The Theater Bug- It Has Quite a Bite!

Brian was upset. He came home from school crying that he had to be a flower in the upcoming production of “Mother Goose” in his Apple Pie Ridge Elementary School kindergarten class spring production. Through tears, he sobbed that he didn’t want to be a boring flower, but a blackbird who flies out of the pie. His best friend, Leslie, was going to be a blackbird, and he wanted to be one, too. He was inconsolable, and I couldn’t get him to accept any of my good reasons for him to be a flower. Finally, my persuasion not working, I took another tack. I told Brian that if he really wanted to be a blackbird, he should talk to his teacher about it.

I look back at this event as the beginning of Brian’s way of doing things. He now affectionately labels it as DIYODS. I think most people reading this blog probably recognize what this stands for, and those who know Brian are nodding their heads in agreement and laughing as they read this. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when he had the conversation with his kindergarten teacher, as he convinced her to change his part in the play from flower to blackbird. I’ll never forget the sunbeams on his face the day of the play when he and Leslie exuberantly burst from the big blackberry pie, flapping their wings and “flying” around and around on the stage. It really was a better part than the flower would have been. All the flowers could do were stand in one spot and sway in the breeze. Of course, the applause was deafening, as Leslie’s family and ours gave the blackbirds a standing ovation and whooped and hollered for our little blackbirds. After this performance, there was no stopping Brian. He searched out parts in school plays and church pageants, and I found myself his biggest fan. He even filmed a movie after receiving his first video camera, “Shaggy Locks and the Three Bears”, starring his and Wade’s dogs, Shaggy and Dusty. He was on his way!

All of these memories surfaced this last week as Phil and I attended a production of “Willy Wonka Junior”, which was performed by a local middle school drama club. Our friend, Olivia, had a part in the play, and she invited us to come. I looked forward to going to the performance from the day she told us about it, and I was as excited about going as I used to be to seeing Brian’s plays. As I watched her on the stage, I noticed how comfortable she was in her role, and how natural and convincing she was as she brought her character to life. I knew that she, like Brian, had been bitten by the bug. After the performance, she was glowing, and for good reason. She was great! I hope that she, like Brian, will doggedly pursue her passion and seek her bliss as she experiences more opportunities to be on the stage.

And I’d like to think that I’ll be in the audience.

My Life - My Inspiration - My Sons

In my collection of days, I generally share tidbits and insights about my life and my days. I am taking exception today to write about my sons, and how they have enriched every day of my life since they entered my world.

Wade, my first-born, is the author of many of my pet sayings, the favorite of which is, “It’s a froggy day,” when he so creatively described a dreary, rainy day while gazing out the window one morning when he was about three years old. This has been a year of many froggy days in Georgia, and I think about Wade every morning that I awaken to the sound of rain on our metal roof. Wade is a computer animator, after breezing through a series of unfulfilling occupations, seeking one that would stick. He’s been doing this for several years now, and I think he’s found his bliss at the computer. Last week my niece, Connie, and I saw the movie, “Alice in Wonderland,” which is the latest project that has Wade’s fingerprints on it. Talk about a proud mom! If you haven’t seen it yet, you must go see “Alice.” Wade is now awaiting an interview with an animation studio in Australia for a short-term project, and all my fingers and toes are crossed for him, hoping he’ll get the gig! I am already eager to see the next animated movie that he’ll work on.

For my younger son, Brian, a tornado of creativity and energy, the world is his stage, and has been since he played the part of a crow jumping out of a pie in a kindergarten production. He’s been in New York City since graduating from college - could it be 13 years ago? Beginning with a desire to perform on the New York stage, his focus shifted to writing plays, where he created roles for himself. His two plays have seen the off-Broadway stage in New York theater festivals within the past year – he performed in both. One of the plays, “The Jungle Fun Room,” is currently stretching its wings in high school student productions. Brian has also penned a novel, which is now in search of a publisher. Whenever I go to New York to visit Brian, I know that I’ll have a great time with him, his partner, Roy, and all their friends. For those who are interested in learning more about Brian’s latest venture with his play, “Checking In,” please visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/373621928/checking-in-the-movie, where you can read about “Checking In,” the movie.

I can’t imagine what my life would be without Wade and Brian. They have brought such joy and inspiration into my life; I can’t begin to describe it in words. My personal life may seem unexciting at times here in rural Georgia, but I always know that with my sons out there in the world, a new adventure is just around the bend for me!

How I love my boys!