Where The Educat Explains Her Master Thespian Era After A Gentle Nudge From A Dear Friend

I have a post nearly ready, waiting for me in the "draft" folder, and The Crib Chick throws down the gauntlet. She is participating in a "Friday Five" (as it happens, the first one was so good, she never got past it) and needs an "amen" of sorts about our High School theatre experience.

"Stories!?!? About ME!!??" I squeal. "Of course!"

Although you can find her entry here. Please go read her entry, it's hilarious, but in an effort to make this easier for you, the reader, I will quote the her in spots for an easy flow for my response.

First the backstory: I spent the years of 14 to about 28 either onstage, rehearsing for a play, or figuring out how to get myself in a play. It was like living my entire life as Lucy Ricardo. It was good times. This is how I met The Crib Chick, fifteen years old in Drama I at Armpit High School.

On to my response...

...the old lady in 'Star Spangled Girl' that I think was the most fun. I know
what those of you who are familiar with Neil Simon are thinking. You're
thinking, "Um, Crib Chick...the old lady (I can't even remember her name, that's
how meaningful it was for me) was just talked about...she didn't actually appear
onstage." Well, she did in our version. And it was loads of fun. No dialogue to
memorize, just wacky props and costumes, and a gray wig. It was visionary.

Mrs. Mackeninny. Thank me later.

Picture it, OCU Children's Theatre, circa 1988. The Birthday Lady and The Big Blue Bunny charmed young theatre goers as the mascots of children's theatre.

On this particular day, the Educat was the Birthday Lady, lucky dog, and the Big
Blue Bunny was none other than yours truly. During one of our breaks, we decided
to descend to the basement dressing area, probably (again, I have a foggy
memory) so that the Birthday Lady could wrestle off my Big Blue Head, and I
could swear, and whine. Because the Big Blue Bunny suit was not new, friends.
Nor was it cool and breathable. Nor was it impossible to escape the odor which
was a constant reminder that you were not the first Big Blue Bunny. So, as we
began our trek down the stairs, I found myself tripping, probably because
wearing Big Blue Bunny feet to go down stairs, I found myself tripping,
probably because wearing Big Blue Bunny feet to go down stairs is akin to trying
to navigate them in skis. So I began to fall, trapped within my furry prison,
and helpless to realign myself, paws waving frantically. It was then that the
Educat grabbed me by the scruff of my furry blue neck, and through sheer brute
strength, hauled my blue furry behind to stability. I blinked at her, through
the ridiculous Blue Bunny face makeup; "You saved my life." And so she had.

I always thought I envied that Mrs. Chick got to be the Bunny. All the kids loved the fantastical Bunny, but I was just some silly girl in a 1980's Eagle's Eye skirt and sweater set. My mother loved them but I know I looked horrificly dorky. I wasn't a Bunny, and my mother dressed me funny. I was able to suddenly roll back my Bunny envy when I myself donned the big blue costume. I too surfed down a set of stairs in the huge bunny feet and all of the sudden, my teddy bear skirt and sweater held more appeal. My friend, I would save your life again.

My favorite (play), though? Gosh, I don't know. Educat, what's my favorite play?
;o)

Your favorite play is The Crucible, starring Educat and Anabaptist Monk (this is a huge joke, The Monk and I were Francis and Rebecca Nurse. He had about three lines and although the other characters talked about Rebecca quite a bit, her major stage time occurred at the end when she was hanged.). You also liked A Shayna Maidel. I played a dead woman. I was stunning.

Maybe if we prod her, the Educat will tell us the story about our co-star in
'The Haunted Maples'. That young man went on to great things. ;o)

Our greatest moment in children's theatre occurred in this production. Rather than dress up in silly animal costumes before the show, we dressed up like silly little boys and had actual lines. It was a dream come true. We two high school kids were in a college play! In the tradition of Russian children's theatre, the little boy characters were played by girls and Babba Yagga, the traditional witch in these fairy tales, was played by a man in drag. Who was that man in drag? Remember the 1997 scandal involving the film The Tin Drum? The fated movie watcher was none other than our Babba Yagga. I have since visited with Mike at a reception and was able to use my best conversation opener thus far: "You know, I bet I am the only person here who doesn't know you from renting a movie."

What a good time in the wayback machine! Thank you, my good friend. My thoughts here actually begin to set up my next entry...