Monthly Archives: May 2010
The backyard playwright—a first at age ten
I wrote my first play when I was ten. Wrote, directed and produced Black Widow, starring my playmates in the neighborhood. Our family garage in the backyard served as the stage.
We were in rehearsal one afternoon when Britt Leach skidded his bicycle down the gravel driveway. Britt lived a few blocks away. He was older than we were, by almost a year, and he would enter junior high school at the end of the summer. A 7th grader.
We were in awe.
Britt was in love. He had a crush on Mary Louise, who had the lead in the… [More]
My first trip outside the U.S.
Fifteen years old.
My friend’s mother invited me along on a trip through the Caribbean. A heady invitation for me. People didn’t hop across oceans back then quite like they do now and spring break meant two days off from school to play in the back yard. Leaving the country was a big deal. At least for me and my family.
My friend’s mother like to travel. She also liked to test her French and Spanish which she never mastered despite years of study. She was bright, Phi Beta Kappa, with a love for drama that didn’t play well on… [More]
