What a Difference Three Weeks Makes

Three weeks ago tonight I was on a high. I had just closed a show that meant more to me than any other in my career. I felt like the work I had done and the success of the show took me places I had never been in my 46 years of acting, and tonight, 3 weeks later, unless I have to get groceries, I am staying in my house along with most of the world . It's called social distancing, and it's something I have never experienced in the 56 years I have been on this earth. We are all trying to do our part to "flatten the curve" of a deadly virus that has taken so many lives already, and I fear will take many more. I am sure you have read over and over again about the Coronavirus and COVID-19. That's not what this is about. I am one of the lucky ones. I am able to work from home. I have not lost my job nor any of my salary. My children are grown. They have not missed their graduation or senior prom or saying good-bye to their friends. All things considered we are very lucky, but all of this has really made me think. As I observe what goes on in the world around me, I am in awe. Mostly I cannot believe the way a large part of our country is acting about what has to be done in order to make this virus manageable, not to eradicate it, just make it manageable so we don't have to choose who will be treated because we are so overcrowded in our hospitals and have no equipment or beds to accommodate every sick person. I am sad, and my heart hurts.
I have recently gotten into books on tape. I live further from work, and I have about a 30 minute drive to and from. In the past 6 months I have listened to 2 books in particular that I want to talk about. They are The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Lilac Girls. Both took place during World War II. I have always been very interested in that time in history, but I think about America then and America now. During World War II, almost every man, woman and child did their part to contribute to the effort to win the war. Women went to work in factories, and kids did scrap metal drives, and just about every male who was able couldn't wait to enlist to fight for their country. Hollywood might romanticize it a little, but they weren't far from the truth. The books I read talked about the sacrifices and conditions in England and Poland during the war. Those people did everything they could to survive, and so everyone could survive. There was no selfishness in the camps, in the occupied towns. Most were united against a common enemy. "United we stand. Divided we fall." That's not just a saying on a coffee mug. It's the truth. If we would all work together, we could help our medical personnel make it through this. Lives, unfortunately, would still be lost as in any war, but perhaps not as many. Yes, I know many of us are following all the rules, doing what our medical community is telling us to do, but I am shocked at the amount of people who are doing exactly what they want and ignoring every plea to help. Have we become that selfish? Why can't we see how lucky we are? No one is invading our homes, taking every possession we own, all of our food in exchange for ration cards. No one is dragging us into the street and shooting us because they can. We are being asked to stay home and watch television. This should not be difficult. I know that I'm preaching to the choir here. Most of my readers, I am sure, are doing their part, but if anyone is reading this who maybe thinks we're not fighting a war, WE ARE! Please, please do what you're asked. We can unite, we can come together! We have to!

And Another Thing.....

Saturday night I said good-bye to someone very dear to me. We met last summer, and over the past 8 months we have become very close. I knew when we started the relationship it would be brief, that it would end far sooner than I wanted it to, but I got into it anyway. I first met her last summer when I read about her. She sounded like the kind of person who would be really interesting. We didn't really meet face to face until about a month later, and I loved her instantly. She was sassy and funny and sweet, and I adored her. In December we started meeting for weekly get togethers, and by January we saw each other almost every day until last Saturday when I knew she had to leave and their was nothing I could do about it. I even told myself she was staying one more day just so I could make it through her exit out of my life. I am talking about Della Brady, the character I just finished playing at Richmond Triangle Players in The Cake. I have been acting for over 46 years, and I have never played anyone I knew any better than Della. A large part of the credit for that goes to an amazing director, Dawn Westbrook. Dawn started out with a tremendous confidence in my ability to play the role. She let me grow and explore and go places I've never been before as an actor, and I'm sure my performance would not have been what it was without her push and guidance, and I mean that as a good thing! An actor, unless they are in a one-woman show, plays off of each cast member, and I had some of the best starting with a lovely man I have known for years, Gordon Bass. Gordon played my husband, Tim, and from the first time we read together in auditions, it was as comfortable as if we had been married for years. We just fit, and I don't know of anyone I would have trusted more for where our scenes took us. What a joy to look into those soulful eyes each night. To quote Della, "and I thanked God because I ...had you." My antagonist was a beautiful (inside and out) actress named Zakiyyah Jackson. Our characters' relationship was a difficult one, but I couldn't have been the Della I was without her. I never enjoyed arguing with anyone more! Watch out Richmond! You're going to be seeing a lot more of this talented lady! Last, but not least, Nicole Morris-Anastasi played Jen, the "like a daughter to me" character. I have known Nicole for several years. I watched her blossom and grow in this part, and she should be very proud of what she put on that stage each night. It was hardest to keep it together when I had to say good-bye to her in our final scene. Bravo, lady!!! We also had a kick-ass crew led by stage manager, Lauren Langston, who never missed ANYTHING!!! Thanks to Darren for literally taking all the "crap" I handed him and Nora, well, you know I could not have been successful without you! Top it all off being in my beautiful bakery designed by David Ballas to make things just right. Shows, especially good ones, and this was a really good show, not just my opinion, read the reviews, are made up of a lot of different people working very hard. Add to that a wonderful, loving supportive theater with amazing people at the helm, Philip Crosby and Lucian Restivo,  and you can't miss. I have never been prouder of anything I have ever done on stage. If I never had the opportunity to act again, I am glad I went out on this one! Goodbye Della. I will miss you and The Cake, but not the cake. Pie anyone?