by Veronica Prior

Created on: April 06, 2007

Years ago, after watching Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" on TV, I saw an audition notice in the local paper. Our local community theater was planning to do that very show. This is Texas. I wondered who was going to be the Pigeon Sisters, and decided that maybe one of them could be me. I had a background in Public Speaking, so I knew I could project. I was born in England, so I knew I could manage the accent. I went to the audition. The local community theater was in its beginning stages, and they didn't get the six men necessary to do the show. My first foray into community theater failed, through no fault of my own. The director told me he was going to do Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians" in the Spring, and would I be interested in auditioning for that?

WOULD I!

I counted the days.

I auditioned, was cast in one of the smallest roles (Ethel Rogers, the housekeeper, others known as Corpse #2), got "the bug," and didn't look back for over 20 years.

That ability to produce a British accent on cue has stood me in good stead, but less than a quarter of the roles I have played over the years have used it. Along the way, I learned that there's a lot more to acting than reciting lines with whatever accent is required. I have pulled emotion and experience from places within myself that I didn't know existed.

I learned a lot during my years in community theater. Eventually, I did everything but write. I schlepped furniture, painted sets, sold tickets, cleaned the toilets, ran lights and sound, made costumes, stage managed...ran the gamut. Eventually, I got a pretty good reputation as a costume designer, and that was right up there with acting as being among my favourite things.

Of course, having been with the same theater for over 20 years, I had a huge emotional stake in it. Since it has moved on, trying to grow, with an emphasis on winning awards and providing a career path for up-and-comers, there is no longer room for me.

Does anyone know of a small community theater who could use an experienced older person?

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