What does an NYU professor/creator of the Aquilas Theatre have to do with the former president of the United States of America? A lot, apparently.
He told a wonderfully hilarious story (that I cannot do justice but will attempt) on how his theatre group performed Much Ado About Nothing at the White House during Bush's presidency. "Watching Bush watch Shakespeare" taught him so much about not just the man but Shakespeare too (how religious it was, for he got all the religious allusions in the text). According to him, he is a very likable man, despite how the media portrays him as. The most memorable moment was probably when Bush told him, "Don't miss it"... regarding his wife's pregnancy ("Peter's pregnant folks! Peter's going to have a baby!" in which Mr. Meineck thought that his wife is just a baby-carrier and he's the one actually having the baby). Wow, talk about humanity in a moment.
But perhaps the funniest moment was when Mr. Meineck told the actor playing Benedick, famous for his long dramatic pauses, to not pause (for Mr. Bush must sleep at 9PM. Can you believe it?). Yet, during Benedick's speech on loving Beatrice, he stared right at Bush and said the speech--which directly reflected Bush's life. And Bush just stared back and laughed (and Mr. Meineck did a fabulous impersonation of his laugh).
But his greatest advice for someone trying to set up their own theatre company was this:
"Be squeaky clean in an industry that's so easy to get dirty"
That, and "always pay your actors every Thursday and they'll follow you into the fire."
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