By Laural Hayes For InPlay Capital Region Read contest rules here
In summer of 1992 my daughter asked me to accompany her to a play at Round Lake Summer Theater. One of her friends was in the cast. The play was "crimes of the heart" and after the play I was critiquing some things (i.e the. way one of the actors had said his line completely changing the meaning of the sentence.)
My daughter said "Mom, I bet you could do this!" I told her I always sorta wanted to and she said "Well??"
Having no experience, I signed up for some classes at Homemade Theater and immediately caught the "bug". At the time I was recently divorced and low on funds, so my son paid for the second set of classes for my Christmas gift. I just loved it!
The next summer, I got my nerve up and auditioned for "Auntie Mame" at Round Lake. I was cast in a great part--Doris Upson, the uppity mother of the girl her nephew, Patrick was planning on marrying.!
Each night someone from the crew went to a nearby Stewarts and brought back a chocolate milkshake to serve as the Upson daiquiris when Mame came to visit us.
Opening night, just before my very first line on Community Theater stage, someone backstage tripped and spilled the chocolate milkshake! It came under the curtain and up my legs, visible under my dress.
The actor playing my husband was worried I would freak out and miss my line, but I said it perfectly After this I was cast in many shows and many professional dinner theaters. I became a part of the Community theater family and gained many friendships One of these friendships lasted over 25 years until her passing in May 2018. She was the lovely lady who was he real Auntie Mame. Her name .was Rie Lee.
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