Shear Endurance: A discussion with the man behind the longest running play in American History

By: Nov. 09, 2005
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It is the longest running play in American history. The Boston production opened in 1980, and has been running consistently to the tune of over 10,000 performances. The Washington, DC production has been resident at the Kennedy Center for over 7,300 performances. From November 15th through New Year's Eve, Shear Madness returns to the theatre where it all began, in upstate New York. On this momentous occasion we caught up with Bruce Jordan, the co-adapter, original co-producer, and many time director to talk about the show, its success, and the secret ingredient that makes it so special.

Mr. Jordan was a member of the original acting company of the Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, NY. While working there in the fall on 1976, he came across a dusty manuscript for a show called Scherenschnitt by Paul Portner, a European playwright and psychologist. It was originally written as a study in the way that groups of people percieve reality. Bruce convinced his partner Marilyn Abrams that this framework, with some polishing and the help of some finely trained comedic eyes this show could be a success. The duo set out to create what would become the record-breaking phenomenon known today as Shear Madness.

Bruce was originally drawn to the project because it offered him to create a character that was fun to play. He created the character of the salon's fabulous (and flamboyantly gay) owner Tony Whitcomb. "The play was originally very serious." He says, "as soon as the audience became a part of the play though, it became very comic."

The audience plays a critical part in the show, which is one of the main elements of its success. Mr. Jordan notes that he "has never been onstage with an audience that was so involved with a play" as they were in the initial productions of the show. "It moves the audience in a great way."

"Our motto at Shear Madness is that the audience is the star," notes the director with a jovial chuckle. "Once someone out there says something that is funny, we let them go with it." The concept of audience interaction is a scary one to many people. Part of the reason that the show has remained a success despite this, is that no one is forced into the action. Those who want to participate are permitted to at the appropriate moments, while those who don't want to can sit back and enjoy the wacky proceedings.

Another reason that the show has endured these past 26 years is that its got a perfect blend of entertainment. "It's a blend of the two most popular forms of entertainment, comedy and murder mystery that gets people involved in the show," notes Jordan. "It's not just for the theatre goers, it reaches out the whole community. All aspects of it."

One of the ways that the productions stay fresh is the incorporation of current event and locality based humor. "The cast meets every day before the show and determines what happened that day that needs to be put in to the show that night." In addition to that, the creative team meets to make sure that key elements of the community are refected in the shows humor.

With all of these variables, it takes a special kind of actor to be a success in the show. Many actors have made Shear Madness a staple of their careers, appearing in several productions around the world. As a director of the show, Jordan notes this. "We have a high-failure rate of actors in the show because it requires so much of the person in the role." For an actor to make their mark in the salon, "they need to truly enjoy the aspects of the show (improv, ever-changing dialogue) that make it unique."

Because the characters in the show are based on stereotypes, some critical individuals have questioned its political correctness. "It's a commedia dell'arte, a group of easily identifiable, broadly drawn characters.", says Mr. Jordan. "At the end of the show, the audience loves the character that they've spent the evening with."

So with all this success and so many performances, there has to be a moment or two that have caused Bruce concern. When asked if he has ever been disappointed in an aspect of a production, he explains it from the perspective of the audience. "The minute I don't believe that the actors believe what they're saying, that they're just trying to get the laugh, I am disappointed." Luckily this hasn't been much of a problem, as can be seen by the record-shattering performance of the piece.

What is it like to be at the helm of one of the longest running plays in history? "We came into Shear Madness so that we had a chance to do a lot of the things that we wanted to do along the way." It's also quite the job, "Our job today is to make sure that Shear Madness is running the very best it can. There are times when we've had 4 or 5 companies of the show running at the same time, and to do this is a 20 hour a day business."

There is a reason that the show has been around for this long. It is an entertaining piece of theatre that provides the best of many worlds, it's mystery, comedy, and choose your own adventure all rolled into one. Asked to sum the show up in one sentence, Mr. Jordan thinks for a moment. "Shear Madness is a little rollercoaster of a play tailor-made to take the audience on a ride." Millions of theatregoers certainly agree.

Shear Madness opens at the Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, NY on November 15th, and runs through December 31, 2005. For tickets or more information visit Geva's website at http://www.gevatheatre.org or call (585) 232-GEVA.

Shear Madness continues in Boston and Washington, more information can be found at http://www.shearmadness.com.

Photos: co-Adapters Marilyn Abrams and Bruce Jordan (top), The Geva Theatre Center cast of Shear Madness, left to right: Daren Kelly, Margot Moreland, Tom Wahl, Barbara Bradshaw, Tim Goodwin, and Larry Bull (sitting, center).

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