# Were you ever Star? Or just Grandma's favorite? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** theater-stage-dance\ **Created:** [April 28, 2024, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885 "2024-04-28T22:58:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2024, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/1 "2024-04-28T22:58:19Z")
Were you in a highschool production? In any capacity? Tell your story. It’s time to get your just rewards!! plus, I wanna know 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2024, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/2 "2024-04-28T23:05:39Z")
I was a supporting character in my high school’s productions of _The Pajama Game_ and _Bye Bye, Birdie_. Both times, my character’s name was Mae. In the former, I wore an old dress of my mother’s and everyone congratulated me on how tacky it looked, which was perfect for the character. Mom was outraged. “That was my best dress!” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/3 "2024-04-29T02:04:29Z")
I was one of the Drama Club geeks in high school. We had a pretty loose casting process - if you showed up, you’d be guaranteed a part either in the cast or crew. I played the lead once, the villain a couple of times, directed a one-act play, and had at least a small speaking role in every other production I went out for. I did one college production and one community theater production a few years later, but by then I was working with people who had actual talent and gave up. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/4 "2024-04-29T03:18:46Z")
My first time on stage was as a pea in a kindergarten production of _Petet Rabbit._ The next year, I had the lead in the first grade play. I played a Martian ( I got the role because I had my own space helmet) who asked Earth creatures what they were. I had two lines; everyone else had one. A couple of years later, I was part of the kids chorus in _Damn Yankees._ We went on during the second act and spent the time in a car, waiting. I had small parts in high school in _Bye Bye Birdie_ (as Harvey Johnson) and _The Man Who Came to Dinner_ as Professor Metz. In College I got involved in theater and had parts in _Sheep on the Runway_ and _Winterset._ The latter was a deadly serious play and I played a bum, who I never could figure why he was in the play to begin with. I played it as seriously as I could. People told me I was a good comic relief. Summers I took part in a group of college kids called “Youth on Stage.” We did _The Music Man_ (Marcellus, who told Harold Hill everything he needed to know), _South Pacific_ (Stewpot -.I had to buy my first pair of jeans - always hated them), and _Anything Goes_ (Moon Martin). I’m especially proud of the latter, since I hadn’t seen any version and played him in a way that was not done before. Most times, the role is played to be meek; I was blustery. At the auditions, I wanted that role from looking at the script. They didn’t ask me to read it, though. But at every audition, the director always ends it by asking if anyone wants to read and hadn’t. I said I wanted to read Moon Martin. The director said she should have thought of me in the first place, and I got the part. The play became the basis for a novel _Trying Hard to Hear You_ by the director, Sandra Scoppettone. The characters were closely based on the people in the play. The book became a minor YA classic because it was one of the first to portray gay characters.sympathetically. it actually outed the people, since it was easy to figure out who she was talking about. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/5 "2024-04-29T04:05:52Z")
In high school, I had a couple lines in our production of _Oliver!_ Also when I was a teenager, our church put on some dinner theatre productions. I played Jeff in _Brigadoon_ and Francis Fryer in _Calamity Jane_ (and some other less notable parts in less notable plays). ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/6 "2024-04-29T06:48:00Z")
At my high school, it was only the Cool Kids™ who got parts in the annual Shakespeare production. I was not a Cool Kid. I was told that I was lucky to make stage crew. Scraps for the poor, I guess, but I didn’t care and I liked being a part of the show, in any capacity. Meanwhile, I was doing ice skating shows as a skater. Take _that_, Cool Kids. In the years since, I’ve done a lot of community theatre. Mostly musicals, and while I’ve never been the star, I’ve usually managed to get roles where I get a solo or a duet: the “smart” gangster in _Kiss Me Kate_, the mortician in _Oliver_, Benny Southstreet in _Guys and Dolls_, Mr. Smee in _Peter Pan_, and others. Plus a lot of voice work, from radio to voiceovers for commercials to liners (station IDs). Like I said, take _that_, Cool High School Kids. What are you doing now? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/7 "2024-04-29T07:14:43Z")
Like you @Spoons, I was not at all a cool kid. But I did stumble in and ended up doing artwork for backdrops and other needs. I was wrote up for one play, in the program, as Art lead, assistant to the Art director. I was pretty proud of that. Once I was back of stage painting away for a backdrop in “Oklahoma!” And I heard the director chewing out the cast and telling them the only person on this stage taking direction is Miss Wrek. Yeah…take that Cool Kids™ ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/8 "2024-04-29T07:33:52Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Like you @Spoons, I was not at all a cool kid. My sister is one of those who said that high school was the best years of her life. She was one of the Cool Kids™. Well, Sis, if the best years of your life were in high school, then you haven’t really enjoyed your life since then. I’m sure that the Cool Kids™ in my high school class feel the same. “Ummm … Why am I not popular any more?” Well, Cool Kid (and Sis), I could give you a number of reasons. But I’d rather deal with @Beckdawrek . Beck, I cannot dance worth a darn\*. You were a dancer; you can teach me. \*Not on dry land, anyway. On ice, no problem. Hey, on ice, I’ll teach you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/9 "2024-04-29T08:04:58Z")
In first grade I was one of the daisies. All we did was sway back and forth. If I had ever had a chance I would have loved Shakespeare. In film I would have loved to be a villainess. Livia in I, Claudius or Lady Olenna in Game of Thrones. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/10 "2024-04-30T13:35:34Z")
I was involved in something around third grade; the music teacher had us kids came up with our own skits which were bookended by all of us line dancing to her choreography. I was supposed to have a bit part in a high school production _Guys & Dolls_ but we only got as far as initial rehearsals when the director realized there was no budget for background or props. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/11 "2024-04-30T21:09:28Z")
The first play I tried out for, in 7th grade, I was Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. The teacher-director deliberately wanted to give everyone a chance, though, so for the next three middle school plays, I had much smaller parts (plus, two of them were musicals, and I’m not noted for my singing voice). Then I hung up my personna mask for a few years, until my senior year in high school, the itch overcame me, and I tried out for the fall play, and ended up as the kidnapper in a play called The Day they Kidnapped the Pope, which, as one might guess, was also the lead. But I hadn’t asked Mom before trying out, and she got annoyed by ferrying me across town after school for rehearsals, so I didn’t try out for the spring play. And then ended up in it anyway, when the largest role that they didn’t have an understudy for quit two weeks before opening night. That one was a lot of fun; it was a murder mystery and I got to get shot on stage. I think the teacher wrote the play himself; it was called Catch me if you Can (no relation to the movie of the same name). ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/12 "2024-04-30T22:10:37Z")
I was just one of the crowd in _Our Town_ when I was a sophmore in high school. I did wear my mom’s wedding dress (a bias cut grey satin mid-calf with a pink maribou hat). But I got a lot busier with other activities and didn’t do anything else. My Girl Scout troop did a play in a local park (each park in the city did a play). I had the lead, and we won the acting prize among all the other (ten or so) parks! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/13 "2024-05-12T10:40:13Z")
I played a newsboy in the framing story of my school’s Christmas pageant in 1969; in 1971, I was in the chorus for my high school’s production of _Camelot_. Then I played Simon in _David and Lisa_, Barnaby Tucker in _Hello Dolly_, Hysterium in _A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum_, hoodlum Tommy Djilas in _The Music Men_, Andrew Carnes (Ado Annie’s dad) in _Oklahoma!_, and Charlie Brown in _You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown_. I had some minor roles in community college (one of which led to my name being in the front matter of a script available from Samuel French), and as Blind Pew in _Treasure Island_, I gave [William Allen Young](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Allen_Young) the dreaded Black Spot (but I think he’s forgiven me by now. At least we’re Facebook friends)! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/14 "2024-05-12T12:50:54Z")
In 5th grade, I wrote and directed a Christmas play that incorporated Santa, Jesus, and a snowstorm. We performed it for the other 3 5th grade classes. That was the peak of my theatrical endeavors. When I was in the 10th grade, I auditioned for the role of Bet in _Oliver!_ and even as I read, I knew I stunk. I didn’t even bother going back to see who was cast, tho I did go to the performance. My starring role, such as it was, came in bootcamp. The week before graduation, the next group to graduate would do the Pass In Review for the commander. It involved a a recruit commander presenting the regiment to the commander, then everyone would march around and salute and all that good stuff. I tried out for and was selected as recruit commander, I think mostly because in the gym where we auditioned, I literally had the place echoing when I called out _“attention!”_ I could project my voice pretty well. Unfortunately, no one from my family was there. No one from any family was there - it was just for all the recruits. But I done good - even the Commander of all women recruits said so. Go me! ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-ever-star-or-just-grandmas-favorite/1000885/15 "2024-05-12T19:45:50Z")
In 7th grade French class, I got the lead role in a play called “La Chemise d’un Homme Heureux” (“The Shirt of a Happy Man”). I have no idea how I got the role, I didn’t like acting that much and I hated having to memorize all the lines. In the end I did fine. I suspect I got the role because the teacher thought I was the best French student.