IT WASN’T TO BE<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was a lowly 10th Grader who had been talked into trying out for my school play – OEDIPUS REX. <\/strong><\/em>Peer pressure coaxed me into submission and I found myself cowering in the back of Mr. Knoblaugh\u2019s French classroom. I did think this culturally \u201cwith it\u201d (we used that term a lot in those days) man was cool; however, his ever-present pot belly and preppy blazer with scarf detracted from others reaching the same conclusion. There I sat, with head buried in my arms and lacking the confidence to even raise my noggin from its slouch.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, the dreaded moment arrived: It was my turn to face the glare of those 60 some eyeballs peering into my soul. Stammering away, I \u201cbombed\u201d as the saying goes. Even “sad sack” Leonard gave a passable reading, I concluded.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tossing and turning in my bed that evening, I replayed the whole sorry debacle. The next morning I slunk my way into view of the <\/span>OEDIPUS REX<\/i><\/b> cast list posted on the classroom door. Surprise! (no it wasn\u2019t); my name was nowhere on that paper. The loose leaf seemed to be taunting me. Billy Reese\u2019s future in Show Business died right there in the hallway of this <\/span>Lansdale<\/b>, <\/span>PA<\/b> high school. Needless to say, the broken \u201cCrusader\u201d avoided interactions with friends that day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon I forgot all about my humiliation, and it became – instead – all about complaints as 10th graders are wont to do. Of course, I growled about my Geometry class in the gym, along with 100 of my fellow classmates, ogling for a view of the transparency via the overhead projector (short on Geometry teachers, I guess). Then, I complained about my Latin teacher being too old (Sr. Laetare must have been 100!). And on and on. Meanwhile, rehearsals for the play proceeded (without me) on pace for a cold, February series of performances.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, when the day arrived for the obligatory school assembly, I remember filing into the gym (Geometry classroom gone…poof!). More astonishingly, the chairs for the audience were arranged in a circle with gaps for actor entrances part of the scheme of things.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, the play began and it was looong. Actors were heroically exclaiming, clad in flowing costumes with crepe hair and lousy make-up. Everybody was squeaking and \u201cwrutching\u201d (it\u2019s my spelling of a PA Dutch verb) in their seats. In short, <\/span>Sophocles<\/b>\u2019 <\/span>OEDIPUS REX<\/i><\/b> was larger than life. Theatre had reeled me in – \u00a0hook, line and sinker.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next time I could summon the courage – I vowed – I would try again. If at first you don\u2019t succeed, \u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking Back Is Looking Forward…Snapshots of People, Performances et cetera (etc.) about the Way We Were<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IT WASN’T TO BE I was a lowly 10th Grader who had been talked into trying out for my school play – OEDIPUS REX. Peer pressure coaxed me into submission and I found myself cowering in the back of Mr. Knoblaugh\u2019s French classroom. I did think this culturally \u201cwith it\u201d (we used that term a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"amp_status":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[392],"yoast_head":"\n