Sound Recorded Skits

Back in 1973 Robert Redford and Paul Newman made a movie called, The Sting.

The music was from Scot Joplin. The theme song was The Entertainer.

I used to own a copy of the soundtrack.

One day, Stephen came over with his tape recorder. Stephen and I often made impromptu skits and recorded them. I don't have any of the recordings, nor do I know if they even exist anymore. But this day even Stephen's muses were on vacation. So we were on our own.

I happened to be playing The Sting soundtrack. Suddenly, Stephen was inspired. He restarted the song and began talking in his typical MC voice.

Welcome to the Musical Exercise Program for Fatties. (Neither of us were fat then.)

Today, we will begin with something simple. Take your right leg - and wrap it around your neck.

Now stretch your arms and hop up and down.

That's it! That's it!

Relax.

Now, as quickly as you can, I want you to jump as high as you can, and touch the ceiling with your toe - AND DON'T LET GO!




We did many of these tapes. I recall when we were at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. Stephen organized the one and only party at his house and invited myself and three girls from his art class. I'm not sure why I was invited. I was the only non-artist on the roster. But I was Stephen's friend.

I'm certain his aim was to get to know one of the girls better, but I'm still not clear about which one he fancied. The evening never got that far.

For one thing, I was the only one to arrive on time. After twenty minutes Stephen got depressed and determined no one else was showing up. So, out came the tape recorder. Only this time we didn't do skits. Stephen just began recording random and/or bizarre sounds. He recorded water running, the toilet flushing, the dog barking, doorbells, and a bunch of other sounds I don't recall. Then, when a car pulled up in the driveway, he put the tape recorder in the closet and set it to play.

Two of the three girls came in. He had given wrong directions and they were lucky to have found him at all. The four of us sat around the dining room table with drinks. (Stephen and his other guests had beer. I had Pepsi.) We didn't talk. I didn't know them at all and didn't know what to say, so I said nothing. Stephen, knowing the tape recorder was soon to get to the louder sound effects was waiting with visible anxiety. When the sounds began, the girls began to get nervous. They exchanged glances. When the dog began barking and Stephen bellied over with laughter - they left.

Now he was really depressed. I didn't dare laugh at him. Neither did I dare tell him, "I told you so." For one thing, I hadn't told him so, although I could have. About fifteen minutes later the other girl arrived. Right behind her were the two from earlier.

Stephen was very apologetic and assured them they had been at no risk. They stayed, and we had a good party, although I don't remember it. (That's how I know it went well.) But it didn't go as well as Stephen would have liked. No relationship developed.

We were considering using the new computer technology to create new skits when Stephen had his accident and left this world. It's probably just as well. We would have used video. I'm not sure the world will ever be ready for that.