We Drammarians are an excitable lot!
We jump up and down with glee when we see the list of shows we are about to discuss (our next meeting is tomorrow!), or when those shows are first announced as part of Portland’s theatre season. But today’s jumping would almost have won us a slam dunk in the building-formerly-known-as-the-Rose-Garden. We send huge thanks to Susan Stelljes for sending us these wonderful pictures of the Willie Award puppet (one of the very, very first) awarded to Leigh Clark (aka Leigh Clark Granville) back in 1978/79. Personally, I love the way Susan has posed this glorious fellow. Such fun!
Here is what she writes:
(This puppet was for) “Best Actress awarded to Leigh Clark Granville in “Camille”.
This was a Storefront production by Ric Young but done at Portland Civic Theatre in 1978.
I remember that both Leigh and Ric snubbed the awards because they didn’t believe in these sorts of competitions. She gave me the Willie at one point when we were roomies. I think I’d made a joke about never being nominated.”
Lucky Susan, say I! Just look at that wonderful detail.
And I know I am not alone in enjoying the memories of Storefront in general (wonderful, innovative stuff), and of Leigh Clark in particular. Oh my goodness! She was amazing. And of course there are not words enough to describe the astonishing, and dearly lamented Ric Young.
So this particular arrangement of this particular Willie Award is, of course, the one that gives me most pleasure, as well as the most pain. Thank you, Susan. Truly thought-provoking, nostalgic, strange, and beautiful.
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