When I was a freshman at Sophia High School, I had the opportunity to audition for a play that Becky Collier was directing. I had always had fun making movies as I was growing up and thought that this was finally the stepping stone for me to make it to the big time. Don't know where that dream went but I thought it was to start here. Miss Collier had the comedy "Louder, I can't Hear You" auditions and I tried out for the part of Junior, the boy of a family. This was good because I was so tiny, I fit the part. Karen Stone was my mum, Jerry Edwards was my Dad, Paula McKinney was my sister and Christy Barr and Mike Canterbury were in the play as well. I never knew the cast went to WVU and Concord College to compete with other state high schools and this was the beginning of a lot of fun times that high school blessed me with. Karen, Jerry and Mike were named to All-State cast at Concord and Karen and Mike at WVU won honors as well. Wow, my first play. Could I ever reach the All-State cast?
The 10th grade produced an abstact play called "Interview". I portrayed several characters and dragged several of my classmates into the acting fun. Paula McKinney, Frankie Ledahawsky, Patty Ruble, Angela Milano, Teresa Gillenwater, Christy Barr, and John Fanary were among cast members. We went to both Concord and WVU again, and Frankie was All-State at both, and Christy at Concord and Paula at WVU. But wait - we were going to do another play at the school called "Once Upon a Playground" where we all acted like children. This was cool, because we all WERE still....little kids. I played a boy with a funny nose... the irony of life immitating itself. Bill Perry, David Tipper, Larry Cochran, Brenda Fox, Diane and Pat Ruble, Lisa Belcher, Pam Farley and Sheila McCommas were among cast members. Do you guys remember acting in this play?
Then, in 1976, we started the Drama Club at the new Independence High School and Becky Collier was named the new Drama teacher there as well. The play we did was yet another abstract called "Nobody", where we all were numbers - not people - and was very controversial. I was "25927". Kelly Price, Patty Ruble, Debbie Reed, Tim Lilly, Janee' Aliff, and John Fanary were among the cast members. I have this play recorded on sound movie film and its a classic. Crew members Ronald Epps and Kim Tankersly helped with the production. Do you guys remember this play at all? Also that 11th grade year, I got my first starring role as "Harold" in "Werewolf". We took this play to the Thespian conference at Glenville (I believe) and this comedy was fun - even though I got sick in the middle of the performance and almost blew it, but - hives and all - the "show must go on"... and it did. Patty Ruble was the phychatrist, Janee' Aliff was my "Mumsey", and Brenda Shrewsbury was my wife. Seems that old crazy Harold thought he was a werewolf and visits the shrink for help. Fun times. We finished the year with a 2 short plays called "The Sneeze" and "The Defensless Creature" . I was the narrator in the first play with Kim Tankersley, Ronald Epps, Judy Thompson and Ramona Jackson rounding out the cast. In "Creature", I played the part of the banker, Judy was "Woman" and Kim was the secretary. These short plays were at the school only.
FINALLY (and there is a finally), we had the abstract play "Adaptation", which was very controversial as we took it to both Concord College and WVU. I played many parts, from the "Games Master" to the taxi cab driver, AND Professor Olsen, AND Baron Hilton, a boy, a KKK man, AND(FINALLY) "Garfine". Patty Ruble, Tim Lilly, Kim Tankersley also starred as Debbie Reed (stage mgr) and crew Ronald Epps, Mike Thompson, Tena Haga, Darlene Donald, Brenda Fox and Kevin Roles were all a part of this production - my last of high school AND........ I finally got my wish... I was named to the All-State Cast at both WVU and Concord. Kim also received the All State nod at WVU and Patty Ruble received the honors at Concord College. Isn't it funny I remembered all these details 31 years after the fact? Did anyone else read these words and think, "Oh yea.. I did do that, didn't I". Well, I hope that brought back a few good memories for you as well. Those were the times of my life... Mark E. Smith
Mark Smith
