Theater, Agnes of God, and The Miracle Worker/1
When Michael entered ninth grade, his first year of high school, he fell in love with the theater. He joined the student theater group and from ninth grade on, we attended every play he was involved in. It’s interesting to note that he was never on the stage during this time; he was the prop man, arranger of lighting, prompter in case somebody forgot his lines. Life got kind of hectic around our house when Michael was helping to produce a play; lots of late nights, having to get homework done, driving him back and forth to rehearsals. But P and I cooperated all we could and never complained. P and I are both involved in the arts–we were then, too–and we wanted to nurture any of Michael’s dreams.
School involvement in the theater led to his participation in local theater as well. There’s a community theater near where we lived called Barnstormers; lovers of acting and plays performed there for no money, just for the love of doing it. When Michael began going there he was the only young person involved ; all others were adults. Very heady stuff for a 16-year-old, to be accepted into the group of adults–there were even later nights of rehearsals and Michael didn’t get his drivers’ license until he turned 18 so we drove him, again, back and forth. The time he spent with the Barnstormers people and their inclusion of him became part of his coming into manhood. I sensed this; I was somewhat troubled about what could happen; but I had to let go and trust that he would be OK and emerge a more talented and mature young man.
With his good looks, supple and strong body, phenomenal memory, bubbling personality, ability to lay his hands on any prop that was needed, his throwing himself into the whole gestalt of the theater–of course the adult actors and directors adored him. I was used to Michael and I wasn’t surprised.
End of Part 1
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