A Happy birthday letter

My high school drama coach's daughter (who is my sweet friend) contacted me a while back and asked me to write a letter to her Mom for her 60th birthday.  I had a lot of fun memories in high school, especially in Drama.  I thought I would "publish" my letter since I've mentioned to many of my high school friends.  There are several that I didn't mention that were right there along-side me, but this is what I wrote.  It's long- hope you liked it Mrs. Bailey!

xoxo

A Memoir by Lindsey Kennedy Blackhurst

A Tribute to Becky Bailey

High school is a strange and unusual world.  There are rules, like in every world, but the key is that once you have them mastered, they change! Most teenagers agree that  it’s important to keep up.  Tenth grade was my first year at a high school because our school district wisely put ninth graders in a building all by themselves.  Of all the creatures in the world of high school, ninth graders are by far the strangest.  That year in Grapevine High School, we would be getting a new principal.  This principal was bringing with him a new Drama teacher, and two of his three beautiful blonde daughters.

 I remember being very excited to take drama in 10^th grade.  I don’t remember what class it was exactly, but it was THEATRE and I wanted to be there.  I remember thinking that Mrs. Bailey was spunky—always full of energy and personality.  My first memory of her is when I was practicing a prose reading of The Wizard of Oz- where I learned to do all of the women’s voices.  She showed me a funnier way to move through the characters and a perfect way to introduce myself as the Wicked Witch, getting on all fours and looking for munchkins.  I can still do those voices- but only in the right moment and when I’m in the mood.

My mother had been a drama, speech, & debate teacher at a different high school, so the arts were always part of my childhood.  I remember being especially excited to try out for my first high school play- Juggar’s Rain.  And just like any good beginning, I played the part of…the tree.  No, I didn’t have any speaking parts, although I was understudy to Eryn (a Bailey daughter and friend).  I got to be a tree…and that’s being a little generous.  Really, I was a branch.  The idea was that there were a bunch of us as branches and we were all covered in leaves and such.  Juggar became part of the “tree” at the end.  So maybe it wasn’t the most glamorous way to start, but it was a memorable one.

Once I got my feet wet, Mrs. Bailey cast me in many other more-vocal parts! Leading roles!  I was Jessica in the Merchants of Venice, Ronette in Little Shop of Horrors, Sonnerie/Bells  in Red Noses, I played an autistic girl in one of our class plays, and I even directed a few plays under Mrs. Bailey’s watch my senior year.  There were two parts that I didn’t mention that have had great meaning in my life.  One was Beatriz in Mariner, and the other was Jane in Oklahoma!.

Mariner was our One Act play my junior year.  I didn’t realize it at the time I auditioned, but it would become a great honor to be in that play and one of my fondest high school memories.  As Beatriz I was the love interest of Christopher Columbus, played by the great David Wilson-Brown.  It was, in my opinion, the BEST female part in the whole play.  I got to be funny and heart-broken as Beatriz- and since it was a One-Act play, I also played the part of Crow Woman in the crazy-house scene.  That was awesome, Caaaahhh! Caaaah!  I remember Mrs. Bailey coaching David and me on a kissing scene.  I can still see David and me standing in front of Mrs. Bailey- barely touching, just barely friends!  She told us the key to kissing on stage was to fake it- that no REAL kissing would actually take place- but that our lips needed to be in the same vicinity and we needed to make the audience think that we were really going at it. We had a REALLY hard time keeping character.  David and I could just look at each other slightly off and it would send us both in stiches. Through Mrs. Bailey’s coaching (and patience), we worked out the scene to where eventually it became natural.  She even added a part where he would kinda throw me on the table.  It was a wonderful play.  David and I became very good friends and were paired together many more times.  On a funny note- our very last time to perform was for the understudies to get to act in front of an audience of their family.  By that time, we had traveled all over Texas with that set, the clothes had been worn and changed many times, and it was beginning to show.  When David- after his first costume change- walked into our scene, his pants came off.  I had no understudy, so there I was in front of an audience of eager parents, standing in front of my now-dear friend who, without even trying, could send me into a fit of laughter.  We TRIED to keep it together, but David could not keep those pants on.  Luckily I was able to exit the stage and try to recompose myself while David, who never left the stage the whole play, had to figure out how to hold his pants up.  Good times.  Happy memories.

The next memorable character was Jane in Oklahoma!.  Mrs. Bailey may or may not have known that EVERYONE had expected me to be the lead, Laurie, since it was my senior year and I had had many lead roles and could sing.  I had even taken voice lessons practicing the Oklahoma songs, trying to anticipate which song we would audition with.  At my audition, the pressure became intense, and I bombed it.  B-O-M-B-E-D.  I remember GW Phillips, who was a shoe-in for the male lead gripping me out for messing up my chance.  Even when I didn’t make call-backs several people assured me that it was going to be me.  When the cast was posted (and the beautiful and talented Allison Seibert (Rogers) was to play Laurie) I noticed my part was listed as Jane.  J I don’t know if Mrs. Bailey did this to soothe my ego or if there was an actual person named Jane on the script, but if you ask any Oklahoma!-expert, they won’t have any idea who “Jane” is.  Jane had no speaking parts, but I did get to sit in a swing for one of the musical numbers.  Mrs. Bailey- through Jane- taught me a very good lesson.  I had never had a non-leading role (except for the part of the Tree).  In every audition I went to, I walked away with a terrific part- except Oklahoma!, where I had thought I would be lead- and I had a non-speaking role.  I learned, through that role, what it was like to be part of the team.  I learned what happens behind the stage when the “important characters” are in front of the lights.  I received a much-needed dose of humility and walked away a better person.  I also had SO MUCH FUN.  And occasionally some of the major players would try to make Jane a more important part- to be funny.  Did you know, Mrs. Bailey that Caleb Stuart usually improvised a line about Jane in his dialogues somewhere?  Good friends.  Life lesson.

I know a lot of these stories were my memories from my experience in high school with Mrs. Bailey memories sprinkled throughout- but I think these stories convey the rare talent that is the mark of a great educator.   Mrs. Bailey pushed when I needed a push, she observed during self-discovery, and she nurtured when she could see my greater potential.  Several of my classmates, including David Wilson-Brown, Caleb Stuart, and Alison Rogers went on to pursue careers in acting.  Although that was not my path- the theatre and Mrs. Bailey taught me many life lessons that I hope to pass on to my children and the children that I work with.

Mrs. Bailey- thanks for your example, your love, and service to our school.  Thanks for making me feel special and for making theatre a place where everyone was welcome.  Thanks for the prayer circles, the warm-ups (Tibet! Tibet! Tibet!) the lessons in costume-making, the painting tips, your blocking, your critiques, your encouragement when we won and lost—but most of all, your friendship.  Happy Birthday Becky Bailey! 

We love you!

-Lindsey Kennedy Blackhurst, GHS Class of 1997