Some actors shine despite size of role

There are no small parts, only small actors" is one of those truisms that proves itself just about every time I go to the theater.

During Signature Productions' "Beauty and the Beast" (which runs through Nov. 22 at the Summerlin Library) I appreciated the leads, but also was drawn to the honest reactions of chorus member Joel Abelson. I noticed him the moment he became a chair (I can't explain now. Go see this excellent show and you'll know what I'm talking about). I find that too many people with no or few speaking lines seem to think they only need to show up to help fill out a crowd. They don't make much of an attempt to project a character. Abelson seemed totally involved in the story, and it was a highlight of the evening to watch him respond facially to the comments the players made as they sat on him. Abelson's not a professional actor. He's a staff sergeant Army medic. I told him I appreciated his thoroughness in this tiny role. He offered an explanation: "I have so little to do onstage," he said, "that I have to make the most of every moment." He does.

During Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts' "The Elephant Man" (which closed last weekend) my straying eye caught several crowd scenes (the show had a cast of 40!) in which every member of the pack created three-dimensional attitudes. The emphasis of the action was elsewhere, but whenever I looked at any corner where people were gathered, the folks were involved in conversations (silent, of course), and slight movements in response to what was being said to them. It's a neat trick for people in the background to don distinct personalities without making it appear they're all competing for attention.

On the other hand, the College of Southern Nevada's "Shenandoah" (which closes Sunday) had me losing the show's reality every time I happened to see a soldier in the chorus. There was no one who seemed to have any idea what military bearing is all about.

When I spot a spear-carrier or waiter or mailman with no lines walk onstage, I'm immediately struck by how the actor carries himself. I get a gut feeling about whether he's really in the profession the script says he's in. In some ways, a tiny role may be more difficult than a lead. As Abelson noted, you don't have much time to make an impression. But you still have to do all the hard work of creating a human being.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at DelValle@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.