IMFourPlay

Ron Weaver is new to the SAK stage but is clearly no stranger to the world of theatre. His impeccable improvisational instinct first came to my attention in our classes together with SAK University, where he quickly became a stand-out (but in a good, sharing stage and giving kind of way!) Ron and I sat down over partially melted Frosties and flat Sprite Zero on the steps of the Bob Carr Center while pan-handling for our taxi fare home.

Current favorite musical: Singin' in the Rain, mostly for Gene Kelly and all the great dance numbers.
Current favorite improv game: "The Harold" is my favorite long form and "Blues Line" is my favorite short form.

DC: Ron, you are a relatively new face to our regular SAK audience, having just graduated from SAK University the week before FourPlay rehearsals kicked off. (You might just be setting some kind of a record there!!) Tell us a little about your theatre background. What do you want your audience to know about you?

RW: I feel particularly fortunate to be involved since FourPlay is such an ambitious and challenging show. My theatre background is as a song and dance man. I started out young and have performed in and choreographed scores of musicals and dance numbers.

DC: Those skills will surely be put to use! While you're a recent SAK U graduate, I have a feeling that improv has been a part of your life for quite some time. Do you remember when you first caught the improv bug?

RW: It was one of the first things I was exposed to as a performer, at age 10. I was an instant fan of games like "Freeze Tag" and "Forward/Reverse" because they were simply so fun to play. In high school a group of theater buddies and I would often get together and try to improvise songs in musical theater styles. We were awful, particularly since none of us could provide piano accompaniment more sophisticated than things like "Heart and Soul". But eventually I was exposed to better improv training at Carnegie Mellon's School of Drama.

DC: I'd love to chat more about your experiences there later. In terms of our little corner of the world, you recently joked with me about your initial reaction last year when you heard that someone was trying to pull off a fully improvised two-act musical. What were you expecting when you first saw the show?

RW: I was honestly expecting a stinking mess. Hearing the words "improvised musical" I pictured a high school Thespian competition with a bunch of over-exuberant musical buffs (like me) hanging out between numbers just bursting into song, chaotically tripping over each other in their excitement and hunger for the limelight. But that's definitely not what I saw. It was a surprisingly controlled, but nonetheless spontaneous concoction that actually created memorable characters and an entertaining story. I couldn't imagine how it could be done until then. And once I saw that you could pull it off, I really wanted to jump in.

DC: We're glad you felt that way!! Hopefully that won't change over the next few weeks. You've got quite an extensive performance resume (particularly as a song and dance man as you put it). What would you consider your favorite role or experience in the theatre?

RW: My favorite role is the one where I met my wife Meggin, playing her brother in Meet Me in St. Louis (incest was our spark). My most memorable stage experience though was playing "Hero" in Forum. One night I cut my head badly doing a prat fall. I insisted on going back out so we bandaged my head. With each subsequent prat fall in the show I added another bandage or wrap to that area of my body. That became its own gag and I found out later that most of the audience never knew I'd really cut my head... until they saw the EMT's at the stage door. This was a matinee show so the director had to go on for me that night while I was in the hospital getting stitches!

DC: We have a lot in common! I also met my wife on stage (in Hello Dolly!) and last year I cut my head badly doing a prat fall on the SAK Stage! Are you sure we're not related?

RW: I sure hope not...

DC: Enough said.

To learn more about Ron, go here.