Writing during a pandemic has proven harder than I would’ve thought prior to one. But here we are and if you’re one of the people who reads this little blog, thank you. My thoughts are often all over the place, but writing and reflecting always helps me connect dots. I hope it provides a little entertainment at times too. Before NY was ordered to shelter in place, I had the incredible opportunity to act in a play. My two talented friends, Kristin Landiss and Kallen Prosterman got together and decided to do a play by Charlotte Jones called Airswimming. Set in 1920’s England, the play is based on the "true story of two women (Miss Kitson and Miss Baker), who have been incarcerated in a hospital for the 'criminally insane' for having borne illegitimate children. Forgotten by their families and not released until the 1970’s, Dora and Persephone adopt alter-egos, Dorph and Porph, to enact their fantasies and survive the silence of incarceration."
Kallen took on the role of the whimsical and naive Persephone Baker (Porph). And I stepped into the shoes of Dora Kitson (Dorph), rough around the edges and fascinated with military life. Kristin directed us masterfully and her husband Clayton, a lighting aficionado and visionary, handled the lighting and set. The four of us, all having lived in Tennessee at one time or another, decided to do the play in Nashville first. We got to Nashville during the infamous beginning phases of the pandemic within the US. Everything started shutting down across the country. Broadway shut down, along with colleges and theaters in Nashville. We were unsure all week whether or not we’d even be able to perform. However, the little black box theater, The Barbershop, that graciously lent us the space said they’d stay open for our weekend performances since each show had around 30 people or less. Our smallest performance had about seven people in the audience. And you know what? That was still a miracle! We got to perform our little show for friends, family and people who were looking for some entertainment. The show went on. It wasn’t perfect and under normal circumstances, I would have beaten myself up for missing lines or not connecting as deeply to the emotion of the character in pivotal moments. But because we were getting to act at a time when most performers weren’t, and their were people taking risks to travel to see our little show, it made for one of the most memorable times in my life. I wish my dad was still alive to have seen it. I think he would have been really proud. He loved watching me act. It was a surreal experience and I’ll never forget it.