Find no validity in the argument to cancel VPA production

My first love is the theatre. Since childhood, it has been my sanctuary. My refuge. My Shangri la. Many of my most-trusted friendships have been forged on the stage. Countless memories of mine have been made possible thanks to the theatre. I’ve not only honed my craft; I’ve been able to discover my own self. I’ve come to cherish every blessed moment I’ve shared with my fellow thespians.

VPA’s production of A Bunch of Amateurs was no exception. I found myself presented not only with a remarkable script, an invaluable duo of directors, and one of the finest casts and crew I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. I was being given the opportunity to shine in a lead role for the first time, a responsibility I did not take lightly.

From the moment I learned I had won the coveted role of Jefferson Steele, I approached the project as the honor it truly was. Our directors Clint White and Hannibal Moyer let me know from the get-go how special this production was to them. Anytime you’re involved with a production, your best foot must be put forward. However, when your directors have cast you as their lead in their first directorial outing, you understand immediately how crucial your performance will be.

Now, my fellow lead in this production has no need for me to come to her defense. As both an adult and a tried and true lover of the theatre, she is perfectly capable of speaking for herself. For my part, however, I will say that she conducted herself as the consummate professional we all knew her to be. She tackled her role with enthusiasm and dignity. And, I must say, any references to her physical appearance or stature as an argument against her being cast in the role she was given are both irrelevant and ludicrous. She is an invaluable stage presence and an undeniable talent, and she would not have been cast as the female lead had she not earned that honor.

On a more personal note, I find no validity in the argument that our show should be postponed let alone cancelled because of potential misconceptions an audience may have because of a difference in height or age the leads may exhibit. Yes, I’m over six feet tall, and the female lead is decidedly shorter than that. Yes, I’m in my early thirties, and the female lead is in her twenties. Remember, though, this is the theatre; an environment in which the parts we play and the tales we weave are limited only by our own imagination.

As a final thought, I will only offer that the very night we were informed that our show was being cancelled we had an expert make-up artist on-hand to do both my stage make-up as well as the female lead’s. For our final rehearsal, anyone who wished would have been able to witness the both of us aged to our respective characters’ ages. Instead, we were all summarily dismissed, without any recourse to demonstrate what a remarkable show we had in fact fashioned for the public.

Oliver Wendell Holmstrom

Palmer