Betty Tyburski, who now lives on the Twin Lakes, left her heart in Falls Village, where she lived for 35 years. A familiar face at the David M. Hunt Library, she volunteered backstage at the Falls Village Children's Theater production of "Annie". She writes:
Well, I woke up this morning and as I dressed, I sang silently to myself "Easy Street, (drum drum drum) "Easy Street," (dah dah dah dum dum)! At odd moments I have found myself singing "It's A Hard Luck Life" and other Annie tunes. Scenes from the play come forth again and again, such as Daddy Warbucks dancing with Annie or Miss Hannigan going off stage to let off a scream. I guess you can say that I caught the Children's Theater fever pretty bad, and that's good. What fun it was to be involved with the show! I was so high after opening night that when I returned home I could not get the electricity out of my body for several hours. It was such a incredible undertaking and it all ended so beautifully. I never saw the show from beginning to end until dress rehearsal night, and even then there were still some rough spots. (Holy Cow! The kids learned how to take their bows just before the opening night curtain!) And, when I attended rehearsals at Kellogg or the Town Hall I saw actors not knowing their lines and the general enthusiastic chaos of dozens of high-spirited kids running wild (until Lannie tamed them down with a few well-placed shouts). And from this organized chaos came forth a beautiful, mesmerizing, intoxicating play starring young children from tiny Falls Village. And I must single out six-year-old Elijah Stone: Seeing him on stage singing his solo, gently rocking side to side, tore my heart to pieces. Being behind stage was something to behold too. Some actors were high-strung, others were low-key. One scene that was especially fun to watch was when the kids formed a circle and played a hand-slapping, sing-song game and Lannie joined in. His back-stage presence, so calm and full of fun, was especially good for the children. His private pre-show pep talk with the actors, complete with nerve-calming screaming was perfect. He is a magician whose professionalism and devotion to theater turns untrained children into disciplined actors. Anyway, I thank the Falls Village Children's Theater for letting me take a small part in the production of Annie. I thank all the other adults whose hard work and devotion to a dream made the play Annie come to life for all who participated or came to watch. It was a memorable experience, to say the least. And now I sign off as I feel, once again, the urge to sing "Easy Street".
Director Lanny Mitchell helps his cast calm their nerves and let off steam backstage
Photos by Betsy Howie
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
A View from Backstage
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3 comments:
Wow! How beautifully Betty has written about how many of us feel. I was humming "Easy Street" and "It's A Hard Luck Life" whilst out raking on Monday. Much has been written about how good this is for the kids, but, as one of the adults involved I need this just as much. In the midst of a bleak winter I get to sew (a life long hobby) and fit costumes. The latter part being an excuse to see the kids performing at their rehearsals! Some of them I've know since they were babies and it's wonderful to see them growing up. Bravo to all involved.
I love ALL the backstage volunteers! What teamwork, and what fun!
I just wanted to say a gigantic THANK YOU to everybody who helped out with Annie. I personally feel that it was the best performance that I've yet participated in, and certainly the most fun (My little sister is reading over my shoulder and she heartily agrees).
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