Dudley Sauve sits in Starbucks sans coffee. He explains that he is over caffeinated; he has been working on sets all morning for his upcoming show, “Into the Woods,” so he has been guzzling coffee all morning. He is fitting in this interview between set building and 50 more pages of blocking work before tonight’s rehearsal. Sauve is a busy man.
At 86, busy is how he likes it. Since coming to Farmville Sauve has taught, acted and directed, a theatrical renaissance man. He has been involved, in some capacity, in over 250 productions. When he does have down time he enjoys reading, but even when doing that he finds himself building the books into shows inside his head.
Sauve has been acting since he was two, he doesn’t know where his passion came from, he just knows his desire to be on stage was always there. After college he joined the military and saw a show that would cement his passions forever.
“I joined the army when I got out of college because the draft was on, so it was either join the army and choose or get drafted,” said Sauve, “so the first time I got to the east I was stationed in Fort Mammoth and I got to New York for the first time. I can remember sitting in the balcony watching ‘Paint Your Wagon’ and I was absolutely fascinated, I knew this was what I was gonna do for the rest of my life.”
Sauve put down roots in Farmville and began to slowly build a community theatre family. He and a group of friends started out performing just about anywhere that they were allowed to go. Longwood’s dining hall, night clubs that are long gone, anywhere that would have them. Finally they managed to buy a theatre in town and develop a home base. Unfortunately their luck didn’t last long.
“We had an ice storm one weekend and the roof fell in. One person was in the basement doing his laundry, he said the whole place started shaking, he went upstairs and just looked up and could see the sky and the stars. When I saw it I cried, it was gone.”
Not only was the building in ruins but all the props, and about 75 feet worth of costumes were destroyed. They would have to start all over yet again. They were able to make a trade with the town of Farmville, their old land for a new piece of land where they would have to build a theatre from the ground up. That’s exactly what they did; The Waterworks Players were born.
They got the name from a short period of time in which the town allowed them to store their props and costumes in an old water treatment plant. To say that the little group has a storied past would be an understatement. However, now that the current theatre has been standing tough since the 90s, it’s safe to say that their transient life is behind them.
Sauve has stayed true to his stage acting roots, except for one little blip on his IMDB page. A small student film called The Kings of Farmville. With a life that’s been so bursting with experiences, he had a bit of a hard time remembering his jump from stage to screen. However, he does remember his payment.
“We didn’t get paid for it we each got a pie; his grandmother made pies and fed us dinner.”
He promised to dig the VHS out of storage sometime soon. Surely with the amount of productions that Sauve has done, finding it will be no easy feat. Still, his advice for young people who are just starting out is simple and universal.
“It doesn’t make any difference if your dream is the Noble Prize or a Tony Award. You have to work for yourself to be satisfied with what you’re doing, not for awards,” said Sauve.
As for slowing down, Sauve doesn’t see it happening anytime soon. His desire to be in the theatre doing the work he loves seems limitless.
“My father lived to 97, I’m going to be 87 in June. Maybe by the time I’m 97 I’ll be thinking about retirement.”
