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'Stoneface' a birthday gift for French Stewart

In 2010, the actor's then girlfriend and now wife, Vanessa Claire Smith, surprised him with a script about his idol, Buster Keaton. The play's a big hit now.

June 17, 2012|By Margaret Gray, Special to the Los Angeles Times

(Asked by email for details of "Louis & Keely's" future, Vanessa replied, "I haven't been green lit to formally announce what's officially happening. Jake [Broder] and I have been opening up the script a bit to make it fit a bigger venue. It's moved a bit slower than I would like, but we're still on track to get it up and going at a theater not in Los Angeles very soon. How's that for vague?")

Although she considered taking a role in "Stoneface," she ultimately decided against it.

"I felt like this was his show. I wanted to be in the audience opening night seeing him get his due. When I imagined it in my brain, it was much more exciting to be in the audience. I cried when The Times called him a 'revelation.' I wanted French to be seen as something other than what people knew him as. That was my inspiration for doing the play and why I stuck with it."

It almost sounds as if he's her muse.

"You're very much my muse," she tells him.

"Your wrinkled muse," he rejoins.

After selling out its initial run, "Stoneface" has been extended through July 15, with Thursday night performances added.

Now the biggest challenge for the couple is "What's next?"

"My dream is that both our shows will be in New York at the same time," says Vanessa. "'Stoneface' is opening, 'Louis & Keely' is there. We do our shows…"

French finishes the thought: "Go to Elaine's, smoke a cigarette, punch a cop."

Vanessa notices that she is indeed pretending to hold a cigarette. "I don't even smoke."

French nods sympathetically. "You're gonna have to start, honey. Gotta try."

calendar@latimes.com

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