Wednesday, September 5, 2012

AISLE SAY interviews Clint Eastwood on upcoming DE theatre season


AISLE SAY is thrilled and honored to introduce the iconic actor/director Clint Eastwood to its venerated column. Mr Eastwood, still on a high from the Republican Convention: as stratospheric an emotion as his movie 'Space Cowboy' (which soon after release plummeted to earth). Eastwood offered a free ranging interview on the openings of 3 shows at local venues: DE Theatre Company's “The Ongoing Tide:, UD REP Ensemble's “The Weir” and New Candlelight Theatre's “Putnam County Spelling Bee”.

AISLE SAY: Thank you so very much for being with us today. In fact, in your honor I wore the same sombrero that sat atop Eli Wallach in “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”.
CLINT EASTWOOD: You nitwit. Wallach was a bandido in “The Magnificent Seven”. You're crazy, absolutely crazy. You're getting as bad as Biden. Now we know there are two intellects in Delaware; you and the Vice President.”
AS: You are aware, sir, that DTC welcomes a TV icon, Michael Learned, from 'The Waltons' in their opening show, “The Ongoing Tide”. Her tag line at the end of the each installment gained as much cultural traction as your own from 'Dirty Harry'.
CE: Damn. I told myself that I was not going to use that at the Convention. I was caught up in the moment of my daring improv and was egged on by the Tea Party constituents. It is just that conservative people pay closer to the vest. They don't go around hot-doggin' like the Dems.
AS: Miss Learned was quoted about the show: “When I read the play the first time, I found myself laughing out loud . . . and at the end I wept; sort of how viewers responded to your flic “Pink Cadillac” but not for the same reasons.
CE: You have to ask yourself, do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk? You're beginning to get me annoyed. I had to make the tough decision between Bernadette Peters or Clyde the chimp for a leading lady.. They're my movies. I'm the supreme decider.
AS: Would you decide to make “Dead Pool” again? Okay, Okay...a little humor from me. Now, moving on: ..in your interview with a seated President Obama, you commented: “You are an ecological man. Why would you want to drive that around.” With all due respect that comment left much of the audience scratching their heads.
CE: That wasn't the word I planned, knucklehead. I meant to say something else but spelled it wrong on my post it note. I was never a great speller. My special gift is mumbling through movies and intimidating the perps through my well rehearsed squinty eyes.
AS: Well, then to freshen up, Mr. Eastwood, I suggest you attend NCT's show, “Putnam County Spelling Bee”. Each night the show is quite different and unscripted; similar to your Convention speech. 'Putnam' is audience participation. Some nights a panelist gets the word correct; sometimes not. The actors must improvise
CE: That idea makes my day. I would be great in that – as I showed at the Convention. Hey, does Candlelight serve food with the show? I go for red meat!
AS: The UD REP Ensemble opens with an Irish play “The Weir” Taking place in a pub, it's a tale of hauntings and ghosts; a mere souffle compared to the intellectual gravitas you brought to your classic man/chimp oeuvre in “Every Which Way But Loose”, which Aisle Say suggested be renamed “Every Which Way But Good.”
(Eastwood rises out of his chair and leans down into my face.)
CE: Ever notice how sometimes you come across somebody you shouldn't have #^*#ed with?" Well, I'm that guy. Listen, you delinquent, it's time for a business man....or at least a good writer to take over your column.

Putnam County Spelling Bee – September 14 – October 28 NCTstage.org 302.475.2313
The Weir – September 27- October 14 REP.udel.edu 302.831.2204
The Ongoing Tide – October 10-28 DelawareTheatre.org 302.594.1100