It looks as though our old nemesis, Douglas Skinner, was mentioned in the New York Times a few weeks ago for the play he is currently doing with the rubbery old clown Bill Irwin. Here’s what the Times critic had to say about Doug:
And Mr. Skinner, the show’s blissfully deadpan musical director, intones ominous stage directions as well as doing uncanny things with a keyboard, ukulele and ventriloquist’s dummy.
Having never been mentioned in the Times, I am extremely impressed by this. (Actually, having never received a good review, I am extremely impressed by this.)
While I hope never to do anything “uncanny” with a ventriloquist’s dummy, I am quite envious of the rest of it.
I wanted to get to New York to see his show, but, as it only has one week left in its run, it’s not looking very likely. If you’re in the New York area and you’re able to get tickets, I’d suggest that you attend, if only to yell, “Why do you insist on drawing Mark Maynard as a pig?” when he walks out on stage. (Doug, for those of you who are new here, enjoys making little comics in which I am portrayed as a pig who cavorts around on his hind legs, picking through garbage in a tattered old suit.)
Speaking of our Mr. Skinner, I just received the following from him yesterday.
Since you now seem addicted to anagrams, let me point out that “George Herbert Walker Bush” can be rearranged nicely into “Huge Berserk Rebel Warthog.” It’s nice to know.
In addition to being uncanny with a dummy (or a “figure,” as he would say), it would appear that our friend is more than just a little obsessed with the creatures of pork.
(Oh, and that’s Doug on the left.)
