When I was 24, I stage managed the musical The King and I at Paul Bunyan Playhouse in Bemidji, Minnesota. Part of our set included an enormous gong that was struck with a felt mallet at key at dramatic and comedic moments. You really can’t have The King and I without a gong.
And you really can’t have a gong without a mallet.
One tech rehearsal I was made aware that the mallet was missing so I quickly fashioned one out of a tree branch, my tube socks and some gaffer’s tape.
I brought it to the director for approval. I remember watching the muscles in his forearm twitch as he tested the weight and movement of the mallet.
“It’s the right size and it’s a good weight,” he said.
When he finally struck the gong, he was pleased. He said, “You’re an artist.” He handed it back to me and walked away.
Did I immediately fall in love with the director? Naturally! Did I instantly commit my entire being — even more than I already had — to theatre for the rest of my life? Absolutely! And did the director’s compliment render me so unfocused and flustered that I proceeded to screw up the rest of my tech cues at that rehearsal? Of course!
There are two morals to this story:
(1) Don’t compliment nerds. We cannot handle it.
(2) Every home should have a gong.
We have one and it regularly gets “gonged” for dramatic and comedic effect. We’ve had it for years and I think of my “sock mallet” every time it gets gonged.
Thanks for reading! -Connie
Constance Kuntz 