.  Her thin smallish husband was next her in the other half seat with a grin that was larger than he. As I was working into those three repeated lines she began puffing up, becoming even larger than she already was in girth.

By the time I got to the first of the three she was snorting as the indignation was obvious and growing every bit as much as she was. When I was about to begin the last of the three the two and half seats stood up grabbing  her other half seat, he now of the even wider grin, pulling as her half seat partner down to he exit. He now  behind and she storming down the center isle slamming the door loudly as she exited the theatre in indignation as I completed the line and directed towards  her with a smile of such pleasure and amusement.  I was sure the audience was as much amused with her as with the miller and I.

The other time was a Sunday Matinee. It was a group of Senior citizens, many from the local retirement home.  Halfway through the first act we had few laughs. This was a play where people were laughing loudly and energetically by this point. The lack of audience response had us thinking we were dying out there and let’s get through this and get it over with.

The finale over, we were prepared to leave the stage, thank god it’s over.  It was quite for a few seconds and suddenly a roar of applause, a surprise, where, what, why? No laughs a few chuckles maybe but a standing ovation?

We went out to talk with those in the audience as we had agreed with this special senior citizen performance. I spoke with one woman telling her of our surprise at the response at the end. She said, “well you know most of us are hard of hearing and we wanted to hear every word, it was so good” The next thing was really sweat, “Sonny, I am 88 years old and I am glad to see things haven’t changed that much in 500 years, I am going to see you next year, I don’t want to miss this”. She was referring to the annual Retirement home trip to the theatre as well as the ribald tales of Chaucer.