Dan Kohnfelder
Sep 3, 2018 · 2 min read

It was 1980. Arnold Stang, who was pretty well known as Nestle’s Quick voice-over -guy, is cast in a regional theater production of “Diary of Anne Frank”. At first consideration, seems like a visionary casting decision. And even after meeting this quiet older man, if I squint a little bit, he could be an uncle living in an attic with the Franks.

So, we the technical crew, became a little less fond of this icon when he would steal? that may be a little too strong, he would eat his meal between shows, and if he was still hungry, he would eat someone else’s meal too. A crew member would rush up to the green room to eat after reset on stage only to find her Reuben gone! It was an open and shut case, Arnold in the green room with an appetite.

Arnold had another endearing trait. He could have been an early poster child for IBS. One night, during a very dramatic scene in front of a full audience, seeing the first installment of the season, witnessed a most disturbing if not funny improvisation. the following is how i remember the sequence of events:

  • queue audio of jack booted storm troopers marching in step on cobblestone street.
  • Backstage PA shine flashlight up through open floor boards into dark attic hiding place. the franks are about to be discovered. it is a matter of life and death.

A loud (insert fart sound) emanates from the god mic speaker.

I hear the Stage Manager say what was that? over the headset.

  • The actor with the next line slowly turns totally upstage, shoulders shaking as one might see when a person is uncontrollably giggling.

his next line, “Shh, did you hear that?” referring to the marching sound has stopped. N E S T L E S… chooooclaaaate

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