The Terror of Tinseltown
This one-woman show about the notorious, Hollywood agent,
Sue Mengers, starring Helen Raptis, popular, local TV hostess for AM Northwest
at 9 am weekdays on KATU, is written by John Logan and directed by Donald
Horn. It is playing at their space, 1785
NE Sandy Blvd. (free parking lot, West of the bldg.), through February 16th. For more information, go to their site at www.trianglepro.org or call 503-239-5919.
The almighty majesty of the movies, or Broadway, has little
to do with what an audience observes. It
is all about what goes on behind the scenes.
Note, such films about these industries, such as the classics, All About
Eve and Sunset Boulevard, or Altman’s clever, The Player. They hint at more complex and seedy sides to
these entertainment avenues. Dare we
mention Harvey Weinstein, as a recent example, as proof as how far it has
slipped into the abyss. “All that
glitters is not gold,” perhaps.
What goes into show biz that creates magic is more smoke and
mirrors than substance. In a way,
success is more accidently than planned, but everyone is willing to take credit
if it hits big, and the same ilk are willing to point the fingers of
blame/shame if it bombs (an attitude Congress/White House seems to have
adopted). But, because of it all, we
have a wealth of stories, that themselves, make headlines.
Mengers (Raptis) was a Hollywood agent of some 50 years
ago. As many famous names of renown
nowadays, she did not grow up with “a silver spoon in her mouth.” She and her family were Jewish immigrants
fleeing Nazi Germany. They landed in the
New York area and she learned English from watching movies and, perhaps, in
part, as an homage to that industry, became enamored with it. She learned the ropes in agencies on Broadway
and even “discovered” Streisand at a seedy bar (later she was to become,
perhaps, her most famous client). Soon
she migrated to Hollywood and worked for a couple of agencies there before she
branched out on her own.
Agents, like editors and writers, et. al., are instrumental
in getting a film made, but it is not unusual that you wouldn’t know their
names, as they are the “unsung heroes” behind the scenes. They are patiently, strip by strip, draping
the glitter that others will take credit for.
It is simply the nature of the business and, as Ray Walston once told me
(I worked as a featured extra on the film, Paint Your Wagon), getting your name
above the title is not the ultimate for me.
It is just to work a lot with some remarkable artists and be comforted
that the film does not rest on my shoulders.
And, so it is with the above “heroes.”
She had many famous clients over the years and has some
amazing stories to tell about some of them including, Ms. S., as well as Faye
Dunaway, Gene Hackman, Ali McGraw, Steve McQueen, Sissy Spacek, et. al., but
I’ll let her go into those stories and her philosophy about what makes a good
agent (or star). It is really all quite
engaging.
Raptis is wonderful and you quite forget she is an actor
playing a part, so convincing is she.
Horn, as usual, has given us a slice of life that
would have gone “unsung” had it not been for his intervention, not only of social
issues that should be discussed but also personalities that may have otherwise
been forgotten. It is an evening of two,
very talented icons of the media themselves, but also of some nuggets of years
gone by. Bravo.
I recommend this show.
If you do choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.
--DJS
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