Kathryn Hays and Don Hastings Work Magic on ATWT
By J Bernard Jones on August 12, 2009
In another generally well-crafted episode of As the World Turns, Wednesday's show featured several fine performances including Julie Pinson (Janet), Tom Degnan ("Riley"/Adam), and, yes folks, Marnie Schulenburg (Alison). However, it was two of ATWT's most beloved and revered veterans who taught a masters class in acting: Don Hastings and Kathryn Hays.
In another generally well-crafted episode of As the World Turns, Wednesday's show featured several fine performances including Julie Pinson (Janet), Tom Degnan ("Riley"/Adam), and, yes folks, Marnie Schulenburg (Alison). However, it was two of ATWT's most beloved and revered veterans who taught a masters class in acting: Don Hastings and Kathryn Hays.
Hastings is not regularly recognized by the soaparatti, likely because his style is so laid back and naturalistic that it can generally be misconstrued as not being acting at all. In fact, I think Hastings' talent, like so many other daytime veterans, is taken for granted. On the contrary, it is the understated ease which Hastings brings to the role that can ground even the most outrageous of scenes, not the least of which occurred not too long ago when Hasting's Dr. Bob Hughes had to explain with a straight face how a microchip the size of an iPhone had been plucked out of Paul Ryan's brain.
In one of those lessons where we are reminded of the old adage that "less is more," Wednesday's installment of ATWT was a showcase of Hasting's considerable talents. Whether Bob was sharing a weekly lunch with his wife Kim (a nice little bit of history I thought was long forgotten), dressing down an intimidated Alison, or forgetting how to use his hospital beeper in front of "Riley," every second of Hasting's performance was utterly believable.
Hastings employed no physical tics or actorly tricks to emphasize that a sudden slip of the tongue or the unexpected lighthearted bewilderment over simple things can be a far more insidious indication that something is really wrong than any scenery chewing could convey. Even more remarkable is that Hastings is playing this developing story as something fresh and new for Bob, despite the fact that it is a virtual carbon copy of the one he played only a few years ago where the good doctor Hughes was eventually diagnosed as suffering from mini-strokes. That, friends, is true talent.
By contrast and in complement to screen partner Hastings, Hays turned in a performance today that veered from good natured bemusement at the antics of Brad (Austin Peck) convincing Janet that the meatballs she cooked for "Oakdale Now" were studio props to a professional but gracious toast at Metro. This is the gentle, nuturing Kim Hughes that viewers have come to know and love. This was not to last: the other Kim Hughes — the one that pops up only occasionally these days — hulked out in full righteous fury when Alison approached her with concerns about Bob's faculties.
The scenes that followed were thrilling: After having been told incorrectly by Bob that it was Alison who had given Riley too much medication, Kim turned into an ice cold gangster when she heard Alison's voice. With seething anger in her eyes, Kim turned around and asked, "What are you doing here?" before verbally flaying that poor child into a fish filet. From the moment Kim called Alison her trademark "kiddo" — which means "you f*****g bitch" in Kim Hughes' world, for those of of you who don't know — Hayes kept her voice at a steady but increasing intensity of white hot anger as she called Alison a liar and burned with indignation at what the young woman had insinuated about her husband. Kim's anger became so great that she even hurled invective at the banes of her existence, the Stewart women, before collapsing from a heart attack. Hays was riveting!
Does some of the story not make sense? Sure! The very fact that Bob has a pre-existing medical condition for which he supposedly is still on medication and from which the same symptoms have manifested themselves in the past should give Kim and even Bob pause. Nonetheless, even a recycled storyline can be given a lift when seasoned performers like Hastings and Hays commit their all, as they do every time they appear on screen. As the World Turns is lucky to have them and, as fans, so are we.
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Comments
27 July 2009
1 week 5 days
I coludn't agree more with this article this weeks episodes have been fantatsic so far, TPTB seem to be listening if only a small bit with the fact that charcater driven storylines are so much better than boring ridiculous plot driven storylines. Also, with their use of the veteran characters/actors who to be honest make the show seems to be improving but they so need to be used more, Colleen Zenk Pinter has been outstanding over the last few episodes as she always is and had excellent chemistry with Kelley Menighan Hesnley, Roger Howarth and Anthony Herrera. And it's great to see both Kathryn Hayes and Don Hastings getting a storyline of their own they're so underused/rated, it would just be good to see Elizabeth Hubbard get the storyline and credit that she deserves.
Now if only Chris Goutman and Jean Passanante would wise up and realise that this is what the fans really want to see, on a more regular basis and not just at a fluke period of time. Just keep up the good work As The World Turns hopefully this show can return to the greatness that it once was as little as a few years ago.
19 June 2009
2 days 12 hours
"Meatball Continuity" made my day.
10 December 2008
14 weeks 2 days
Kathryn and Don were outstanding and their story has me really interested. Personally I was not impressed with the Janet/Teri story and think that shows where the writing is just too bad and silly and over the top. I much prefer the subtle acting style of Don and Kathryn who really only erupt when it's necessary for the story. That's just my personal preference.
There is definitely something changing and I too hope CG and JP see a good reaction from the fans to better use of the vets and better character interaction. These 2 have proved they are 2 of the finest. I know CZP has said she is having more fun than she has had in years. I'm also really enjoying that we've had some shows where they actually told 3 stories and had some actors make an appearance in 2 of the stories, like Margo first visiting Katie and then in her story with Tom. Touches like that are important. Now it they could just dial back on all the newbies or not make them the center of stories it would be great.
Slowly thinks are improving despite still having work to do. They need to give fans the time to notice the change and I think they will get the payoff.
7 August 2009
11 weeks 2 days
Who's the guy in the red shirt in the background?
3 December 2008
2 weeks 4 days
I will go on record: I don't think Marnie is a bad actress. She's actually a decent actress. I think her character sucks big time & isn't viable as THE romantic heroine of the younger adult set that she's been set up to be by TPTB.
.
Also, it doesn't help that Alison hasn't sparked romantically/sexually with anyone she's been paired with except for Chris (I would count Matt too but they were never officially paired off) no matter how many men the show throws at her.
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BTW, any news on the rumor that Chauntee Schuler is leaving the show?
Does that mean Oakdale will be officially without a single person of color onscreen if she's off the canvas?
9 September 2008
5 min 31 sec
Venus, he is what is known in the business as "an extra."
28 November 2008
10 hours 28 min
I was so happy to tune in on Wednesday, after many weeks of avoiding the soap, to find these two Oakdale staples providing such strong and convincing performances. When Kim said "kiddo", I thought Alison was going to get hurt..lol.
4 May 2009
1 week 1 day
Bob and Kim are solid gold.
Always.
4 May 2009
1 week 1 day
Whenever Kim Hughes utters "kiddo" or "pal" you know you're going to get torn a new one.
I love it!
And I like Marnie as Allison by the way.
6 May 2009
14 hours 15 min
I think it's great that ATWT keep the older characters, they should bring back Lisa and Lucinda. That's why the soaps are droping like flys, networks forget about the older audience. I see the GL writers that went over to ATWT hand in the James Stienbaeck that Henry is his father. There hard at work destorying ATWT.
9 September 2008
5 min 31 sec
Craig,
To be fair, I actually like the Henry is James Stenbeck's father twist. Lest folk forget, when James held Henry prisoner last time around, many people said they thought it would be great if Henry were James' son based on the chemistry between Trent Dawson & Anthony Herrera.
If we're going to blame the GL writers who went to ATWT for being hard at work "destroying" the show, shouldn't we also give them credit for the vast improvements in the writing that have been made the last several weeks?
27 April 2009
5 days 18 hours
Craigcp you dont even know if they are going to destroy ATWT yet, because their episode haven't even aired yet, so quit saying they are destroying ATWT when they are not. Their episode's will prolly aire late September or early to late october, cause Guiding Light just stopped filming 2 days ago.