Plaza Suite - Meet cast member David Presgraves

Sam: How old are you?

Karen: What?

Sam: It’s a simple question, how old are you?

Karen: I don’t want to play.

Sam: I can’t believe it. You really don’t know how old you are.

Karen: I know how old I am. But you get me nervous. Promise you won’t leave me if I’m wrong…I’ll be 49 in April. Isn’t that right?

Sam: No, but you’re close.

Karen: I’m not going to be 49?

Sam: Not this April. This April you’re going to be 48. How the hell can you make a mistake like that? Can’t you add?

Karen: All right, don’t talk to me like I’m a child. I’m a 48-year-old woman!

Get your vodka stingers and anchovies ready, because Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite is coming to LTA!

Let me take a moment to put down my vodka stinger and tell you how  lucky I am to be a part of Plaza Suite’s amazing cast. This is the first time I have participated in an LTA production, and I have to say it has been an incredible experience so far. Having a small acting role in this hilarious production has allowed me to be an actor as well as an audience member, every rehearsal. It is absolutely wonderful to watch and observe how much the actors and their characters have transformed since our initial table read.

As the Bellhop in Act I and the Waiter in Act II, I am on stage for a limited amount of time at the top of each act. After I have said my lines, I eagerly sit back down on the sidelines and take on a spectator role for the remainder of each rehearsal. It is a very unique position to be in, because I am allowed to take a step back and watch Amy, Jack, Richard, and Shelagh explore their characters and add new hilarious takes on their characterizations of Karen, Sam, Jesse, and Muriel.

You may think that sitting through every rehearsal of the same scenes over and over every night may be a bit boring, but I have to be honest and say it has been the complete opposite. Each rehearsal is more hilarious than the last! The production gets better and better every night as our director, Shawn, encourages the actors to explore the different emotional dimensions of their characters. As a result, the actors have been consistently producing the maximum amount of heart and hilarity that each of their characters was designed to bring. Every time I step into the rehearsal room, my spirits are automatically lifted, because I know I am going to laugh my butt off and be entertained!

If you’re looking for a hilarious comedy about the realities of love, passion, and marriage, then make sure to mark June 14 – July 5 in your calendars, iPhones, iPads, Blackberrys, notepads, sticky pads, OR WHATEVER! Come on over to The Little Theatre of Alexandria and spend a night in the Plaza Suite! Our rooms in the Plaza fill up quickly, so make your reservations now!

-David Presgraves

Plaza Suite will be playing at LTA June 14 - July 5.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.thelittletheatre.com