My first audition - was embarrASSing!
I recall opening my mouth to sing "Raindrops keep falling on my head ..." but what came out was a squeakish, squakish, alien sound ... Oh, sure, I sang the words, but, oh, my G-DASH-d, I don't know WHAT that was ... fear perhaps? Demonic possession? Singing in tongues? Was I feverish?
Lila Lloyd, the director, took great pity upon me and cast me anyway as an ensemble member, townsperson of River City, Iowa.
Rehearsals for The Music Man introduced a strange, wonderful new world to me. After meeting the shining stars of the theatre … 10, 11, 12 year olds who'd each been performing for 25 years, I wanted to be just like them, dress like, talk like them, smoke like them …
How do you teach a 10 year old to act? How did I learn to act? Did I learn to act?
Well, I pretty much copied everyone else around me. During rehearsals, if the young theatre star next to me covered her mouth in shock with her right hand when 11 year old Harold Hill went into kiss 14 year old Marion, the librarian, then I used my left hand to feign shock. If the 14 year-old seasoned professional stamped her right foot in impetuous defiance … I pounded my right fist into my hand … I evolved … Now THAT’S acting …
The day I stepped foot on the Montgomery Theatre stage – my life forever changed.
Oh, sure, sure … I had performed before this moment … I was the Big Bad Wolf in Girl Scout Camp’s production of Little Red Riding Hood, there’s a picture of me – I’m holding up my hands like paws … interesting. And I have a picture of me at 8 wearing a wreath of real ivy with a sheet wrapped around me, no doubt for some Greek comedy production … it had spiders (the wreath, not the toga) … lots and lots of spiders.
The Montgomery Theatre ...
The stage was dimly lit. We took our places. Someone turned on the lights and instantly the stage was washed in beautiful, warm, glowing light. I looked up and was almost blinded … it was incredible.
The light was on me … the light was on ME … the LIGHT was on ME. It went through me, warmed me, held me …
At at that moment I knew, I would always be happy in the light and ...
I never wanted to be anywhere else.
Lovely!
ReplyDeleteI remember sharing a sandwich with my mother out on the stage door steps of the Montgomery. I can even tell you what was in the sandwich: salami w/cheddar on rye, mayo & mustard. This was during a break of a Dottie Dunn dance recital rehearsal. I suspect I was 8 years old.
ReplyDeleteI still adore The Montgomery Theater.