The Smell of Grease Paint, The Sound of Applause

Whew!! Long day today, but a good one. I just got in from rehearsal for the next play I'm doing "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" for our Little Theatre. It's the second go round for me with this play and the same character, but no matter. It's a play about children, so the adult characters' roles except for the mom are not big. This is what I needed after doing Neil Simon's "Rumors" and "Dearly Beloved" back to back. And I'll be helping direct this play also.

I do love being involved with the theater whether it's acting or directing. There really is something to be said about how a theater has a distinct smell. Stage make-up doesn't smell like regular old drug store make-up. It's a bit heavy and cloying, and I love to just breathe in the dressing rooms. Costumes take on the perfumes, aftershaves, and, well, body odors of the actors who wore them even after they are cleaned ( the costumes, not the actors.) Some older stages are polished with lemon oil after each performance or they have a waxy feel. Many have the marks and ruts of countless stage productions. Yes, indeed. I love the smell of the theater.

Acting is in my blood. My grandfather was a dancer in Vaudeville and my grandmother was a Ziegfeld girl. My father was a master guitarists and knew how to hold an audience in his hands. My daughter Heather and my son Hartwell are fantastic performers on the stage although my daughter hasn't acted in quite a while. Sons Heath and Hayden are guitarists in their own right and are also singers. And I have to add that Hartwell has a great song on YouTube called Transitions. I can already tell that my granddaughter has that acting gene. She's Little Miss Drama Queen at four. She can cry on cue! Maybe I'll get to direct her in a play some day. Wouldn't that be a trip?

 So, it was a fun night. All the kids are adorable and most have some acting under their belts. They are having fun with this. They're talented. Yes, this is going to be fun. Ah, I can hardly wait for the applause.