Thanks to Morgan for inviting me to share my story here at Spunky Seniors. It has been such fun celebrating all the wonderful things writers have shared in previous posts, and I am honored to be included in such an inspiring group.
When I was a little girl, my mother, sister and I would often go to the movie theatre a few blocks from our house. That was an outing that we all enjoyed, and I will date myself by admitting that we could see a double-feature and have popcorn for a quarter. My mother loved movies, and she passed that love on to me.
I can remember sitting in the dark and watching some of the great actresses like Joan Crawford, Doris Day, and Irene Dunn up on the big screen, keeping me spellbound. When the movies were over, I remember leaving the theatre and sometimes we would sing songs from the movies. Then I would go home to play movie star.
Like so many little girls, I flirted with the idea of growing up to become a famous actress, but in my teens and young adulthood, I chalked that up to childhood fantasy. I had too many strikes against me. I wasn't particularly attractive. I didn't have boobs to speak of. And I didn't know the first thing about acting.
Plus, when I tried out for a high school production I was put in the chorus, which is where all the kids who couldn't act were put. That clinched it for me. I was not destined to be an actor.
Fast forward many years later. I worked with a partner in the film business for a while, and we would hold acting workshops for theatre students in the Dallas
Yet, I never could get brave and tell anyone.
Fast forward a few more years when I became the Theatre Director at the art center in our small community here in East Texas . All those tricks I learned about acting I put to use in helping others bring roles to life, but I still couldn't work up the courage to step on the stage.
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| Maryann in Mildred in Squabbles |
Then, a few years ago, a good friend talked me into auditioning for a show at another community theatre. Her exact words were, "They need an old lady for a role." I didn't mind the comment. I knew I was an old lady. LOL
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| Maryann Miller as Martha Brewster |
To my surprise, I got the role as Mildred in "Squabbles" and I had a jillion lines to learn. I was afraid on opening night that I would freeze, or do something else equally embarrassing, but I stepped out on the stage and became Mildred. What fun. And the audience seemed to think I did a first-rate job.
Since then, I have had lead roles in several other shows, most recently as Martha Brewster in "Arsenic and Old Lace". The one good thing about being an old lady is I can play some of these roles and the make-up people don't have to add wrinkles or gray hair.
Like me, the heroine in my woman's novel, Play it Again, Sam, put her dreams on hold to raise a family. I'm glad we both got to pursue those dreams.
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Book Blurb:
Life as she knows it ceases to exist for Samantha Rutgers when her husband of twenty-plus years decides he no longer loves her. The challenges are myriad. Can she build a life without him? Will her daughter always blame her? Can she ever trust a man again? And what is she going to do about sex?
Maryann Miller is an award-winning author of numerous books, screenplays and stage plays. In addition to Play It Again, Sam, she has written several other books. The latest, Open Season, is the first book in a new mystery series that features two women homicide detectives in Dallas
Website: http://www.maryannwrites.com/
Twitter: @maryannwrites
Please leave a comment for Maryann to welcome her here at Spunky Senior Authors and Talents.
