Thursday, December 2, 1999
Old junker takes show on the road
By Bill Whitaker
Although it’s anything but road-worthy, the front half
off a ’51 Plymouth junker is racking up the miles these days,
ricocheting about the Big Country while enlivening the theatrical
arts.
Bobby Straus, director of Wylie High’s production of “Grease”
opening tonight on campus, respectfully describes the vehicle
as “the busiest actor in the Big Country,” owing to
the fact the hulking junked car has had “a role” in
no less than four productions of the popular musical this season.
“It’s half a car,” Bobby informed me, “but
it’s all star.”
Certainly the old Plymouth has had terrific exposure, especially
considering how long it had probably been baking in the West Texas
sun at FM 600 Wrecking. Abilene Community Theater director Bob
Barton and longtime ACT supporter Bruce Bachmann rescued the vehicle
from oblivion earlier this year for a September production of
“Grease.”
Normally, the old car would’ve been returned to the junkyard
after the ACT production had run its course, but not this time.
Because “Grease” only recently became available to
Texas theater groups after being temporarily withdrawn to accommodate
a touring production of the ’50s musical, ACT wasn’t
the only area theatrical troupe anxious to mount “Grease”
this season. Drama departments from Merkel, Clyde and Wylie schools
have also jumped at the chance.
And when they learned about ACT having an old, sawed-in-half,
’51 Plymouth, they knew they had to have it as a prop in
their own shows. As a result, the car has been hauled back and
forth across the rugged countryside, its return to FM 600 Wrecking
always postponed just several more weeks.
“We’ve been to see the Merkel and ACT and Clyde productions,
and they’re coming to see ours,” Bobby beamed. “The
car is almost part of the cast. I mean, it’s not quite like
football around here. The theater groups are all real friendly
and try to help each other out. And we all refer to the car as
‘Greased Lightning.’”
“And,” 18-year-old Wylie High set builder Derrick
Nichols added, “we regard it as a he.”
Not cool
For his part, Bob Barton over at ACT is a little surprised
the car has continued to make the rounds of local playhouses.
For one thing, he said that, for all its junked-up splendor, the
’51 Plymouth couldn’t really match the ’49 Dodge
he used in a production of “Grease” some years earlier.
“Now, that car was perfect, just perfect,” the longtime
ACT director remembered. “But this ’51 Plymouth, when
we cut the top off, the door pillars fell right over. The one
we got before was just in better shape. Of course, there were
some better-looking cars at the wrecking yard we could’ve
used, but then they were also too nice to cut in half!”
Which is what’s required for a proper stage production.
In addition, Bob and Bruce oversaw the removal of the old car’s
engine. A paint job was also included. And if it still looked
a bit rustic for a classic ’50s car, such was the point:
“It should look like something a kid in 1959 could afford,”
Bob said. “I mean, this could not be a cool car!”
If area productions of “Grease” seem in full force,
it involves more than just the musical’s performing rights
becoming available.
“This is the first time any of us could do it,” Bobby
said. “I told a lot of these guys when they were back in
seventh grade we would do ‘Grease’ by the time they
were seniors, but this is the first chance we’ve really had.
I guess one of the nicest things about it is that it’s kids
playing kids.”
When the curtain goes up over both cast and car at 7:30 tonight,
Bobby’s young Wylie actors will be intent on acting out their
hearts, just to keep from being eclipsed by the eye-catching,
vehicular prop alongside them.
“It’s a little like playing opposite Howdy Doody,”
he said.
For more information regarding this weekend’s production
of “Grease” at Wylie High, call 690-1181. And to reach
Bill Whitaker, contact 676-6732 or whitakerb@abinews.com.
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