I was Frank Butler in "Annie Get Your Gun" in 1968 at La Porte High School. I had been one of the boyfriends in "The Boyfriend" the year before that and played the villain in a summer production of "Dirty Work at the Crossroads" even before that. I never actually aspired to be a professional actor, but theater has shaped my life in many ways. I continued to participate in theater in college until I was pressured out by the theater majors, who felt I was stealing parts from them. Theater was put on hold for a long time, until about 22 years ago, when I took a part in "The Snow Queen," a Russian play in which I played the prince. As it turns out, the woman who played my princess is now my wife of 20 years. But I used my drama training in my other careers. I was a platoon sergeant in the Army and learned that occasionally dramatic emphasis could be used to good effect. I was able to intimidate soldiers who were much larger than I was. Then I got to help an actor who had to play an NCO in Neil Simon's play about basic training - he later won an award for his portrayal. Now I'm a teacher, and use acting skills to enhance my ability to teach English. And I've written a very depressing play that no one is interested in doing.
So now some of us from the '68 cast are going down to see the show. It should be fun, and I hope we can talk about how theater has influenced our lives.
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