Where Do We Go From Here?

Me with the lovely Lynn West

It was a hot July night, and sweaty and covered in dust I walked into the building. My hair was falling down around my face, and I can still remember what I was wearing, a navy sleeveless 1 piece culotte outfit that zipped up the front with a red, swiss-dotted applique of a mushroom on the leg. I had been to the circus that day at the Fairgrounds, now known as the Richmond International Raceway. The circus visit was not the special thing that was happening on July 25, 1974. The building I entered was Swift Creek Mill Playhouse, and it was opening night of my very first professional show, The Music Man. I don't remember much else about that night except that I had missed the memo on dressing up for opening night. In those days everyone "dressed" to go to the theater, but there I was in my dirty circus soiled clothes at the opening night party. I didn't think much of it then, but I guess it left an impression if I still recall it 45 years later. The opening night was obviously not that important to me. Being in the show was! You could say this is when I began this journey of being an actress, but it started way before age 10. The earliest recollection I have of being in front of an audience would be age 3. My parents took me and my sister to some mountain resort, and we were waiting by the hostess stand for a table. There was a man playing guitar, the restaurant's live music for the evening, and he asked, "Does anyone know how to hula dance?" I walked right through the crowd and up on stage to hula. My sister, 5 at the time, was mortified. I've never had a problem being in front of people. I was always "acting up" for my parents, especially my daddy. I was lip-syncing way before it was a national pastime! I used to put on the 45 of Vicki Lawrence's  The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia and play it at 78 speed and mouth the words for my dad, and he would laugh and laugh. Translation for those who have no idea what I am talking about: A 45 is a small, vinyl record that contains a single song. If you play it on a turntable at 78 it revolves very quickly, and it makes the singer sound like they are on permanent helium. The Music Man, however was my first "professional" show. I was paid to perform. I got paid $5.00 per show, and we did 4 shows a week. $20.00 a week was big doings for a 10 year old, but I didn't care about that. I loved doing the show! I haven't really stopped acting since then. It hasn't always been a paid gig, but I have loved every minute of it! I met my ex-husband doing a show. If it were not for the theatre, I would not have my 2 amazing daughters. The theatre has blessed me in so many ways! I am 55 now, closer to 56, and roles are not as readily available for my age. Recently I told my daughter, " I'm past wanting anything. I'm never going to make my living as an actress, and I'm okay with that." God had something different in mind. Earlier this year I found out that I get to reprise my role of "Louise" in Always, Patsy Cline at VaRep, and just recently I was cast in what I think will be one of the most challenging roles of my career with Richmond Triangle Players. This old girl's not done yet! With any luck, I never will be.

A Bug Bite That's Lasted 43 Years

43 years ago today, something very exciting happened. It was the opening night of my very first professional show. On July 25, 1974, The Music Man opened at Swift Creek Mill Playhouse. I was playing Amaryliss. I was paid $5.00 per show, and I believe the ticket prices back then were something like $14.50, and that included a delicious buffet dinner AND the show. And who could forget the wonderful loaves of Mill bread and fresh whipped butter, but I digress.
A little back story on what led to this moment. Picture it, Richmond, 1974, I was a 4th grade student at St. Catherine's School for girls playing to packed houses as the wife of the Shoemaker in The Shoemaker and the Elves. This role, of course, was given to me after an unforgettable performance the previous year as the Teeny Weeny Bean in Mr. MacGregor's garden in Peter Rabbit. My drama teacher, Gretchen Buis, told me about a theater that was holding auditions for The Music Man, and they needed a little girl my age. I had to sing a song, and they might have me read a scene. I wanted to do it, but it was my first real audition, and I had no idea what to expect. My sweet Daddy drove me down to Swift Creek Mill Playhouse in Colonial Heights. I don't remember much about the day, but I do remember walking up the steps and into the theater, through the house to the stage. I sang a song that I had sung in my church junior choir called, God Who Touchest Earth with Beauty. I can still see the cover of the anthem. It was olive green with a black peacock on the cover. If you asked me to sing the whole song right now, I could. And, no, Georgi Hicks and Jenna Stickley, I don't remember what I wore (inside joke). Later I read Amaryliss' scene. It called for her to cry. I must have done alright with the scene because I was cast. I didn't really know what it all meant back then. I had no idea what it would lead to. I just knew I liked doing plays. I didn't feel effected by it all. I didn't think I was special. I was just glad to be doing this cool thing. We started with music rehearsals with the late Wayne Batty at the helm as music director. Mr. Batty was, at the very least, intimidating. He looked exactly what you would expect a Maestro to look like with his brushed back, shoulder length hair. Amaryliss has a small duet with Marian, played by the lovely Lynn West, on Goodnight, My Someone. The first time I had to sing it in front of the whole cast. I was a little nervous, but everyone was as sweet as they could be. We went through weeks of music and then staging of the show, and I learned what blocking was and notes and all the things that now seem second nature to me. I had to learn to play this piano piece. I truthfully can't believe I did that, and, no, I couldn't play that now if you asked me. Finally it came time for opening. I obviously was not accustomed to the opening night tradition of dressing up. My family had gone to the circus at the Fairgrounds earlier that day, and I was dusty and ragged when I got to the show. I was wearing navy blue culottes with a red dotted mushroom appliqued on it. Take that, Georgi and Jenna. I wasn't playing Amaryliss on opening night. I alternated nights with another little girl, and she was doing Opening night, something that turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I was playing Amaryliss on the dress rehearsal night that all the promo shots were taken (See photo above). On the nights I wasn't Amaryliss, I was in the ensemble. I loved every minute of being in this show, all 5 months we ran. I made friendships that I still have today, and learned so much from the director, the late Buddy Callahan. I was bitten by the theatre bug back in 1974, and I have been in love with the theatre ever since. I have been lucky enough to consistently act in theatre and film for the last 43 years, and I have no intention of stopping anytime soon. In a little over a month, at 53, I will begin a new career of teaching music and drama to little ones. Maybe they can catch the bug from me, and the joy it has given me will spread through generations. I can only hope.

There's No People Like Show People!

This past Wednesday evening I was at a party. It wasn't my birthday or a Holiday party. It was an Anniversary party, to be more specific, a 50th Anniversary Party. This 50th Anniversary was not being celebrated by a couple, though. It was the celebration of a theater that had been in business for 50 years. That, in itself, is huge, especially with the ups and downs of the economy since 1965. But this theater is so much more than a business. It's a family, and several guests said just that throughout the evening. The theater I'm speaking of is Swift Creek Mill or Swift Creek Mill Playhouse as I first knew it. Back in 1974 when I was in the 4th grade at St. Catherine's, I was doing a play. I was playing the Shoemaker's Wife in "The Shoemaker and the Elves." My drama teacher suggested that I audition at a professional theater getting ready to produce "The Music Man" She gave me the info, and my dad drove me down to Colonial Heights to Swift Creek Mill Playhouse on Route 1. I had never auditioned for anything before. First I had to sing. I sang a song we had just done in Junior Choir called God Who Touchest Earth with Beauty. Later we read scenes, and I read with other young actors. I was trying out for the role of Amaryliss, and I was thrilled when I was cast. We ran from June to November, and I got paid $5.00 a show. I was hooked. I had been "bitten by the bug" as they say. Shortly after Music Man closed I was cast in an original play by Ed Sala called Two Brothers, and then I was asked to be in a play called "Teahouse of the August Moon" The last play would change my life forever in many ways. Swift Creek is a long way from where I lived in 1975, and not being old enough to drive, if my parents could find an adult in the cast who lived fairly near us, I would ride with them. Gary Hopper was playing one of the lead parts in the show, and I joined their carpool. One Friday night on the way home from the show we were in a horrible accident when a drunk driver in a Cadillac ran a stop sign and hit our little Hornet that was packed with 6 people. The window exploded in my face, and I ended up getting over 100 stitches. You can imagine that I was afraid, and I didn't have either of my parents with me. The man sitting next to me in the car was Ed Sala, an actor who had  caught a ride home with us that night.He was not in the show but had waited tables for the dinner theater crowd that night. He rode with me in the ambulance to the hospital that night and visited me in the hospital every day until I was discharged, at least 2 weeks. We have remained life long friends. There's no people like show people! That was my last show at "The Mill" until almost 20 years later. I got a call to do "Into the Woods" The actress originally cast as Jack's Mom was leaving the production before it opened. I stepped in. Masterfully directed and designed by Tom Width, it is still one of my most cherished experiences in theatre! On the coattails of that show came a show called "Me and My Girl," a huge musical that would become the longest running show I would have the honor of being cast. We ran for over 100 performances and 7 months. As you can imagine with a run that long, we had several cast changes and swings. Few in the cast had the badge of never missing a performance. I almost made it, but the week before closing, tragedy struck again for me. I had a miscarriage, and I lost my first child. The outpouring of love I received from my theatre family was beyond wonderful! So much support and caring and cards and flowers. It made an awful situation bearable, and I returned to do the closing performance. There's no people like show people! 

My entire theatre career all began at Swift Creek. A wonderful group of people to grow up around. I learned to play Charades at Buddy Beer Nights, and I am not talking some friendly little game. It was highly competitive! My children got their first exposure to theatre at The Mill seeing the Children's series, and both have performed on the Mill stage. Leah, when she attended Theatre Camp and Georgi, inutero, as I was pregnant with her when I did "The Ugly Duckling" and "Rip Van Winkle" Swift Creek Mill will always be my true theatre family as they gave birth to my career and have nurtured me all along the way. I hope to be on their stage and in their audience many more times! Happy Anniversary, Swift Creek Mill Theater! Here's to 50 more!