My First Play

So, the first play I was ever in was "Rosencranz and Guildenstern are Dead." I was in junior high school, seventh grade, but it was a high school play. I was one of the Tragedians. Kris Estep Ginley came to Math class and told me I got the part. I couldn't believe it. That was the real start for me, the exploration of art, of character, and the pursuit of a dream larger than I could grasp. I was involved in theater for the rest of my time in high school. It saved me, gave me a community where I belonged, a place to be safe, where I could be myself. It was the 1970s in a little high school in a Midwestern town, surrounded by corn fields, and we were doing a Tom Stoppard play. Amazing. Lucky. A million words can't describe the good fortune of being in the right place at the right time. We had a great time. We had a great teacher (thank you, Ron Clark), and a priceless education that we took for granted. Teachers change lives... Art changes minds. I'm still chasing the dream. And I will love Rosencranz and Guildenstern for all of eternity (It never stops!).