CONNECTING
When I was about ten years old, I saw a performance of Peter Pan at
the Fisher Theatre in Detroit. Not much of a theatre fan – but definitely a
drama queen – I was only mildly entertained until Peter, Wendy, John and
Michael took flight during the nursery scene. I was instantly captivated –
flying live on stage! Reading the program, I discovered that the role of
Peter was traditionally performed by women, and at that point the dream
was cemented: I would be an actress and, someday, be Peter Pan.
Except that I’m a shy drama queen, and over the years developed an
almost paralyzing fear of embrassing myself in public. So I didn’t become
an actress, although there were a couple of half-hearted attempts at high
school theatre. Instead I became a writer, which allowed me a
performance of sorts, albeit one where no one could see me.
And then, last fall, my oldest daughter, who was directing her first
show for Korda, begged me to take on the role of a dwarf in their panto
The ‘Obbit. When the script calls initially for 13 dwarves, it can be hard to
fill the bill. I balked.
“What if I forget my lines?” I wondered. “There are only four lines,”
she assured me.
“But the singing?” I protested. “It’s in a group,” she promised.
“What if I look ridiculous?” “You’ll be wearing a beard and wig in a
spoof of The Hobbit,” she said. “You’re supposed to look ridiculous.”
And so it began. Over the course of several weeks, I learned to sword
fight (I was always the first to fall, so I didn’t have to learn too much), how
to act without speaking (there were only four lines, but I was on stage in
almost every scene) how to fall without hurting myself, and how to die on
stage. In retrospect, it was more like a physical stamina test than acting,
and I still have the scar on my knee to prove it.
But I did it, and loved it. And my fears about being too old (there
were only two of us over 30 in the whole cast) to learn something new
went away. Not to mention my lifelong worry about looking ridiculous – it
evaporated in the space of a two-act play.
I may never get to be Peter Pan, or fly out over the audience, but I’m
not ruling out further attempts at community theatre. Nor should you – or
an attempt at any new challenge that comes your way. So go ahead, give
something new a try – you may surprise yourself!
Shelley
Last weekend the hubby and I decided to Explore the Shore. This
event has been a summer institution for several years but this was the first
time we put a day aside to check it out.
Explore the Shore guides explorers along County Road 50 from
Holiday Beach in Amherstburg to the Yacht Club in Leamington. Along the
way, marked stops offer participants the opportunity to explore places and
spaces that are often overlooked.
We stopped at Holiday Beach, where we haven't been in more than 30
years, and were given a rundown on the entire ETS process. We were
welcomed to visit as many places as we liked and encouraged to have our
“passports” stamped in order to be eligible to win a prize. With our
documents safely tucked away, we made our way to the Holiday Beach
Hawk Tower. If it hadn't been for this excursion, we would never had
known that this structure existed. It is an observation tower that looks out
over the surrounding grounds and marshes. Apparently this spot is ideal
for catching sight of several species of hawks and other bird life while they
migrate south for the winter. We climbed part way up, looked over the
terrain and even spotted some Purple Martens as they swooshed past our
perch. Stop #1 checked.
Over the next several hours we visited wineries, a historic Anglican
Church where we had perch for lunch and homemade pie for dessert, a
cemetery with a chapel and graves that dated back to the 1700s, and a
blueberry farm where we picked a bucket full of berries before the
approaching storm chased us out.
In between stops, we passed farm houses, neighbourhood inns, wind
farms, golf courses, grazing cattle and many magnificent views of Lake
Erie. While exploring our designated stops we saw people enjoying food,
wine, music and each other's company. We even bumped into a friend we
haven't seen in over a year. The day was deemed a resounding success.
August is full of similar opportunities to get out, meet up and
explore. Our calendar of events is once again bursting at the seams with
places to go and people to meet. Have a look at the August issue and read
about the people and places that surround you. Then, head out the door
and look at your surroundings with the eyes of a tourist. You may just fall
in love all over again.
Eva
Managing Editors
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