Too fat for theater

I love theater. I have seen at least twelve productions on stage (professional, amateur, school, etc), that includes four on Broadway. I have participated in eleven different shows, either behind the scenes or on the stage. For 8 of them I was on the stage, I'm actually a retired community theater actress. Just can't handle the long hours and sleep deprivation that comes with doing theater anymore due to medical reasons. That might change when I lose all my weight but you never know. I do miss it. I've had the pleasure of working with many wonderful talented people over the years. That includes two people whom worked on the musical that Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman met at.

Anyway.

My headshot from the cast board in '06

I did some shows in Plattsburgh from 1987 - 1995 when I was younger, and thinner, and then I went on a unintentional theater hiatus. I really have no idea why.  My "Theater hiatus" lasted till 2006. In 2006 I was actually bigger then than I am now. Right now I'm 22/24 and back then I was a 26/28. The high end of a 26/28. That was when I landed the biggest role I have ever played. It was the lead female role in an Agatha Christie play and it was one of the villains. Boy, did I enjoy that! I had always wanted to be in an Agatha Christie play and I had always wanted a lead role. So, there I was playing a role of a lifetime. There was a part in the show where my character ran on to stage to have a conversation with her co-conspirator. Well, in the script it says that the character was supposed to kneel down next to the chair the co-conspirator was sitting in. Well. I couldn't do it. I could get down on my knee, but at my size, I couldn't promise the director that I could get back up without help. I thought making such an effort getting up would totally ruin the flow of the scene and even the character. Besides, the chair the co-conspirator in was a rocking chair. Kinda hard to pull yourself up on one of those. So, we decided to have me sit in the chair next to my conspirator. It was really embarrassing that I had to make that change and it was all because of my weight. I should have realized back then, but everyone has a different breaking point. Some never do.

Me in my costume for the last play I was in in 2007.
(I really don't like this picture.)

In the last production I was in it was requested that I skip.Well, more like a skip walk. That was near my highest weight of 385, probably about 360, in 2007. Yeah, you guessed it. I couldn't do it because of my size. It really shocked me that I couldn't do something as simple as skip! We worked that one out with the choreographer but it was still embarrassing.

Sadly enough, I know that after I lose the weight I will have better chances to get roles at a wider variety of places. Unfortunately that is how theater works.I know there are a lot of talented larger people out there, but thinner people usually get the better roles. I'm lucky to have performed with such a wonderful accepting, understanding group of  people. I hope to some day get back in to theater. I have few more dream roles I have yet to play! I think I'd make a great Miss Hannigan! ;)