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As most of you already know, I was involved in the theater for many years and have accumulated a lot of great memories performing onstage.

Also, most of you already know that I was cast as the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella, back in the late 90’s and had the time of my life.

Not only did I get the opportunity to do something onstage that I had always dreamed of doing - portray a woman - but, I also had the amazing opportunity to work in children’s theater. The thing that I love about performing for children is that you can’t ACT, because they don‘t miss a trick. Therefore, it taught me a great deal about allowing myself to BELIEVE onstage, rather than PRETENDING to believe.

I knew that in order for the children to believe who I was as the Wicked Stepmother, I would have to believe it first.

Perhaps the biggest highlight in this experience was that I was asked by a kindergarten teacher, who had brought her students to see one of the performances, to give a guest talk as myself (not the character) and meet the children at her school, so they could ask me questions about what it was like to be an actor.

I honestly can’t share (because I can't remember) any of the questions they asked, other than how long it took me to put my makeup on. However, what I can share with you is the touching gift they gave me after I completed my talk.

They each drew pictures of my character, as seen through their own eyes, and then put them all together in this adorable little portfolio.





Here are several of the drawings…..


Drawn by Rebecca


Drawn by Allison


Drawn by Alex


Drawn by Georgia









This is a photo of me taken backstage in the dressing room with Rick, the man who did an AMAZING job in creating my costume and wigs. BRAVA, Rick….thank you again!


Inside joke: Rick came up with the perfect name for my character, Sylvia.

Anyway, when I closed the portfolio, this is what I saw written on the back….




This is WHY I love children so much.

Blessings….





Please note: Because of some major issues with my previous commenting system, I have reverted back to Blogger's. Sorry for any problems you may have experienced earlier today. Thank you everyone!

43 comments:

  1. From:Akelamalu

    A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.! Did you notice how all the drawings, though different, had one thing in common? Big Red Lips! The last drawing was the most like you in costume I have to say. Children are fantastic and very astute. :)

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  2. From: Suziecate

    Absolutely priceless. And you're right, they don't miss a trick. They will tell you like it is! I often think that approaching life like little children (although adult wisdom added to the mix doesn't hurt too much!) is the way to really enjoy living.

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  3. From: Mel

    Awwwwww......and a couple of 'em got the eyebrows right!

    Bless their little hearts.
    I can't wait to hold conversation with the bug. *laughing* We'll both make great sense, no doubt.
    Maybe you oughta consider some volunteer time at a children's organization....there's plenty who could use a good fella like you.
    Just sayin'..(making my pitch, actually...LOL)

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  4. From: Meleah

    "You DO have a special gift! You are such an amazing person and I feel LUCKY
    to have met you! Children are little blessings. I love their drawings of
    you! And that note to you? OMG! I just love that you SAVED these!!"

    And on the other post, I was going to say that I am a cuddle-holic too, and
    that it must be in our Libra genes.

    Thank you for always leaving comments on my blog. You ALWAYS put a smile on
    my face. You rock!!

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  5. From: Nitebyrd

    I do believe that Allison captured your essence.

    Have you ever noticed that kids are like cats? Cats tend to sense when people don't like them and of course are always near that person. Kids do the same thing. I had one following me around recently at a Spa Party. She was cute as all get out but kept staring at me like I was an alien with 3 heads, stuck right by my side but never said a word. I like cats SO much better!

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  6. Good Morning Akelamalu!

    YES! YES! YES!...the BIG reds iips are the common theme in all the drawings, your'e exactly right. I wish I could have shared more of the drawings because they were ALL so unique and hysterical!

    I agree, the last one was the closest to what I actually looked llike. That one was drawn by the daughter of my neighbor who went to that school.

    "Children are fantastic and very astute."

    You said it, m'dear! That's why I love them so much!

    Thank you for stopping by, dear lady. Happy Tuesday to ya!.....X

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  7. Good Morning Suziecate!

    Aren't the drawings pricless????

    " I often think that approaching life like little children (although adult wisdom added to the mix doesn't hurt too much!) is the way to really enjoy living."

    You said, dear lady!!! I good blend of adult wisdom with children's is really the way to enjoy living!!!!

    Thanks so much for stopping by today, SC! Have a SUPER Tuesday...X

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  8. Good Morning Mel!

    Yes, the eyebrows and the BIG red lips!!!!:*

    "Bless their little hearts!!!"

    I can't WAIT to hear what you shared about what the bug starts saying to ya!! *laughing*

    Yes, agree....I would like to do some volunteer work with a children's organization because I LOVE kids. Perhaps that's because I still AM one - HA!

    Thanks for stopping by, dear lady! Always so great to see ya!

    Have a wonderful day......X

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  9. Hello Meleah!

    Awwww...thank you, my friend! And I feel soooo lucky to have met you too!

    Aren't the drawings ADORABLE? I just recently found them when I was rummaging through boxes on top of my closet last week. I totally forgot I had saved them!

    Yup...I think all Libras are MAJOR cuddle - holics - HA! It's in the genes!!

    Thanks for stopping by this morning and thanks again for emailing me about your comment problem. You ROCK! X

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  10. Howdy Nitebyrd!

    Yup...I agree, Allison captured the TRUE me - HA!

    "Have you ever noticed that kids are like cats? Cats tend to sense when people don't like them and of course are always near that person. Kids do the same thing."

    I never thought of it that way, but you're absolutely correct! They ARE like cats. And for some reason, both cats and children always come up to me too!

    "She was cute as all get out but kept staring at me like I was an alien with 3 heads, stuck right by my side but never said a word."

    HA! No, my friend...she was staring at you because she could sense that you're a LOVE!!!!

    Thanks for stopping by, Sis! And thanks for emailing me about comments. As you can tell, I switched back to Blogger.

    X ya!

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  11. Am typing bravo in a frenzy, Ron! El maestro would have been so proud! He always said not to lose one's innocence. That it's the most precious!

    You are truly gifted and inspiring, Ron!

    The children and their beautiful drawings stand testament! :))

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  12. Hellooooo Petra!

    Aren't the drawings the most precious things you ever saw????

    *squeal*

    That whole experience was one of the MAJOR highlights in my career.

    And you said it, dear friend....

    "not to lose one's innocence."

    Thank you for your sweet words, Petra! Have a glorious day...X

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  13. I don't really like being around kids that much but this was really cute. Thanks for sharing such an adorable scene from your past. (:

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  14. Hey Ron,

    Very Nice my friend this is one of the greatest compliments you can ever get because as you pointed out children are honest and they don't miss a trick, if you have impressed them then you have impressed one of the biggest critics so to say that you can come up against, Children are our greatest gift as they will keep us humbled if we pay attention to them.

    I remember when I was still working we would have groups tour our offices and I would have to give a tour of our meter shop, I would set up a test cycle so they could see how the water meters worked and answer questions from the group, I always enjoyed the elementry school age children more so than the adult groups because the expressions on their faces were priceless and their questions were more legit than the staged questions from the adults.

    Sorry didn't mean to do a post here Ron because youre was great

    Thank You my Friend

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  15. What a wonderful memory and a truly blessed life experience. I know you speak with humility and do not give credit to yourself, but I know you were perfect in this role. I can see you on stage actually being the wicked step-mother.
    The accolades of the kids are precious and will remain in your heart longer than on the paper they are drawn on. A truly talented and heart felt side of Ron has emerged with this post.
    Thank you, for sharing and for your energy. One cannot joke here when the feelings conveyed are so spiritual. Blessings to you.

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  16. Hiya Gavin~

    Yup, people feel differently about kids, I know.

    Aren't the drawings cute?

    After not having seen them in so many years, they really touched me.

    Thanks for stopping by, buddy!

    Hope you had a wonderful day!

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  17. Hey Jimmy!

    LOVE this....

    "Children are our greatest gift as they will keep us humbled if we pay attention to them."

    Absolutely!

    For me, they also remind me to laugh and not take myself so seriously.

    Your experience with the children you shared sounded priceless! Me too, I always enjoy interaction with children more so than adults because of their directness and immediate honesty. They don't censor themselves.

    Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing on this post, my friend!

    I SOOOO enjoyed it!

    Hope you had a grrrreat day!

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  18. Helloooo Mr. Dave!

    awww....thanks bud!

    I SOOOOO enjoyed playing that role and the memories of my interaction with the children was by far the BEST part of this experience.

    "The accolades of the kids are precious and will remain in your heart longer than on the paper they are drawn on."

    Yes they will, you're right my friend! And seeing these drawings once again touched me deeply on a spiritual level. I actually got teary-eyed last night while I was writing this post.

    What a blessing children are!

    Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet words, buddy!

    Hope you had a super day!

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  19. I love doing things like that for kids. !I used to go in and read to the kids and volunteer a lot. We've got several envelopes of letters from the different kids and classes. Irreplacable.

    You looked fabulous! I would have loved to have seen it!

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  20. Helloooooo Peg!

    "I love doing things like that for kids. !I used to go in and read to the kids and volunteer a lot. "

    OMG, I bet you're wonderful with children. And I bet they love you!

    "Irreplacable"

    Yup....

    Oh, thank you dear lady....I LOVED dressing up in DRAG!!! It was my one chance! HA!

    Always great seeing ya. Hope you had a maaaavalous day...X

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  21. Hey babes!
    I commented yesterday through my Twitter account and it looked like it went through but I guess it didn't

    Of course my comment was poetic and profound and now I can't remember it

    hehehehehehehe

    I love that you embrace the child within you
    Children respond to that

    Hope sends hugs

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  22. Hi Ron

    I like the picture that Rebecca drew. it looks just like you. I think the pictures are cute. Thanks for sharing this post. I had put a smile on my face. ;)

    Have a fab Wednesday Ron

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  23. Good Morning Lady Dianne!

    UGH!

    I'm so sorry about your comment not going through, but I don't know what the hell happened with this system yesterday because EVERYONE had problems commenting!?#?

    I spent the entire morning trying to figure out how to get my old commenting system back and ended up doing it, but I lost EVERY previous comments on all previous posts - gone. Oh well, it was a great lesson in not allowing myself to freak out about letting go. But, it still pissed me off - HA!

    Anyway, thanks so much for stopping back again and leaving a comment - you're a DOLL! I'm sure your comment was brilliantly poetic and profound.

    "I love that you embrace the child within you
    Children respond to that."

    I LOVE children......X

    Have a faaaabulous day, dear lady! And please give Hope a BIG hug for me, ok?

    X ya's

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  24. Good Morning Bernadine!

    So good to see ya, my friend! Hope you had great weekend!

    Aren't the drawings the BOMB? Yeah, Rebecca got it perfect, however, I don't know what's up with my pointy NOSE - HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    Glad this gave you a smile, Bernadine!

    Me too!

    Happy Wednesday.....X

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  25. Im just testing to make sure I can comment again!

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  26. cute drawings and that picture of you - you know i love ya ron - is scary. i don't think i'll be going to bed tonight. i'm sure you were excellent in the show.

    yeah you can't fake the funk with kids, they're not buying any BS.

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  27. Helloooo Meleah!

    YAAAAAY...yes, it worked!!!

    Thank you so much for stopping by to check out my new/old blogger commenting system. I think this will be much better. And EASIER for everyone!

    Hope you had a grrreat day, my Libra friend!

    X

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  28. Hiya Val!

    "that picture of you - you know i love ya ron - is scary."

    Bwhahahahahahahahah...OMG, know!!! I look like Joan Crawford on steriods!

    Sure hope you don't dream of WIRE HANGERS!!!!

    Yup...you CAN'T fake the funk with kids, that's for sure. They can smell BS a mile away!

    Thanks for stopping by, girl! Hope you had a MARVI day!

    X

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  29. Good Morning MJ!

    So glad you enjoyed.

    Children are the GREATEST, aren't they?

    They remind you to never lose that "child" within you!

    Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope you're having an awesome week.

    X

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  30. Hi Ron...I posted something the other day but it doesn't appear here. I had some surgery this week so I have been out of commission. But i just want to send you a quick note to tell you how much I love this post. You are an amazing man who seems to have a wonderful connection with allpeople...no matter their age, creed or color.

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  31. what a sweet gift and what a FUN role that must have been!

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  32. Good Evening Susie!

    So sorry about your comment the other day. Several people mentioned the same thing, so I decided to switch back to Blogger.

    Hope everything is okay after your surgery, dear lady {{{{ Susie }}}}.

    Thank you so much for stopping back again. And also for your kind words. You're a sweetheart. So glad I we met!

    Enjoy your evening....X

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  33. Good Evening Diane!

    Isn't it the sweetest gift??? Children are the BEST!

    OMG, I had the time of my life playing that role! There's nothing like portraying a meanie - HA!

    Thank you for stopping by, dear lady!

    Have a faaaaaabulous evening...X

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  34. hey there mom, no, sorry, ron.... ;)

    this was so sweet, you had me with a tear in my eye by the end....isn't there something so sweet about kids and their honestly? my husband and i always say, it takes a kid to keep you honest and it really does...we can see it with our two sons, one with and one without.... don't even ask !

    did you notice how most of those kids' drawings must have been mesmerized by your LIPS...and they were big and red.....and some had really big hands too ;) haha!! [i can't even imagine anyone wanting to put on makeup-on or off-stage]...around here, no one would look at you sideways even if you dressed up like the wicked stepmom everyday but i imagine in philly, might be a different kind of cheese ,,,hahahhaheeheehee....sorry about that...

    this was just adorable, ron, thanks so much for sharing it with us and another scary pic of you....you sure have lots of them! ;) and back to blogger's comments? i hate this one too....it never accepts me for whatever reason...i am praying right now and will now start doing hail maries before i even comment, wah wah wah...

    i am such a whiney baby, i know...kisses, you darling man.
    xoxoxo

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  35. Helloooooooo Linda!

    Yeah, after I wrote this post and then reread it, it had me teary-eyed too!

    "it takes a kid to keep you honest and it really does."

    You said it, dear lady! And that's why I LOVE them so much!

    Oh...I LOVED putting on that makeup everyday - it was FUN! However, taking it off was a pain in my ass - HA! Well, here in Philly I don't think they would notice me walking around dressed as the wicked stepmom either. That's because most people here LOOK LIKE THAT - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    Yes, I decided to change back to Bloggers commenting system because I had WAY too many issues with them on Tuesday. This one seems to be working out really well. No complaints so far.

    Thanks for stopping by, dear lady!

    ALWAYS so wonderful seeing you!

    Hope you had a great day!

    {{{{ Linda }}}}
    xoxoxo

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  36. Oh my gosh, you looked AWESOME! I think Allison captured your essence the best. She saw through the exterior darkness to the many colors inside. :-)

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  37. I love it! I'm sure the kids adored you. How fun is that to play that kind of role. It probably allowed you to really go overboard and express yourself. Somehow I doubt you have a problem with that but I can only imagine that a role such as that provided so much joy not only for you but also for the kids. The picture is classic. So glad you document that stuff for the rest of us to see.

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  38. Hiya Chrissy!

    awww...thanks, girl! I think look like Joan Crawford and Bette Davis combined, don't you?

    HAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

    Yes, Allison definately captured the Wicked Stepmother the best. I LOVE how she got the HAIR. And also I LOVE how she drew my feet. Pigeon toed. HA!

    Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your evening....X

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  39. Hiya Jen!

    OMG, you have no idea how MUCH I loved playing this role! Yes, it did allow me to go overboard and express myself. And I definately don't have a problem with that, can you tell?

    HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    What a JOY it was!

    Me too. So glad I held on these drawings. It was great seeing them again!

    Thanks for dropping by, my friend!

    Enjoy your evening...X

    The Wicked Stepmother

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  40. OMG Ron!

    You're just gorgeous as a wicked witch! Heheeheehe.... What a task the makeup must have been.. I have to admit (though I don't know if PMS is at fault) but I got all misty-eyed when I was looking at the pics the kids had drawn for you... Sooo touching.. I bet you get misty-eyed when you look at the pics, too.. Who wouldn't, right? Kids are great!
    How sweet that was...
    Take care and have a great week...
    Leese

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  41. Helloooooooooo Leesa!

    Heheeheehee.....don't I look SEXY?

    Bwhahahahahahahhhahaa!

    "I bet you get misty-eyed when you look at the pics, too.. Who wouldn't, right? Kids are great!

    Yes, I DO. And the first thing I thought after having not seen these drawings for so long was, "I wonder where these kids are right now and old they are?"

    Kids are GREAT!

    Thank you for stopping by today, Leesa!

    Hope you're having a wonderful Tuesday...X

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