Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

I think that would best describe my experience on stage with the Huronia Players in the recent production of Bathroom Humor.

While I didn’t set out to audition for the play, sometimes you have to grab what life offers and run with it, even when it’s dragging you kicking and screaming a bit against your will.

This turned out to be an awesome time, although in the middle of the rehearsal process, I wasn’t so fond of the whole thing. I won’t kid you, it’s a huge time commitment and I struggled with the whole idea of playing a trampy, vampy, less-than-nice woman many times. But in the end, what a rush!

As most people probably know, I’m pretty much a walking fashion faux pas so the thought of putting on makeup, and lots of it, every night was a foreign concept to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Genn from Shoppers Drug Mart, for the assistance navigating my way through that scary aisle and selecting the necessary products.

I have to admit, I loved the hairspray. Described as ‘Screaming Hold’ this blasting freeze spray certainly lived up to its ‘cement’ description. Good call, Genn. And with a name like Frankly Scarlet, how could you not like the nail polish? Even my kids kept laughing at it – Mum, it looks weird you cooking dinner with those red nails – but they’re pretty excited to inherit the stuff now that the show has wrapped up.

Putting Babette on piece-by-piece each show night was bizarre, but it did became kind of fun.

Watching this weird creature with wild hair and bright blue eyes (come on now, the play was set in the 1980s, what else was I suppose to do?) gradually appear in the mirror starring back at me helped leave Jennifer behind so I could step on stage as someone else (and who among us hasn’t wished to live outside life’s little box, at least momentarily?)

Clearly, it worked as I still have people yelling Babette at me on the street.

One of the best things about the show was making people laugh and, not just in the theatre, but also much later. It’s one thing when someone you know tells you what an awesome job you did, quite another when a complete stranger comes up to you and compliments your work.

Buying a bottle of wine in the liquor store, one woman told me she and her friends laughed so hard at the play she could hardly drive home. Days later, she said they were still laughing and talking about it. That is so rewarding and made the struggles and hard work all worth it.

It was an honour and a privilege to have worked with everyone in the cast, both rookie and experienced. I’ve enjoyed sports for years and a play is just like a team sport. They support you when you’re down, get you pumped up ready to roll, encourage your growth and creativity, cover for you when you make a mistake, and make you laugh.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve had plenty of people tell me they’ve always wanted to be in a play, too. Well, whether it’s a long-held childhood fantasy, an adult thought or merely something on your ‘bucket list’ (as in things to do before you die), I say give it a try.

If being on stage isn’t quite your cup of tea, you can still be part of the fun and the team by being backstage, helping with sets, props or costumes.

With a new theatre on the horizon, the Players can use all the help they can get and welcome anyone who would like to learn to be a producer, stage manager or help in any way.

For more information, call the Huronia Players at 526-6987.