"We are born astride a grave - WaynesWorldStage.com

extensive search, I settled on a young man namedPaul Schoemacker. Settled is the key word. I toldhim that he was the best of the people that I hadauditioned but I did not think he was capable ofplaying such a complex yet whimsical character.I'm happy to say that he proved me wrong. Hewas much more than adequate.One of the reasons that artists andbeatniks were drawn to North Beach was freefood. This was an Italian neighborhood and itwas the custom for shopkeepers to give out freefood on birthdays and anniversaries. You couldwalk up and down the streets and eventually youwould find someone out on the sidewalk with agrill, yelling, "Mangia, mangia."North Beach was filled with Italian familyrestaurants. They had no menu. Whatever theymade, you ate. If you did not want what theymade, you would go to another restaurant.This came as more than a shock to me. Ihad gone in a restaurant and was waiting for awaitress to hand me a menu. Instead, she servedme a bowl of soup. I thought that she served it inerror. I tried to communicate with her, but shespoke no English. I ate the soup. It was fantastic.Then came several courses, all excellent. Sheserved wine in a bottle that had obviously beenre-filled. It had no label and the cork was sticking81