Director J. Donald Batcheller, faculty advisor to the student drama club (Mask and Dagger), was impressed and gave him the role of Bluntschli, an anti-romantic Swiss soldier.
dᵻɹˈɛktɚ dʒˈeɪ. dˈɑːnəld bˈætʃəlɚ, fˈækəlti ɐdvˈaɪzɚ tə ðə stˈuːdənt dɹˈɑːmə klˈʌb mˈæsk ænd dˈæɡɚ, wʌz ɪmpɹˈɛst ænd ɡˈeɪv hˌɪm ðə ɹˈoʊl ʌv blˈʌntʃli, ɐn ˈæntaɪɹoʊmˈæntɪk swˈɪs sˈoʊldʒɚ.