THE WORLD PREMIER OF “OLD FRIENDS” OPENS AT ACTORS COMPANY

Old Friends

By Wyatt Haupt Sr.

Baines Spivington and Richard Hulse had been friends for years. Their friendship
began when they both worked at Ralph’s Grocery Store in Sherman Oaks on Ventura Boulevard thirty five years ago. Baines was the catalyst among the two; Richard, his disciple, along with a few others who thought the world of him.

Richard was fascinated by Spivington’s intellect, social skills, and creative talent.
Baines was well read and quoted frequently from literary classics during casual
conversations. Richard relied on Baines to set him up with girlfriends that no longer interested him. There were so many! As a young actor, Baines commanded the stage in non-equity productions. Richard hardly ever missed a performance. Baines was so smart and so cool! He made things happen! Baines was a hero!

In college, Baines’ classmates envied him because he was the apple of their English professor’s eye. He assisted the professor with preparations and paper grading. Surely Baines Spivington would either become a tenured professor or movie star some day! Yet Baines’ career would begin and end at Ralph’s!
In present time, forty-two years later, Richard (Dennis Hattem), Rowdy Ralphs (Bob Wilson), another friend and admirer of Baines, Monty Spivington (Charlie Collie), Baines’ estranged brother, and Tim Ball (Von Schauer), Baines’ brother-in-law, search the ruins of Baines’ burnt-out condo looking for valuables and anything else that might help explain why this guy, who was always so likable, died in a burn center. They find a couple of unfinished, weather-worn manuscripts that had never been edited, just stored in a drawer. Neat stacks
of ticket stubs of every athletic and entertainment event he ever attended are discovered in another drawer: the remnants of the adult life of Baines Spivington. Meanwhile, Baines’ spirit watches all that is going on as the four men closest to him rummage through the ashes. Later, he talks openly with an incredulous Richard, only visible to him.

Thus, the exposition embodying Bob Arnold’s poignant one-act play: “Old
Friends.”During the 70 plus minutes of the run of the play, the characters re-live both their euphoric and disconsolate memories they experienced. The play contrasts variations of maturing among the adult males: those who have and those who haven’t. As the story develops, Richard and Baines, the two leading characters, one living and one dead, come of age by exploring unspoken silences that have existed beneath the surface for all the thirty five years they had been close friends. It could be surmised that the plays gives these two very close friends the rare opportunity to define and finalize their relationship with clarity.

As a playwright, Bob Arnold navigates us through the vicissitudes of fellowship,
honestly and humorously. The play, based on the book Forty Years of Crazy Friendship by Richard Hulse, probes existential issues relating to the ever present mysteries of life, death, and human existence. These topics are adroitly satirized by Arnold’s main character, Baines Spivington, played by former principal of Roy Romer Middle School, John McLaughlin.

In addition to the universal ideas suggested in the play, the story deals directly with the shocking death of a family member and dear friend. On that level, it works well as a good, unsolved mystery. No one knows if Baines wanted to take his own life or was trapped inside the condo. That presents a gut wrenching enigma unto itself that will captivate the interest of theatre going audiences.

The World Premier of “Old Friends” opens on Saturday, June 13 at 8:00 p.m. at the Actors Company Theatre located at 916 N. Formosa Avenue in West Los Angeles. Tickets may be purchased online at www.oldfriendstheatrecompany.com or by calling (323) 463-4639.The
play also runs on June 18 at 10:30 p.m., June 21 at 6:30 p.m., June 27 at 3:30 p.m., and June 28 at 3:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $12.