admiration. One of the most generous human beings
I’ve ever had the chance to be in the company of. A
quick little story… Liza said to me, knowing that I was
a huge fan said, “Obba. Sammy is here and he wants
to meet you.” And I said, for whatever the reason was,
“I’d love to meet him but I’d like to meet him after he’s
seen me work.” She said, “He’s not going to stay for the
performance. His gums are bothering him.” So I said,
“Okay.” I went into her dressing room and there he
was getting a beverage out of the cooler. He turned
around and I said, “How do you do Mr. Davis?” He said,
“It’s Sam, man. Call me Sam.” I said, “Mr. Davis, it’s an
honor to meet you.” He said, “Call me Sam, man.” Of
course, I couldn’t call him Sam. I began to call him Mr.
D. As it were, he said, “Listen man. Liza tells me your
marvelous. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to see you
tonight. My gums are bothering me and as you well
know, the audience is the priority and I’ve got to go
home and rest.” I said I understood and that it was an
honor and a pleasure to meet him. Then Liza and I
went on. When I came off stage, Helen, who was Liza’s
dresser said, “Obba. Liza said to tell you that Sammy
stayed.” So, after the show, I heard in the hallway,
“Marvelous Liza. Where’s Obba’s dressing room?”
There’s a rap on my door and I said, “Yes.” Sammy said,
“It’s me Ob.” I opened the door and he looked at me
and says, “You my man, are a bitch on wheels. A bitch
david Mcbean is Fully Committed by bill biss
on wheels!” He then came inside and praised me with
a lot of generous compliments. I said to him, “Mr. D, I’d
This “delicious comedy by Becky Mode” is playing now till September 20 at Cygnet
like to thank you for coming in through the kitchen Theatre. The Rage Monthly spoke with star David McBean on how he is able to pull
so I could come in through the front door.”
off so many characters in one show and the long-lasting appeal of Fully Committed.
Rage: Presenting the time period and the personal troubles
in a realistic way, I think that would be an integral part of
How would you describe the overall appeal and popularity of Fully Committed?
the show.
It’s a well written, funny show and the novelty of one actor playing all of the characters adds to its
OB: It certainly is. Bill, that’s a very astute observa-
appeal. I don’t know why it’s so popular, but I am certainly grateful!
tion. One of the things about Sammy is that we have
If you had to describe your main character Sam Peliczowski, what would you say?
to identify and see him in a historical context of the
Sam tends to be a lot like me. However I am manifesting in my life at the time. This Sam is older, (I first did
time in which he lived. It is as much a part of what
the show five years ago) a little more savvy, still a nice person, more of a professional. My life experience
made Sammy “Sammy.” Here is a man who was head-
has changed me, therefore the artistic team and I decided to incorporate who I have become into the
lining when the Jim Crow laws are still in place. For
performance. I think audiences will see a more relaxed Sam, dealing with a crazy day, but not frantically.
example, if somebody builds a plane today, we talk
I think it adds more dimension to the piece.
about the style and the exciting things but it doesn’t
What were your feelings when you first read through the script by Becky Mode?
have the same iconic representation as when the
Panic. It’s daunting to read an entire play—an interesting convoluted plot, so many characters and an
Wright Brothers first flew the plane. Because it hadn’t
intense through line and keep coming back to “I’m going to do this by myself?”
been done before. It’s the same thing with Mr. D. This
Playing over 40 characters is quite a tour-de-force performance, with that many characters, how do you keep the
guy was doing what nobody else was doing. At a
momentum up of memory and have you ever skipped one by accident…meaning left out some lines in the script or are
time, when it was told to him that he could not do it,
you a pro at this show now?
he was not allowed to do it.
This is the fourth incarnation of Fully Committed that I have participated in, but I wasn’t solid on the
Rage: What would you say Sammy Davis Jr.’s motto was?
lines when Sean Murray asked me to do a run of it. This play is deeply rooted in my sense memory—I have
OB: His motto for life was in my opinion, like the song
moments that are locked in, but I really had to re-memorize it. I have skipped lines in previous runs, but
he did called “I Gotta Be Me.” Anybody who listens to
from what I remember I went back and caught up. When I first did the play I spent hours at the theater
the lyrics of that song, I think will understand Mr. D.
by myself; going over the lines again and again, recording sections and listening to them, writing them
“Whether I’m right or whether I’m wrong, whether
down. Then doing the actual rehearsals with the director, etc… I did whatever I had to do.
I find a place in this world or never belong, I gotta be
me. Willing to try or do it or die, I gotta be me.”
Cygnet Theatre is located at 6663 El Cajon Blvd., Suite N. Phone 619.337.1525 for tickets, prices and directions
or visit
cygnettheatre.com.
september 2009 | RAGE monthly 11
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