In 1994, I mentioned to a friend that I wanted to get involved with The Community Theater. I did it just in passing, not thinking anymore about it. Before you knew it, I was costuming my first show. OLIVER! Priscilla was the Musical Director, and needed someone to costume it. What can that involve I thought, a lot of burlap and some ripped clothes!! Well the cast was HUGE and it was a LOT of burlap, and ripped clothes. (the picture up on top is from that show) I loved it!!!
As the show went on, I wondered what I would do next, so I asked the director of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, if I could costume it. She agreed and I started my second show. This one should have been easy, as I knew the era it was representing. I went out and got the patterns and material for what I wanted, and it was NOT what the Director wanted at all. (now she tells me) She wanted GLITZ!!! LOTS OF GLITZ Well she got it!!! I re did all the costumes and we had GLITZ!
I decided after that one that I wanted to Do something different, so for 1996 I Produced THE SECRET GARDEN and ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Now THIS was fun!!! 2 shows a year, and no costumes!!! Right as I was getting into the Theater, I got my Orders to Nevada. So I left!! 3 years later I got orders home again, and was asked if I would like to get back into the theater.
I Then Produced THE INSPECTOR CALLS, and Costumed CHILDREN OF EDEN! OH.My. GOD!!! I almost lost it on that one. I had to come up with unique costumes for this show. The Children were all animals, and had to be dressed in something that would entice imaginations. I had Ocupuses made out of dryer hose vents and skate boards, Giraffes out of paper mache heads and canes, peacocks out of satin and wooden dowels, Aardvarks and Anteaters out of gas masks, and ostriches out of paper mache heads and ballerina tutus. IT was FANTASTIC!!! When the animals all walked in, everybody WOWED!!
The next show was Assistant Director of ON GOLDEN POND. The Producer quit, so I ended up doing that job too. Then on to THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Abridged! FUNNY!!!!! I produced that one, and met a new friend, RUSTY who was the director.
I then started the long haul of being involved with almost every show. I produced OKLAHOMA, Assistant Directed and Produced I DO I DO!
Produced NUNCRACKERS, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN and RUMORS. I asst Directed ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, and produced THE DOCK BRIEF. Asst Directed OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS, and ended up producing that one when our producer walked off. Then on to GODSPELL where I directed.
Right now I am producing THE CEMETERY CLUB, and I will be Producing TEN LITTLE INDIANS in April 2005, and finally will be Assistant Directing and Co-producing A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM.
I set the lights for all of the shows that I work on, and generally do anything the Director wants or needs to be done. Rusty and I are a good team, and I have learned a lot. I need to train another person so I am in the process of mentoring another Producer.
I have always loved the theater, especially Musical theater. I was in music all of my life in school, Doing FLOWER DRUM SONG, SOUTH PACIFIC, FATHER OF THE BRIDE, OUR TOWN and others I cant remember. I studied Voice and Music in College, and had plans to become a Choir Director in High school or Jr High, but those plans all got way-laid by the Vietnam War, and I went to work for the Government. The rest is History! Now my voice is gone, and I never learned how to play the piano, but I still love the musicals, and enjoy working on them and watching them all come together. I am still learning the lights, but I will get them all down pat one of these days. I have to pick the brain of the man who knows the most. He says he wants to train others to do them but he doesn’t give out information easily, you have to ask questions constantly.
There is so much to learn, and I will be doing that until the day I die. If I am not involved I feel like I am doing nothing. My Mother retired from life, and sat in her chair and drank away the day, I don’t want to do that. I have to stay involved, and feel like I am contributing to something useful. I need to feel needed, and Love working with the Theater.
Anybody wanna Audition?
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