Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks

Janna Meets Mark

I met Mark Hamill after a performance of Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks in New York in November 2003.

I had informed myself about him by reading the websites of the International MH Fan Club and mainly Just the Best from Sienn. Before the performance started I remembered the information I had gathered: Don't bother MH (like the insistent fan in the television movie MH played in)! Don't ask silly questions! Don't speak exclusively about STAR WARS (he has different interests)!

Besides, I prepared myself for the theatre visit by watching the play in German in Berlin, because my English isn't perfect. I liked the performance and was looking forward to seeing the play on Broadway.

It was a great pleasure. I saw the play three times and I just couldn't get enough of it. MH played very naturally, professionally and convincingly. His performance wasn't shallow or exaggerated. He is a good and competent actor and I fixed my eyes on him during the two hours. My favourite scene was "The Tango" with a sporty and sexy Michael Minetti. After one performance Polly Bergen and MH were given a standing ovation.

Afterwards I waited in a group of people for an autograph. After a couple of minutes MH appeared. Once I read that he had described himself, 'I am small.' At that time I had thought he exaggerates. But now I noticed: He is right. Take seriously what he says. On the stage he seems taller.

MH began to talk with his fans. He spread his attention to different people and entertained them, for example by playing on words. When he was coming nearer, I feared the worst: He would make a joke and I wouldn't understand it, because of my simple English. Therefore I said to him, "I don't understand every joke." His reaction, "Because you are German." I was very amazed about his ability to recognize a German speaker and confirmed, "That's right. I am one of your German fans." Afterwards I thought: I hope, he doesn't think that Germans aren't able to take a joke, because they have no humour, but I decided that it is probable that he knows the accent of Germans, because he is good at languages. MH laughed and meant, "I have fans all over the world." Then he asked the women beside me where they came from. One of them was a fan from Korea.

Now I added that I saw Six Dance Lessons in Berlin to understand more. MH asked about the German actor and I explained, "He was good, but I think you were better." He was delighted.

In the meantime he looked after other fans and told them that the actor in Berlin tore down his pants in a scene. He got worked up about this, but in amusement. I said twice "Only a little bit!" to defend the Berlin actor (a little bit), but MH didn't hear it. I was disappointed, because I thought our encounter had already ended.

The scene with the pants is in the last part of Six Dance Lessons: Michael Minetti reproached the widow in amusement for regarding him as a man she pays for (= dance instructor), not as the friend he would like to be. To accentuate this and to provoke her, Michael (in Berlin) tore his pants down like a male stripper. MH played this scene in a different way without tearing down his pants and I thought this was better. It appeared uncontrolled, when Michael in Berlin tore down his pants, just to say, 'I want to be your friend'. (Otherwise it would have been very interesting to see MH with his pants down.)

But then I got my autograph on the Playbill and MH touched my arm. I was thrilled and dared to ask a question, "Do you hope for the role in the film Six Dance Lessons?" He thought out loud about "hope" and answered, that he is probably too old for the role in the film and that Matt Damon could get it. At first I thought: I am prefering you in this role. Have a facelift to look younger and take the part! But I didn't contradict. MH is intelligent and he knows the film business. (Meanwhile it seems that there will be no film Six Dance Lessons at all.)

Finally he got in a black car with a driver. Very satisfied I left the walk in front of the Belasco and planned: When MH will have the main part in another play, I would like to come again to see him act, if it's possible. And my English will become better, I hope, so that he can play on words.

New York, November 2003