a champion he was for the the-
atre - especially for new works.
“I don’t do plays by dead white
guys,” said Lauria. “I’ve only
done one revival in 17 years.
Jack Klugman made me do The
Price. He only got me to do it
because he said Arthur Miller’s
not dead yet! But that’s the only
revival I’ve done.”
Lauria knew when people saw
his face they likely saw Jack Ar-
nold, but he took it as a badge
of honor. ”They wouldn’t be
The Winning Streak (2005)
considering me for these re-
In this play by Lee Blessing,
gional theatres if I didn’t have
Dan Lauria portrayed a retired
some kind of name,” explained
major league umpire who lives
Lauria. “John Ritter always said
near a ballpark. His world is
the same thing and he was right.
shaken up a bit with the intro-
He said start worrying when
duction of his son, the byprod-
they stop bothering you about
uct of a one-night stand that
The Wonder Years. That’s when
happened roughly 30 years ago.
you’re in trouble...”
Lauria was best known for his
After the play, I spoke with Lau-
work as Kevin Arnold’s father on
ria at the opening night recep-
The Wonder Years. In my first
tion. Both of us held a beer in
time interviewing him for a cover
our hands, and I couldn’t stop
story, I learned just how much of
NJ STAGE 2017 - Vol. 4 No. 5
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