What have we learned?

As we finish the second week of performances of “Over The Tavern” — the Pazinski Family of Buffalo continues to grow and evolve…

Things we have learned about our audience members:

- many of them remember the answers in the Baltimore Chatechism. Verbatim.

- by the beginning of act 2, many of them think Ellen needs a drink.

- they find random expletives funny.

- they hold nostalgia for tin drinking cups, toilet paper hair-do protection, and vintage Playboy magazines.

- at some point, someone in their family also forgot the spaghetti.

Things we have learned about each other:

- If you tell Judy a joke, she’ll probably say the punch line before you do.

- If you can’t tie your head scarf, thread a needle, or see a hook and eye on your dress, Ashley can do it for you.

- Stephan can make the places call in Spanish.

- Chris is so young he has never heard of Elizabeth Taylor.

- Jonny likes his new 1959 haircut so much he’s going to keep it when he goes back to 2010.

- Kevin likes having his own dressing room.

- Kathryn finds herself saying the exact same things to her real-life kids and her on-stage kids — “When’s somebody going to help me around here? I can’t keep track of everything!!”

- All of us are having a great time on and off stage every night….

More to come!

Making a family

How do seven people who have never met go from strangers to family in three weeks?

In rehearsal for “Over The Tavern” it has been happening bit by bit, almost imperceptibly — until dinner break yesterday, our last day of work before an audience, when I suddenly couldn’t remember when we were not a family. Everyone had eaten, the kids were sitting around the kitchen table on the set playing a raucous card game, the parents were dutifully going over lines, and Judy, who plays the formidable Sister Clarissa was holding her ground in the easy chair, adding a verbal zinger whenever things went astray. By the time we were getting ready for the evening run through, Dad was barking at the boys for leaving the dressing room a mess, Mom was combing everyone’s hair and trying to keep them tidy, and Chris, in the persona of wisecracking Rudy, was keeping spirits high with Zombie tales.

The Pazinskis have arrived at Penguin Rep — we hope you’ll come and spend some time with our family.

And we’ll have more to tell you in the days ahead…stay tuned.