This Post by Abbie Johnson Taylor
I was born in New York City to want-to-be actors who realized the importance of having a day job. That didn’t stop them from acting, though. We moved from New York to Colorado, Arizona, and finally Wyoming, and in just about every town, my parents became involved in local community theater.
As a child, I watched, fascinated, as they rehearsed. Alone in my room, I acted out my own scenes. In Tucson when I was eight, I got my first role, a small one, in the local theater guild’s production of Lysistrata by Aristophanes.
Despite my limited vision, I was able to acquire minor roles in high school and college plays. I was also active in the speech team where I performed interpretations of drama and poetry for competitions. I even won a few awards.
Therefore, when I attended my first Wyoming Writers conference over ten years ago, I was not daunted by the prospect of two open mic sessions. In these activities, writers are encouraged to read their poems, stories, or book excerpts in front of an audience. I wouldn’t win any awards for my performance, but it would be a great way to share my work.
The first night, I read an essay about how I thought my parents’ fights were plays they were rehearsing. After the first few paragraphs, the audience’s laughter nearly knocked me flat on my back. I’d spent months polishing the piece and reading it for practice and forgotten how funny it was. I managed to get through the rest of my performance and keep a straight face, and many people afterward told me how much they enjoyed it.
Since then, I’ve usually been one of the first to sign up for open mic sessions at workshops and other events. Because I love to sing and have been told I’m good at that, I enjoy sharing poems I’ve written that incorporate songs. You can listen to an example here. This past summer, friend and fellow writer Christine Valentine and I brought down the house in Riverton during this year’s Wyoming Writers conference with our rendition of Christine’s poem, “Driven Insane by Mitzi Gaynor,” which uses lyrics from South Pacific and Brigadoon. Christine has written another poem she thinks we can do together so maybe by next summer if not sooner…
Instead of being on a stage under bright lights strutting someone else’s stuff, I’m in front of a lectern in a meeting room, sharing my own work, promoting my books. As I’m sure you know by now, my latest, a memoir, My Ideal Partner: How I Met, Married, and Cared for the Man I Loved Despite Debilitating Odds, is now available from Createspace, Amazon, and Smashwords. I look forward to sharing my work at future open mic sessions.
Have you ever acted in community theater? Tell me about it in the comments field.
***
Author Abbie Johnson Taylor
How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver
That’s Life: New and Selected Poems
My Ideal Partner: How I Met, Married, and Cared for the Man I Loved Despite Debilitating Odds
Click to hear an audio trailer.
Abby, I am so happy that you can follow your heart and share you talents with the rest of the world. I wish you all the best as you continue this journey. Doris
LikeLiked by 1 person
,?ank you” ,doris” writing” singing” and acting are all things ,i enjoy doing” and ,i can see you also enjoy what you do. ,your passion comes through in your work. ,good luck.
LikeLike
Glad you shared a bit about your childhood and your parents. I can where your writing and singing talent. I do enjoy when you add an attachment allowing us to hear you sing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your sessions sound really entertaining, Abbie. I performed in amateur dramatics at high school and college level but not since then- excluding needing to be the producer when I was a primary school teacher. In those instances, I wrote the scripts for the ‘Leavers Assembly’ performances as well which were generally around a half and hour. They were performed on the last school day of the school year, before my class graduated to high school.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I greatly admire you, Abbie — not only are you a talented writer, but your ability to get up and share with others, whether it’s your music or your writing, is wonderful! I did an open mic once, not at the writers’ conference, but at an ArtCore event, and I was shaking like a leaf in an earthquake! LOL Good luck with your new book!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Gayle, I hope sometime you’ll work up the courage to read at another open mic session. They’re a great way to expose your writing.
LikeLike
Good luck with the new book. You’re lucky you are fine up onstage or in front of a mic. I am finally getting used to reading my work and speaking on panels.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very interesting Abbey. I too loved the part about your parents squabbles. You have a beautiful voice, and you are a good writer. You are accomplished. Cher’ley
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really enjoyed the post, Abbey. It definitely takes courage to get up in front of an audience to share, whether it be poetry, music, or anything else. I’ve been lucky to have attended many as a performer, but I also love to go to other venues just to listen.
LikeLike
I have never acted, or had the desire to. However I have fond memories of my Mom on stage. She was part of the community theater group in New Jersey. I am not comfortable reading my work in public, but I love sharing my photos.
LikeLike