Fun Survey: What plays have you been in and what characters did you play?

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

I've been Tiny Tim in a Christmas Carol (7th grade), Cinderella in a Modern Cinderella (9th grade), and Mrs. Van Winkle in Rip Van Winkle (3rd grade), plus one of the "models" in a skit called Bald Barker's Price is Right (10th grade)

 

How about you?

[JFSinIL]

in a fifth grade class we performed for the kiddegardeners. Our robot heads were empty. clean ice cream tubs (the big kind you see at the ice cream store). My head fell off in the middle of the performance when we robots had to pick up papers off the floor on command. I am still embarrassed!

 

Haven't performed since.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

Wow, I don't remember the early years. But in high school, I was in a skit of Spoon River Anthology (cannot recall my part though). And I was one of the "fallen angels" in Anything Goes. I think I was Charity. It was fun!

[iquilt]

I was Cinderella in "Cinderella Wore Combat Boots" in high school :) I got to kiss the prince and wear my dad's combat boots along with my prom dress from the year before.

[Jami]

Let's see...in 6th grade I was Amerigo Vespucci for this really odd musical play about a movie spoofing Spielberg movies but it was about which explorer really discovered America. I think.

 

Then I did more student directing for most of my "career", I did play the White Queen from Alice in Wonderland in a one-act my sophomore year. "Jam tomorrow, jam yesterday, but never ever jam today."

 

And my only leading role was as "Mama" from "I Remember Mama" my jr. year. Over Christmas the original black and white movie was on and we all tried to watch it, but man, it was boring!

 

For speech team I played a Holocaust survivor/teacher from the play "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" and Portia in a weird Shakespeare comedic group performance where a bunch of Shakespearean heroines get together to give Juliet advice.

 

I think that's all. :) Not much of a career, but pretty fun while it lasted.

[Mama Lynx]

Hmmm.

 

I made my debut as Comet in a Christmas play.

 

Lots of little things I can't remember ... I was the chorus leader in Antigone, and a minstrel in Robin Hood. My best role, though, was Miranda in a play version of "The Magic Flute."

 

In high school, I did show choir instead of acting.

[Elisabeth in IL]

In College I was one of the town's people in the Music Man. It was fun and nerve racking for me. :)

[Tutor]

I loved theater when I was in school. (I wish I had more time for it now. That's how dh and I met, and we'd love to actually perform together sometime.)

 

6th and 7th grade: chorus of a couple musicals my music teacher wrote

 

8th grade: Free To Be You & Me, sang When We Grow Up, Brothers and Sisters, and Free To Be You & Me, I was also in a skit that was added on since our cast was so big

 

9th grade: "Norma" in Flowers for Algernon

 

10th grade: cast in The Pigman, chorus of Il Trovatore

 

11th grade: "Handmaiden" in Moliere's The Forced Marriage and student directed Twelve Angry Men

 

12th grade: "Munchkin #1", "Oz Lady", and "Skeleton" in The Wizard of Oz (I had 6 costume changes and goofed at one performance and came out as the wrong character... oops) and student directed The Heiress

 

College: "The Bride" in The Bare-Handed Catch and an unnamed character (I think we all had numbers, but I don't remember mine) in a student-written one-act play.

 

I also participated in traveling children's plays and productions for The International Thespian Society while in high school and helped dh direct some plays while he was a teacher at a private school. We'd love to start a homeschool theater camp someday, but that day is not today.

[Jennifer in MI]

In sixth grade I was the Good Witch From the West.

 

I played various roles in unknown plays after that. In high school, I was a choir girl in South Pacific and Fiddler on the Roof. Then, I realized I'd MUCH rather be in the pit orchestra. I played in countless musicals (some professionally!) as a violinist from 10th grade on.

[Jami]

In sixth grade I was the Good Witch From the West.

 

I played various roles in unknown plays after that. In high school, I was a choir girl in South Pacific and Fiddler on the Roof. Then, I realized I'd MUCH rather be in the pit orchestra. I played in countless musicals (some professionally!) as a violinist from 10th grade on.

 

Oooh yes, I *loved* playing pit. "A Little Night Music" was my favorite pit experience in college. :)

[1bassoon]

Let's see if I can remember. . . . .

 

I played the ditsy ballerina sister in. . . .oh, man! what was the name of that? . . . . the character was Essie Carmichael. Oh - You Can't Take It With You. I think that was my only straight show.

 

Then I did musicals - I played Mrs. Paroo in the Music Man.

 

Next was Carrie Pipperidge - Julie Jordan's best friend - in Carousel. The best part? My brother played my fiance, Enoch Snow. great laughs!

 

My favorite was playing in the pit for West Side Story - that's one kickin' bassoon part!

[Tea 4 Three]

I love musicals. In high school I was in Music Man and Guys and Dolls. No significant parts, but I always was usually paired with a lead if they needed a extra as a dance partner. I hope someday to try out for a community play.

[Wendi]

Elementary & jr. high: All I can remember are the usual Christmas plays. Once I was Mary (this was before schools stopped doing Nativity plays).

 

Sr. high: I was vice president and then president of our Drama Club, so I was in a lot of plays. I was Sister Rita in "The Runner Stumbles", a prostitute in "California Suite", and a few others.

 

College: I majored in theatre my first couple of years. I was in the chorus of "Anything Goes" and stage manager of "The Mikado". I was also in "The Pirates of Penzance" at the community theatre. Plus lots and lots of scenes and one-acts.

 

Since college: My most beloved performances have been doing dramatic readings for my ds. I am especially good at English accents (we read lots of C.S. Lewis and E. Nesbit books) and character voices (my Gollum was pretty good).

 

Wendi

[Sue G in PA]

Let's see:

 

10th gr: Gloria the reporter in **** Yankees! the musical

11th gr: a nurse in South Pacific/understudy for Nellie

12th gr: Dorothy in Wizard of Oz the musical (what FUN!)

 

Clge:

various play/characters: Vera in a one-act play called War Brides, a chorus member in Fire Bugs. Other small, bit parts in various plays.

 

I love theater. My dh was a theater major and taught hs theater for a few years!

[Ohio12]

I was in a lot of plays in HS, but the most notable was Wilbur in Charlotte's Web! :lol:

[abbeyej]

Summer and Smoke (young Alma)

A Christmas Carol (Scrooge's little sister and various Cratchets over a couple of years)

Anne Frank (Anne)

Jacques Brel is Alive... (Frieda)

In the Presence (Martha)

Midsummer Night's Dream (Hermia)

Hamlet (Ophelia)

Lion, Witch, Wardrobe (Mrs. Beaver)

 

I know I'm forgetting a bunch, but that's all my brain'll give me right now. ;)

[Jenn in Mo]

Ooh! I'm so proud of this one, I've got to share pictures.

 

I played Alice in "The Christmas Post" this past Christmas. It was a big ol' musical and it really stretched me out of my comfort zone.

 

Here's me begging for mercy most pitifully:

 

 

And here's mid-hairstyling. HA!

[Brenda in FL]

Most of my theater experience was backstage in High School, but I did play Alice in Alice in Wonderland for one-act play performances for the area elementary schools. Then in 12th grade I played the wife/mother in God's Favorite.

[Brindee]

Wow, some of you have really been in a lot! I always wished I could act in plays. I was just in small ones.

 

Many school Christmas plays, a couple of small solos.

 

In 6th grade I had two "bigger than nothing" parts: One was a 2-person play my friend and I wrote and performed about the night before Christmas, but with our own twist. Our teacher encouraged us and let us perform it. Not sure how good it was! ;)

 

The other one was in "Scrooge". I played the Ghost of Christmas past. I still remember my main lines: "I am the Ghost of Christmas Past." Scrooge says, "Long Past?" And I said "No, YOUR past."

 

After that it was small bit things.

[Old Dominion Heather]

I've been Anne Frank, and had bit parts in My Fair Lady and other stuff in community theater... long ago, though.

[lynn]

I never was in a play but I did behind the scenes work in makeup and lighting for Christmas Carol at PCC and helped a friend who directs plays for the school she teaches at.

[Alice]

Elementary School:

A red octopus in some play

I co-wrote three plays in 4th and 5th grade with two other kids in my reading group. This was basically a way for us not to do our work. They were based on the Trixie Belden books.:001_smile: We wrote in a part for me...I was Juliana, Trixie's cousin from the city. :D

 

High School:

I worked on a lot of plays as stage manager or backstage. I'm completely unmusical and so much of high school drama is musicals. But I loved theatre and wanted to be part of it. It was so much fun!

 

I did have one part created just for me...The Little Red-Headed Girl in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. Usually the little red-headed girl isn't seen but I sat just off the side and Charlie Brown would look longingly in my direction. You can probably figure out why I got to play her. ;)

 

College:

I auditioned for Stage Door as a freshman but didn't make it. I did get a role in some bizarre arty play but elected not to do it (it was sort of for the Stage Door rejects). I did work as a dresser on Stage Door and got to rip off this really cute guy's clothes and then dress him quickly in a tuxedo. A good skill to have, perhaps. :lol:

 

And there ended my theatrical career....

[Remudamom]

Eeks, can't remember the names, but I played the mobster's girl in "Anything Goes" and the lead in "Pursuit of Happiness", not the Wil Smith version!

[Tess in the Burbs]

I was the ghost in A Christmas Carol in 6th grade

I was a mom in a play about a small country declaring war on the US (name?)

I did backstage/sound for all other middle school plays

 

I also did backstage manager for Grease and Music Man in high school.

 

Then I starred as the mom in Lil Abner and had the starring role in a cute country play(name escapes me but it wasn't a well known thing) and it made the popular girls hate me b/c I had to kiss the guy at the end and the girlfriend did not like it :-)

[Doran]

First one was a 7th grade muscial production of Tom Sawyer. I played Aunt Polly.

 

Several seasons in minor parts with the NC Shakespeare Festival -- I was the fairy Cobweb in A Midsummer Night's Dream, I was a flirty maid in Twelth Night. In the chorus for Christmas Carol. Ditto for Oklahoma! There were other bit parts, I just can't remember what they were -- some with NCSF, some with Community Theater.

 

I think that someday I'll try for a part in a production in my new home town. It's been so long, but I really used to love it!

[elegantlion]

My theatrical experience is limited to mostly junior high and church. I was a sailor in Pirates of Penzance. We did another play, forget the name. They were short of boys, so I played two male parts, must have been the short hair :confused: I was super shy, but loved drama. We did a couple of others, but can't remember them.

 

As an adult I co-wrote and co-directed some skits we did during study on The Purpose Driven Life. One Christmas the worship team got to be in the Christmas play. We all play "old people". I found the best dress at Goodwill, my dh's expression when i brought it home was priceless.

 

Oh I forgot the latest one. Our church did a production of Game Over, a traveling show. I played a lost soul sentenced to h*ll. They pulled us from the audience at each performance and beat us and put us in chains. At the end of the show we use a charge to break our chains. It was so cool!

[WTMindy]

In college I was in the chorus of Fiddler on the Roof and Bye-Bye Birdie. I was the understudy for the narrator in Joseph, but I got to do all the rehearsals because they flew in a real live Broadway actress to play the part for the shows.

 

I was in a ton of musical reviews where we just did exerpts from shows. My favorites were Cinderella from Into the Woods, Nellie from South Pacific and the young single pregnant girl in Baby.

[Kelli in TN]

I played the psychiatrist in Who's Life Is It Anyway?. I also played a delusional old lady who, with another delusional old lady, sells lemonade. I thought the play was called Lemonade, but when I google that I get links for a play that doesn't seem like the one act we did.

 

I hung out with the theater people simply because speech, debate and drama were all together at my high school. I was a debater and only dabbled in theater a couple of times.

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

I played "Velma" in a college theatre production of West Side Story, as well as lots of dance stuff through high school. Btw, Velma was one of the leading bad girls of the Jets gang. The lead Shark chick and I got to dance alone with the guys in "Cool", plus the other dance numbers. Despite being exhausted with rehearsals, flute recitals, work, and my courseload, I still loved....every.....minute....of...it! :D

[1bassoon]

First one was a 7th grade muscial production of Tom Sawyer. I played Aunt Polly.

 

 

Oh, no kidding??!!

 

I think we did a musical production of Tom Sawyer in 6th grade - I remember it, but I don't remember my part :confused:

 

I was in a play called, "How the West Was Really Won" - I was a Crusty Old Man Narrator (this was in 6th grade)

 

The funniest part? When I grew up, I was for about 4 years an elementary school music teacher - and I made my classes perform. . . .

 

"How the West Was Really Won"

 

It was so wild!!!

[Michelle My Bell]

This past December I played the Laundress in Scrooge's A Christmas Carol. I ended up trying out on a whim because my other daughters were trying out. We all got in, but I was the only one who ended up getting a speaking part. It was wonderful! I had so much fun and I really enjoyed being in a big production play with my daughters. We played to over 8000 people over 4 days.

 

Michelle

[Maria from IN]

Wow, you all did such great parts!

 

The closest I ever got to playing any sort of character was in the late 80's when the Kids R Us I was working at had their grand opening and I dressed up in the Pound Puppy suit...the gray one, I can't remember his name.

 

I remember feeling great--I could be someone else for a while, and just cut loose and run around (like a dog!), but I really hated the kids pulling on my tail all the time...;)

[Jenny in Florida]

I was in the chorus of Annie Get Your Gun (7th grade) and had a "featured role" as Old Sally in Oliver! that same year.

 

In 8th grade, I played Debra Sue in Bye, Bye Birdie.

 

Unfortunately, after that, my glorious career was cut short, because my high school had no theatre department and no one told me about community theatre. All I've done since then is sing with a few choirs.

 

My kids are working overtime to make up for that trauma, however, allowing me to live vicariously through them.

 

My daughter has been in the chorus of School House Rock Live (jr.), Susie (of that fabulous rock group Susie and the Napkins) in Dear Edwina, Jr., the chorus of one production of Fiddler on the Roof and Shprintze in another, the chorus of a show called We the People and was one of Jacob's wives in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She's also done assorted workshop performances in drama classes, the holiday pageant at our church (3 years), a walk-on role as a junior fairy in our local Shakespeare theatre's Midsummer Night's Dream and was a member of the show choir run by a local children's theatre company.

 

My son has been in three years' worth of The Nutcracker and was a faun in the ballet version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. He was also in the chorus of School House Rock Live (jr.) and has played everyting from shepherds to kings in our church's holiday pageant. He played Councilman Quigley in a children's show called Rats! and is currently rehearsing a junior version of Pirates of Penzance, playing Samuel the pirate Lieutenant. Last summer, he did his first "professional" gig, playing one of the kids in a dinner theatre production of The Sound of Music. And he's performed in two operas (so far) this year, helping to workshop a new piece (which gave him the chance to go to New York for a couple of performances) and--just tonight, as a matter of fact--singing with the children's chorus in our local opera company's Turandot.

 

Hmmm. I do realize that this thread is supposed to be about us. But the truth is that my kids are just so much more interesting (and accomplished) than I am that I had to talk about them, instead.

[Jean in Newcastle]

7th grade - I played "Marta" in the high school production of "The Sound of Music"

 

10th grade - I was a spoiled rich girl in a play called "Old Doc"

 

11th grade - I was Beth in "Little Women"

 

12th grade - I was in "The Mikado" - oh, I can't remember my name- I was the female lead.

[Stacia]

In 6th grade, I was in the chorus in Bye, Bye, Birdie (entire 6th grade had to participate in the production). Hated singing, but it was ok to blend in w/ the crowd & the 50s style outfits & ponytails were fun.

 

I avoided being in plays, but did have to take Drama in college. (Even though I kept holding out, hoping the requirements would change.)

 

I've blacked out many of the memories of drama class ;), but I do remember being:

 

Juliet, doing the soliloquy just before she drinks the sleeping potion (I let my full fear of being on stage shine through in this & classmates & the prof all raved about the performance -- guess I could be an actress as long as the part involved convincingly playing someone who was terrified all the time, lol)

 

Desdemona in a scene from Othello

 

the part that Dolly Parton played in Steel Magnolias (can't remember the name of the character) -- prof made me do that part because it was the polar opposite of my personality

 

Can't remember the other torture.... I really hated every minute of it.

 

But, I love movies & plays & can really appreciate good actors, lol!