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Grizzly beginnings... and happy endings

posted by Terence Keane on Wed, Apr 7, 2010
in Our shows

In my last post, I wrote about our plans to create an iconic image of a couple in a convertible up on lovers' lane to promote our production of Girlfriend. So many people offered to loan us classic cars for the shoot, that we actually could afford to be picky. We selected a Chrysler letter car, the perfect red convertible from the '50s with a smooth creamy interior, owned by a generous gent from Richmond named Henry.

After all the work we did running around town to find that ideal car, we had to find the right location as well. This is one of the fun parts of my job: trying to track down places within a few miles of the theatre that can pass for France, England, Pennsylvania, Japan, or (in this case) Nebraska.

I drove around with Kevin, our photographer, making him car-sick on windy roads while we looked for lovers' lane. Eventually we found a pull-out up on Grizzly Peak Boulevard that was just perfect. It had a clear view which, under the right weather conditions, would offer up nothin' but blue sky and sunset. And it had a sweet tree that reached romantically into the frame. We had our car. We had our location. All systems were go.

The day arrived and the weather was gorgeous. As the actors got into their clothes at the costume shop, Kevin and I were up on Grizzly Peak setting up for the shoot. But five minutes before he was supposed to arrive with our precious convertible, Richard called to say that the darn thing wouldn't start! He apologized profusely and promised to be there as soon as possible with one of his other cars. But that would take 40 minutes at least, and by then the sun might be down...

Kevin and I looked at each other in despair. And then we both looked at the tree. And we realized, simultaneously, that we didn't need a car at all. Sometimes problems happen for a reason.

In the end, we got what we'd set out to get — some pictures of the guys in a classy old convertible — and we also got another sweet photo of two young lovers sitting under a tree.

Don't you just love happy endings?

Photos of Jason Hite and Ryder Bach courtesy of kevinberne.com.