Fame House: A True Story
There was a brief period in my life about 15 years ago that I aspired to be a stage actress. I remember signing up for a theater camp at age 14 (I only recall this because this is the same time that I roped my first boyfriend, who years later came out as gay), and in order to be assigned a role for the end-of-summer production, we had to audition. Acting was apparently not in my blood since I only secured a bit part as a peasant. That was the end of my acting career… or so I thought.
Around age 22 I decided I wanted to be an actress! Since I have a terrible memory, my prior experience on stage 8 years earlier with my failure to memorize lines, floated far from my recollection. A production of THE GREEN ROSE was holding auditions at the JCC and I somehow convinced my mom to audition with me. We were both offered roles (everyone was) and thus began my second shot of making it as an actress! I wasn’t quite as terrible this time, cast as a peasant once again, but the whole rigmarole of memorizing lines and reciting them while conveying feeling didn’t fare too well for me.
A year later, I enrolled in an improv class at SUNY Brockport thinking that maybe I’d be a better performer if I didn’t have to memorize anything. Although I earned an A for my assignment of singing and interpreting a vocal rendition of a song of my choosing (the Divinyls’ I Touch Myself), I decided that a career in improv still was not my calling and therefore, not going to make me a star. Not that my goal in life was ever to become a mega-celeb because let’s face it, I didn’t really have concrete goals back then; but a part of me wondered if I would ever be able to command the stage.
The past few years have brought me closer to a stage, metaphorical or otherwise. Maybe you’ve heard (or have not heard) of my exhilarating news that I’m writing a book! A REAL book! I am extremely honored, thrilled, shocked, and bursting at the seams to tell you all about it, and I promise I will soon; but today I’m regaling you of a story that may be even MORE exciting! It’s at least more exciting in this moment that I’m procrastinating on writing my book…
There’s this guy by the name of Sean Daniels. Mr. Daniels is an amazing artist-slash-director extraordinaire (you’ll have to read his bio for all the details) who tweeted me a couple weeks ago asking me to be a part of the Cohort Club at Geva. Now, I’m not entirely sure what this is yet because the first meeting is on Tuesday and also because I don’t follow directions well, especially when I’m excited; but it sounds mysterious, tantalizing, and AWESOME. Most importantly, it’s a club that centers on the production of THE BOOK CLUB PLAY, which had me at the words 'Book – Club – Play.' So basically, if I’m correct in my hypothesis on this (although I won’t be surprised if I’m not), I’ll get to be involved in a SECRET play at GEVA with super special talented and creative professionals, acting out my sequestered dreams of becoming a STAR! I’ve gone too far, haven’t I? Hopefully they don’t make me a peasant…
Wait though, it gets better! Listen now and listen closely… I recently discovered that THE famous (we both were on the news within the same week) Sean Daniels who follows me on Twitter, is my friend on Facebook, and the man behind the Cohort Club invitation, who emailed me saying, and I quote, “Congratulations on being the girl that everyone told me I HAD to get to be a part of this project!” is…
MY WALL NEIGHBOR.
Mr. Daniels lives 6 inches from me. We actually SHARE a wall. One very tall, plastered, solid, plain white wall. I created this astonishing discovery the other day as I was leafing through the house mail and noticed an envelope addressed to “Sean Daniels”. Immediately, with the urgency of a squirrel leaping from the dumpster, I rushed to email Sean and ask him where he lives; not really thinking he could be the same Sean Daniels who’s snail mail I was grasping at that moment. I mean really, what are the chances that this same Tweep, Facebook friend, and email pen pal could be the man living on the other side of my bedroom/kitchen/living room wall?
The point, and the reason that my enthusiasm gauge has hit ‘high’ here, is that if I’m entirely wrong about my impending stardom at Geva in THE BOOK CLUB PLAY and also entirely wrong about my impending stardom at the top of the New York Times Bestseller List as a published author, and ALSO entirely wrong about my imminent stardom as the hottest, most uber-successful Gourmet Frosting CEO and Head of the Dollop empire; then at the very LEAST I think I have a chance of taking this serendipitous saga to the BIG stage; which will ultimately transform me into a STAR.
“FAME HOUSE: A depiction of the chance meeting of two neighbors who live on either side of one very important wall and the story of how they continue discovering each other via social media and mailbox exchanges of wine bottles, desserts, and newspapers all while never meeting face to face.”It may be a leap but hey, I dream big. “If you’re afraid of being in the news, Fame House is not for you.” – FH Occupant #3 Cupcakes = Life* Heather Cupcakes PS. The inhabitants of Fame House currently hold the rights to this fabulous play but we’re open-minded people and willing to explore outside ideas. *Next up, I’ll go behind the story and confide in you all of my big news and massive changes.
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