FSLT: How did you get started in the Fort Smith Little Theatre?
DIRECTOR: My first play as an adult had been "To Kill a Mockingbird," directed by Ray Coleman in Van Buren, I assistant stage managed and played the bailiff to help him out. It was a huge cast and Ray needed all hands on deck. I was working with him at the time as a copywriter in an ad agency and this was a fun way to fill my time. That was in the summer of 1985, so in the spring of 1986 I tried out for one of Jim Moody's play's "Born Yesterday" and was fortunate enough to land the romantic lead in the last play produced in the old theatre on North O Street.

FSLT: You have not directed any shows at FSLT before this one. Why is that?
DIRECTOR: You've got to start somewhere, I suppose. I assistant directed with Ray Coleman on "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and enjoyed much of that. I have also been stage manager or assistant stage manager for "Enchanted April" this year and "Chapter Two" last year; I worked props, lights or built sets on "The Night of the Iguana" in 1987, "Pack of Lies" and "Musical Comedy Murders of 1940" in 1989, "Guys and Dolls" and "The Man Who Came to Dinner" in 2006, and "Shadowlands" and "Tuna Christmas" this past season while also heading up the Set and Shop committee and working on the Production committee for the board. With all the backstage work and my onstage experience, I felt it was time to move to directing.

FSLT: Were there any directing disasters during the first show?
DIRECTOR: There were far too many disasters to name them all, when I "helped" Ray with "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Most of them were my fault. I think the funniest thing was finally getting to taste sweet tea on the set, when Gooper has a shot of whiskey. The character is not a drinker and I thought sweet tea would be okay, only I normally drink tea unsweetened. The first time I tried it was during dress rehearsal with an audience. I am fairly certain the look I gave could easily match a teetotaler's reaction to his first taste of straight whiskey.

FSLT: Why did you choose the current play to direct?
DIRECTOR: As webmaster for the Little Theatre I had the opportunity to pour over the past shows. With a history spanning more than sixty years we have produced a tremendous number of plays, both well-known and not so well-known. I was surprised to see that Arthur Miller's plays were not represented well in the bulk of our productions. He is considered one of America's greatest playwrights and recognized throughout the world as a master of stagecraft. We have not produced any of his plays in forty years and, even then, had "Death of a Salesman" as a reading in 1966. The only other play of his we produced was "The Crucible" in 1963.
I felt his first major success "All My Sons" was due for a revival and, of course, has been staged around the globe recently to great reviews. It is a timeless look at corporate greed in America. It seems even more appropriate in today's climate given the funding debate over our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, that there will be people who use government contracts to make profits at the expense of those troops. This is the heart of "All My Sons." Joe Keller sells defective parts to the government during WWII and twenty-two pilots lose their lives because of it. He places the blame on his partner, who goes to prison, while he continues to make a lot of money during the boom period after the war. Keller justifies his misdeeds in the name of putting his family first. However, his youngest son has nobler principles and they clash over duty to the greater good.
Miller built this play in the manner of a classic Greek tragedy where events of the past will shape the events of the present. It is also played in a single day from morning to late evening and in the backyard of the Keller home, making it something a first-time director can handle, hopefully, without too many staging problems. On top of that it is not a Comedy or Musical - that takes real talent.

FSLT: Are there any other plays you would like to direct?
DIRECTOR: Yes, I would love to direct some Romantic Comedies, and Mysteries. As head of the production committee this year, I will do my best to put a mystery on our stage next year, whether I direct it or someone else does. Additionally, I had submitted "Proof" this year along with "All My Sons" and the production committee selected the latter. I hope to submit "Proof" again another time.

FSLT: You've done several roles as an actor. Do you have a favorite?
DIRECTOR: That is too hard. It is like asking a parent who is his favorite child. I loved my first lead, Paul Verall in "Born Yesterday," Rev. David in "The Foreigner," Burt Jefferson in "The Man Who Came to Dinner," Gooper in "Cat" and C.S. Lewis in "Shadowlands." I suppose C.S. Lewis was the most challenging because of line load, emotion, and elocution; and because of that he was the most rewarding. But, he also was a self-absorbed intellectual for nearly 90% of the play. I could only like him for about ten minutes of the two hours I was on stage. He was a good guy by the end and I got to cry on stage.

FSLT: Are there any other roles you would like to play?
DIRECTOR: I think I would love to play some of those roles that just send the audience rolling with a one-line zinger that may be the characters only line.

FSLT: How do you choose a role to play?
DIRECTOR: I look to see who is directing the play and if I am working on any of the other plays around that one. I am at a good age that I can go up or down a few years in either direction, so I can play from 30-60. Gooper and Burt Jefferson were supposed to be in their early thirties, while C.S. Lewis was supposed to age from 57-63.

FSLT: What acting disaster sticks out in your mind?
DIRECTOR: "The Man Who Came to Dinner" took place in the winter and during one of my exits I left my coat draped over the sofa. I was to enter later that evening with the coat on. I had done this time and again during rehearsals and the director, Micki Voelkel, had warned us repeatedly that if this happens the actor had better cover, or she would kill them. It was obvious to everyone what I had done, so when I entered I rushed to my coat and hugged it like a lost lover while saying, "There you are, I've been freezing to death without you."

FSLT: You have done several jobs in theatre, acting, building sets and props and special effects. Do you have a favorite activity?
DIRECTOR: I think props and designing sets are fun activities. Building sets is hard, but rewarding. You have to be very careful with pulling tricks on the actors - generally it is frowned on - but during Musical Comedy Murder Mystery of 1940 I replaced the swastika covered petit fours the Nazi maid was offering with some swastika covered sardines. That was fun. The actors were supposed to be repelled by the flags, however adding the sardines created a few priceless expressions. Wendy Quick and Lee Vlademar sewed up the sleeves of my jacket during Born Yesterday, because of something I did to them. They thought they were funny.

FSLT: Do you consider yourself primarily and actor, director or technical person?
DIRECTOR: I feel like I am more of a volunteer than any of those titles. I have not studied theatre and really think of myself as one of the "Little Rascals" when Spanky or Alfalfa want to put on a play. I do a really fine version of "Oh, Sweet Mystery of Life."

FSLT: Where do you get your energy? What keeps you going in theatre?
DIRECTOR: I get my energy from my real job - teaching high school kids. You don't realize how much you slow down until you are around teenagers all day!

FSLT: What do you find rewarding about theatre?
DIRECTOR: This is a little bit egotistical, but I like people standing up and applauding after I have done something. The kids at school seldom do that after a good lesson on diagramming sentences. They only applaud when I trip over the trash can or misspell a word on the board!

FSLT: Anything you'd like to add?
DIRECTOR: Please come see my play if you are a patron, and try out for it if you are an actor!

(You can meet Duff in person after any of the performances during the run of Arthur Miller's All My Sons)