It's been more than two years now, since I appeared on a stage (or in a TV show or film). I guess, at this point, it's pretty safe to call me a "retired" actress/singer/dancer. With that in mind (and having just re-read "The House of Barrymore," by the brilliant biographer, Margot Peters) it seems that the time has come to share a few of my own show biz memoirs. As follows...

My very first acting role was Tinker Belle in a school production of Peter Pan, when I was in second grade. I think they chose me to play a fairy because I was the smallest girl in the cast. I wore a gorgeous, gold sequined dress that had been one of my Aunt Gina's dance recital costumes, when she was a little girl. With it, I wore wire hanger wings, white tights and a pair of white patent leather Mary Janes, which actually gave my feet enough support that I could (and did) go all the way up en pointe for Tinker Belle's dance (which I improvised).

The other thing I improvised, in that production, was my part of the scene in which Tink and the rest of the crew try to help Peter search for his lost shadow. Remembering how much I hated to look for any lost item, I channeled the memory of my own irritation; scowling, muttering and stomping around the stage. That part was a big hit!

The following year, I had a very laid-back (it was the 70s, after all) teacher, who pretty much allowed us to do whatever we wanted to, during our school day, so long as it had something to do with reading, writing or math. I spent my third grade hours writing short plays, which I would then rehearse with a couple of other young thespians and present to my classmates. I remember that one featured a spoiled young princess who could not be pleased by any birthday gift - until, that is, one of her suitors bought her a candy necklace. That won her heart because, "Look! It has all the colors of the rainbow and you can eat it, too!"

Next came my television debut! Our town had a local cable TV channel and most of the public schools, including mine, had TV cameras and small production studios. In fourth grade, I joined the school chorus and our chorus was chosen to perform on a (televised) choral festival, for what was still called Christmas (and not "The Holidays"). I was so psyched about seeing myself on TV! At that age, I didn't understand the limitations of small-town cable. I figured people were seeing me all over the world...

In fifth grade I had a teacher who had been a professional opera singer before getting his Education degree. Mr. W had a great love for all forms of theater and kept his more stage-struck students (self included) about as busy as we could want to be, doing shows. That year I starred as Alice in his "Alice in Wonderland," played Amy in "Little Women" and was part of the chorus of "Lovesick Maidens" in Gilbert and Sullivan's "Patience." By that time I was thinking of myself as Leading Lady material, and was a little bit irritated that I'd "only" been cast in the chorus. Mr. W, though, assured me that it wasn't a reflection on my talent; just the fact that I was small and wouldn't have looked believable for any of the leads in that particular show. He also reminded me that even the best actors have to pay their dues and that it's a good experience to learn the discipline of working in a chorus. All that made sense, plus I was crazy about Gilbert and Sullivan by then. It was enormous fun to be a "Lovesick Maiden."

Because of a certain reshuffling that happened after a new school was built, I had Mr. W again for sixth grade. Oh, joy! That year he cast me in my first Shakespearan role: Titania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." I loved being regal and glamorous, and enjoyed the challenge of being onstage, without twitching a muscle, sneezing or scratching my nose, during the long interval in which Titania is under the spell of Puck's sleep drug. I swore that even a great detective like Hercule Poirot (I'd also started reading Agatha Christie that year) would not be able to tell I wasn't really sleeping.  "Midsummer" was also shown on the local cable TV station, as was another of Mr. W's productions, "Aesop's Fables" (I played several different critters in that one). I started to feel like a real star! Mr. W also planned on directing "The Taming of the Shrew" that year, with me as Kate. He told me, "This role will make your feminist blood boil!" It did (when I read it) but, unfortunately, that production never got out of the planning stage. I'm not sure whether it was a budget issue or just the principal telling Mr. W that he had to spend some time on regular academic work, as well as plays.

It was also during sixth grade that I met my friend, "Hilda," who studied ballet. Watching Hilda dance filled me with longing to study ballet, too. It was the most beautiful form of movement I had ever seen, and I knew that I could be really good at it if I only had the chance. My parents couldn't afford extras like ballet classes, though, so I tried to learn what I could from Hilda and from reading books like Thalia Mara's "First Steps In Ballet." I also read lots of dancer autobiographies, including Margot Fonteyn's, Isadora Duncan's and Agnes DeMille's. They were all fascinating women but I liked Agnes best because she was really intellectual and loved writing as well as dancing. I figured I might end up a dancer/choreographer/dance historian like Agnes DeMille some day. Why not? 

To be continued...

Blessings and well-wishes,

Eva T.