OH THOSE GOLDEN GLOBES
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in 1981 I garnered my first major job as a guest artist in the New Jekyl Arts Center at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. I was hired to run the theatre apprentice program during the academic year and a principal acting and directing artist in the summer. The apprentice program was a successful precursor to the implementation of the theatre major a year or two later. It was an exciting opportunity. In addition to a full range of workshops and coachings, I directed two apprentice productions, KENNEDY’S CHILDREN” and THE ZOO STORY, during the school year, as well as THE LION IN WINTER during the summer festival.
I also got to perform in three plays, THE FARM, THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT, and lastly PICNIC. Playing Rosemary Sidney in that show was great fun and the rest of today’s story is about that experience. The guest costume designer had crafted a terrific ensemble of authentic 50’s style outfits. My dress for the Labor Day party was an authentic cream-colored satin with an array of deep pink roses splashed on it. True to the 60’s style, it was a pullover the head dress, with a side zipper, a fitted waistline, a flowing skirt and deep v-neck in both the front and the back. During our dress rehearsals the costume kept slipping off my shoulders to reveal my brassiere. It was ost annoying. Suddenly I had what I thought was a brilliant idea. I asked Jeff, our costumer to velcro the shoulders of the dress to my bra straps. Smart thinking, or so I thought. On opening night everything sent swimmingly until the party scene, where Rosemary, her gentleman friend Howard and a few others are gathered around a water pump secretively chugging down moonshine – straight from the bottle. When it was my turn, I grabbed the bottle from Howard, and bent over to take a hearty swig. As I came up bending slightly backwards, the dress and the bra (now happily married) slipped off my shoulders and my breasts popped out in full glorious view. Not missing a beat, bottle in one hand, I flipped my “golden globes” back into the costume with the other, and wrestled the naughty costume back on to my shoulders. But everyone on stage got a full panoramic view of my breasts and poor Howard’s mouth fell open, as he stammered through the rest of the scene. True pro that I am, I carried on with equanimity and poise, as if nothing had happened. Fast forward into the 2000’s and they probably call it a “costume malfunction.” I am proud of my breasts, as they are probably the only golden globes I will ever get. I do my best, however, not to permit those little babies to pop out unexpectedly when on stage. So much for my brilliant idea of attaching dress and bra.
