I'm not sorry that I went to college. I'm not even that sorry that I failed to complete my degree back in the day. Because it was a time of growing up, a time of preparing for what would lie ahead. Even though I don't think I actually grew up at all much during those years. I was still writing in my diary on a daily basis (which has ended up being useful over the years for getting all the times and dates straight)... but I was still addressing my entries to "Barbra" for pete's sake... Anyway, I think I felt a lot more grown up and sophisticated at the time than I think I probably was (which I discovered after spending a few hours reading those old journals today.)
And to be honest, even though I sometimes wish I had just moved to New York fresh out of High School (and sometimes I even tell people I did) at the time I was no where NEAR ready to move to New York! As you will see, it would take me several years to be able to do that with any real committed purpose in mind, and then, only after a few false starts. But anyway, I DID have a wonderful time in college and with everything that would go along with my staying home in LA for another few years... but I seriously don't remember a single thing about my first day of College, except for feeling very lost.
My first memory, seriously, was sitting in French class. Which is kind of funny, because when I went back to college for real 28 years later my first memory was sitting in French class...
But other than that, here's my first memory of the Cal State Fullerton Theatre Department.
I read an announcement on the Theatre Bulletin Board that there would be auditions held for the One-Act Play of "The Birdbath" an Arena Theatre student direction production. And since I had just recently seen that TV movie staring my most ex-favorite person Patty Duke... I got a little excited, to say the least! It was this play about a waitress and a bartender who end up all alone in a restaurant one night while closing up after hours. Velma Sparrow is a rather psychotic sort of girl and Frankie Basta has more than a few problems of his own. And the plot thickens! Anyway, I was told by several people (my BFF Lorna included) not to get my hopes up too high because underclassmen rarely get cast in productions. But I went to the audition anyway. And in fact, to 3 callbacks.
I SO wish I could do that play again. I think I would be SO much better at portraying the psychotic part now!
Here's a really blurry picture of Steve Patterson and me backstage.
btw... Steve was a Senior.
During this time, Lorna and I were still hanging out quite a bit. Ok, inseperably. With weekly weekend jaunts into Hollywood, Century City and Westwood, and the traditional stops at 301 Carolwood Drive... During this time I also joined a sorority. Alpha Delta Pi. I still have no idea why I did that but it was an interesting experience.
And then the annual Disneyland Christmas Parade auditions came up and I couldn't resist trying once again. I'd been passed over the year before but was much more confident in my abilities now (even though I hadn't really danced too much in years!) So there I was amoung 500 - 600 young dancers, on this very slippery floor in a recreation hall of a park in Anaheim California just trying to do my best. And I was cast as a SnowWoman! I left that audition with beautiful visions of sugarplums and grand jete-ing balletic snowflakes dancing in my head!
This is a photo of me taken a few weeks later..
Humility Rocks!
Coincidentally though at the very same time, I landed a dancing chorus role in the MainStage production of "Die Fledermaus" though I really don't remember the show too much because I would only arrive halfway through the performance each night after dangerously racing my way the 10 miles from Disneyland.
I was told it was good though. And even multiple times that I was the best dancer in the ensemble. (It's the little things that make life great.)
Upstage West was an improvisation group organized by the director of the Cal High theatre department than Lorna was still attending. And I joined. It was the scariest thing ever! We'd go in and sit on these old sofas in the back area of some community center and just IMPROVISE for hours. If you've never done that, be glad. It was terrifying and I was not very good. But then, they put on a production of "Tom Jones," which is now where I think it's probably time to mention my lifelong crush on George Thatcher... who played Tom. He was the "catch" of the Whittier drama scene in those days and no girl was left unscathed by his charms.
Anyway... here's another somewhat blurry photo of me as Lady Belaston in that production.
And George and Lorna as Tom Jones and Lady Waters..(in the famous "Eating Scene.")
Even so, I was victorious in my pursuit. Even if our little "affair" only lasted a few days. I remember how Lorna was SO upset with me about that! She probably wouldn't be as upset now to know that he became my kind of go-to boyfriend for the next several years. I know that he toured with Harry James for a while and he even wrote me a couple of times years later when he was playing trombone in South Africa with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra asking me to come visit, but I was dating Brad by then so I didn't go. I still often wonder what he's doing now. There are too many George Thatchers on Facebook.
David Dotson was my first introduction to gay. I'll never forget sitting in his dorm room when he told me and then he just kept sitting there waiting for my reaction to his big reveal and I was like... "Ok..." Then I went home and wrote in my journal to Barbra and said "Wow, I'm probably going to be questioning everyone now! But David says you love fags." Yes, I really wrote that.
The year ended with several other arena productions, "The Crucible", "Thurber Carnival" and lots of other acting class scene work. It was like I was totally into this whole acting/performing thing, ya know? Getting my craft together and not letting anything stop me!
But then I auditioned for the Main Street Electrical Parade...
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