The Drama

In this case, I don't mean teen drama, although there was plenty of that.  I mean the myriad plays I either had parts in, or some other way got myself involved!

We had four plays every year.  Three were in the Little Theater and one was the big operetta. My goal was to be in all of them!  The first production of the year was the fall play.  My freshman year it was The Lark, a drama about Joan of Arc, and my sister had the lead.  My friend, Jere, Billy's brother, had a major role, too. One of the scenes called for his character to take a big bite out of an onion, as if it was an apple.  The rest of the scene was just Beth trying to remember her lines through a miasma of onion emanating from Jere's person.  I think he smelled like onion for days after, too!  I did not get a part, but put myself on every production committee, Including makeup even though I barely knew a mascara from eye shadow myself!  Ruined a lot of perfectly good make up brushes!  I did much better being an usher and taking people to there seats and handing them a program.

I am going to put the spring Operetta's into their own post, and I am also going to skip ahead and tell you about Spring Play my freshman year.  We did The Apple Tree which is a three part musical with Adam and Eve (Beth played Eve), The Lady or the Tiger, and Cinderella.  When the cast list came out someone told me that I was on the list.  When I saw the list, lo and behold, I was not on it!  (This next part is so embarrassing).  So instead of saying, Oh, bummer! I didn't get in after all".  I just figured a mistake had been made and somehow, I had been left off the list!  I was so convinced that this was true, and I actually repeated the story so many time, that the drama teachers ( A husband and wife team named Mr. and Mrs. Bakewell), actually took pity on me and gave me one line to say in the whole darn thing.  I was never aware of this kindness to a clueless 9th grader and hope they know how grateful and mortified I am!  Being in the play meant I could hang out in the little theater during rehearsals without  just being a nuisance! 

My favorite memory of that is of hanging with Billy.  Billy was also a bit player.  H played a life sized Oscar award.  Really!  He wore a full piece long underwear suit painted gold which meant he wanted to look lean and buff.  He would do sit ups during breaks and had someone feed him an M&M after everyone he completed as incentive!  Talk about defeating the purpose!  I also enjoyed watching Jere sing rock and roll in the Cinderella sequence.   I think that was a pretty serious challenge but he pulled it off through sheer charisma!

 Evening of Drama was another production each year. It was a series of student directed one acts.  There were usually two or three depending on the number of submissions
Kids could pick the play, the cast, and how the wanted the thing to be staged etc.  My  cello stand partner in orchestra was also a theater person.  She was going to direct  The House at Pooh Corner and wanted me to try out.  So I did (and would have anyway) and she cast me as Pooh.  The play took on a life of it's own and JB(she went by her initials which were perfect for a director In the theater "I'm ready for my close-up, JB") got a little carried away.  She named us "The Pooh Company.  She got us t-shirts with our characters names on them (I still have mine!) and she booked us to do performances at the grade schools and for community groups in addition to the actual Evening of drama.  We even went to Six Flags in our t-shirts and got lots of attention there!

My favorite performance was for the Developmentally Delayed adult group.  A story arcs in the play was trying to find Tigger something to eat.  One of the audience member kept yelling out "Eat me!" The funniest part was watching Tigger (Phil) and Eeyore (Randy) try to complete the scene without cracking up!

Here's a pic:  Sitting Roo (Anne), first row Piglet (Kim),Pooh (me), Eeyore (Randy), Christopher Robin (Martin), Tigger (Phil), Kanga (Nancy) Rabbit (Alan). Back Row:  JB, Owl (Michelle) and I think that is our student teacher peeking out from behind.  The funny thing is, that I think our characters matched our personalirties.  Ann was bouncy and curious. Kim was shy but wise.  I was friendly and all about food.  Randy was a little cranky sentimental. Martin was from England, so didn't have to fake the accent.  Phil was frenetic and funny and into everything.  Nancy was like our mini mother. Alan was a curmudgeon intellect.  And Michelle was wise and observant.  I'm  still all about the food, by the way!

 

I'll move on to sophomore year next time.  See ya!