13th Street Rep

"I was born in 1917" she tells me with a smirk, knowing full well the reaction she is going to get. I hold in my gasp. I knew she looked old but 91 years old? That's amazing considering I wasn't talking to her in a nursing home, or hospital. I was sitting on one of the many found chairs in the homey lobby of The 13^th Street Repertory's theater on 13th between 5th and 6th ave.

Edith O'Hara, the artist director, and founder of the theater sat next to me after I filled out my interview form. "I can't see much anymore, so I'm afraid I won't read your resume." But Sandra, her right hand gal, will. After asking me my interest and experience as a theater director, Edith begins to tell me her amazing life story. I have a feeling it's part of the routine. I've noticed with most people that are 85 and above, are easily launched into the highlights of their lives, whether they are asked or not. But I don't mind because I like to listen.

Edith's highlights include an early childhood in the mountains, her father was a logger up in the type of Idaho. She and her siblings lived in a small rustic house, with bed chambers and out houses. "No modern conveniences" she says to me. Then ask if I know what a bed chamber is, granted she could not know my first full length play was called "Bedpan Palace" so I nod politely and indicate I know of them. She goes on to tell me that her school house had seven or eight other student, three were her own family, but that it only went to the sixth grade. So when she reached the seven her father sold his business and they moved "Into town."

It was in this school where she was put into a play, were she played George Washington. From there she says her love of theater began. She goes onto talk about her romance with a man, newly separated but not yet divorced named Arty Smith, whom she meet when doing summer stock. From them she went to UCLA which left because the classes were to big and impersonal. She then married a man whom she wasn't head over heals for like she was with Arty, but she says twice, With Arty being separated and not divorced I didn't know how that would work." So she married Mr. O'Hara and had three children. Two went onto Broadway and one, her son is a musician. She makes it known she was never a stage mom, her kids were just exposed to it because of her involvement in theater. Later after jumping from running various Summer stock venues she ends up in NYC in 1971 or 2 and finds an add in the village voice for a small theater for sell. She has been there ever since. Of course some corporation is now trying to get her out of there so they can get millions for the building.

It was an inspiring story to say the least. So I am to interview again, with Sandra to talk about some becoming apart of their directors unit. It seems like a nice environment to get my hands dirty, so hopefully it will work out, but if not, I'm glad I got a chance to sit and talk with Edith. That's always how I imagined my life, spending my last breath in the theater, maybe my own?

FUN FACT: 13th Street Rep is home to the longest- running show in the city, Israel Horovitz's absurdist one-act Line has played there since January 1974.

YES WE CAN and did!

Well my dears, we did it. I wish I had the words to express....

VOTE VOTE VOTE

Hold your breath. I know I am...

More then likely I will be the only person in my office tomorrow morning. I hope so anyway. That means they are all out voting. My pick was sent off two weeks ago, right into the dragons lair! By that I mean Florida.

Part of me feels like maybe we have this one in the bag but then I think - no that's what I thought last time. Didn't really work out then, did it? But I have to believe my fellow Americans that you are ready for a change. Please, please, please tell me you are. We can do so much better then the last eight years. I know we can.

I feel like some of us are pulling this rope up hill and attached is a large heap of something indistinguishable, but we can't pull it alone. I see hands, and feet running to keep up. We have a hold of this thing, all we need are a few extra hands, but those hands are on hips, with lips pressed tightly together. They watch with eyes filled with fear, standing unmoved, all around us. They won't help because they think we are pulling some terror object up over the hill and want nothing to do with it. But the truth is - they don't know what's in the barge, they can't know. We don't know but we hope it's better then what's already over the hill. SO we continue on. Pulled by some collective need to get this task done.

I can't say anything that has not already been said before. So I will just be glad I suppose that the turn out will be beyond anything it has ever been, in that way I know we can make it. Maybe it won't be my side but at least it shows passion and commitment form everyone - feeling something is a million times better then being passive. In playwriting it's always the passive characters that hold the story back, that's why it's important to create motivation and a want/need... because if you want something, anything, you have to create action to get it.