Tribute to Charlie Chaplin to Mark His 100th Birthday

Jerry Hager never met Charlie Chaplin, but the local mime considers the actor his mentor all the same.

Hager usually spends his weekends roaming Seaport Village in whiteface as “Kazoo,” a character he created when he became interested in drama during a high school class 22 years ago. As he refined the character, Hager found himself turning to Chaplin’s work for inspiration.

“He stood out far beyond anyone else as an actor, a mime, a director and a writer,” Hager said.

In honor of Chaplin’s 100th birthday Sunday, Hager has created a 45-minute, three-act play that combines many of the characters and stories Chaplin made memorable in the 82 movies he wrote, produced and directed from 1915 to 1966.

Hager and his seven-member acting ensemble will present his tribute to Chaplin at 1 and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, outdoors at Seaport Village.

Chaplin, who was born in London on April 16, 1889, first appeared on stage as a clog dancer at the age of 8. In 1913, with several years of performing behind him, Chaplin signed on with the Keystone Company, a troupe of comic performers who appeared in popular short slapstick films.

Although adults are familiar with Chaplin as the Tramp, a character he immortalized in classic films such as “City Lights,” “The Great Dictator” and “Modern Times,” Hager said he is concerned that children, teen-agers and young adults know little about Chaplin’s work.

“I hope that, through this tribute, I’ll re-educate people about what he was at his time,” he said.

For five months, Hager has pored over 50 Chaplin films and more than 100 books about the actor. The result is a series of nine vignettes pulled into a one-act play in which Hager re-creates Chaplin’s best-known tales by playing his pathetic but humorous tramp.

Most of the books Hager read said it would be nearly impossible to re-create Chaplin on the stage. “I took that as a challenge,” Hager said.

To look as much like Chaplin as possible, Hager has his hair cut and dyed, and had a wig fitted to his head. To perfect his costume, he had huge shoes made by a cobbler in Massachusetts who specializes in footwear for clowns.

Hager’s mother, using the most detailed pictures she could find, tailored a tight-fitting topcoat and baggy pants to look like the famous outfit Chaplin donned for his movies.

After all the work he’s put in on the show, Hager obviously would like it to run more than one weekend. But, if it doesn’t, Hager said, he will be satisfied with honoring his mentor and having a chance to combine his creative talents.

“This project has given me a chance to culminate different things I’ve worked on for the past 20 years,” he said.