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My Fair Bernard

Album: 18: A Time of Discovery

Episode: 246

Lesson/Theme: Doing your best; the value of hard work.

Bible Verse: 2 Chronicles 15:7

Characters: Bart, Bernard, Edwin, Whit

Writer: Phil Lollar

Sound Designer: Dave Arnold

Original Air Date: October 2, 1993

Last Air Date: January 5, 2009

Description:
Bernard Walton pulls up at one of his buildings downtown to wash some windows, and discovers that Bart Rathbone has expanded the Electric Palace to include janitorial services. Thanks to Bart's hot, new radio ads, which feature his lower prices, several of Bernard's customers are switching to Bart's services. Bernard furiously goes to Whit's End to try and produce some radio ads of his own. The result is less than satisfactory. So Bernard decides he needs acting lessons to improve the ads. The only place to get acting lessons in Odyssey is at the Harlequin Theatre, taught by Edwin Blackgaard. But, surprisingly, Edwin agrees to not only take on Bernard as a student, but to put Bernard's plight on stage! Edwin explains that Bernard's struggle is right out of classic theatre: The little man strives against enormous odds to hold on to what he has built. It's a story of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong. It takes some convincing, but Bernard is finally bitten by the theatrical bug and agrees to do the play. When he leaves, Shakespeare wonders if Edwin has lost his mind. Edwin reveals that Bernard's play will be just the kind of depressing, avant-guarde play that Rosecrantz Guildenstern, a local critic, will like! It will be excellent publicity for the Harlequin, and will help save Bernard's business to boot! Just before the performance, Bart tells Bernard that everyone may like his play, but it won't bring him any new business. Bernard realizes that Bart is right. So Bernard ruins the play by inserting plugs for Walton's Janitorial Service after every other line. Edwin tries to stop him by literally pulling the curtain on Bernard. The play is a disaster. As it turns out, Bernard's business was safe anyway. Bart's shoddy work causes his customers to switch back to Bernard. As for Edwin, Rosecrantz Guildenstern tells him to produce nice family shows like he usually does. As Shakespeare said, "All's well that ends well."

Questions:
Why did Bart decide to go into janitorial service? Why did Edwin want to do a play about Bernard's life? Were either of their reasons good ones? Why or why not? Why did Bernard mess up the play? Should Bernard have tried to fight off Bart's new business the way he did? What should he have done? What would you have done?