I live alone and the evenings are sometimes long here in the village where everything closes at 8 p.m. Almost for a goof, I tried out for a role in the play that Mountain Theater Alliance was mounting for Valentine’s Day weekend. I’d heard the romantic comedy titled Bye Bye Baby by Ken Ludwig had small parts for female actors and thought I might be considered.

My acting experience consists of playing a role in the high school production of The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan. High school was many decades ago. Our village hosts 3 theater companies and I’d also done a small part in a sketch, so I knew the producers and the director.

To my surprise—and horror—I landed a major female role, that of a stuffy English woman. Truth be told, I don’t think there was anyone else in the running. It’s not as if I blew everyone off the stage with my audition.

I flip through the play and start highlighting my lines. Whew. There’s a million of them to memorize.

When was the last time you had to memorize anything? The lines don’t cement themselves in my head easily.  More than that, the lines need to be said in an English accent, which can be learned, by the way, on YouTube videos. I practice my lines and my accent with the dog. She rolls her eyes watching me prance about.

I hadn’t known that we would be rehearsing almost every night, six weeks of every night. I hadn’t appreciated that not only did I have to memorize my lines and say them in an English accent, I had to memorize where to stand when I’m saying them, and not go blank  when others are speaking. I have to learn what to do with my face and my body on stage. I have to be taught not to turn my back on the audience, where upstage is and downstage. I’m way, way out of my comfort zone. But I see the play coming alive around me with a lot of good laughs. I’m not the only one on stage. This cast is really funny.

Looking for a fun way to spend Valentine’s Day. See Bye Bye Baby, dinner theater at Basecamp in Pine Mountain Club.