I started acting young, landing the first role in community theater I auditioned for at 9 years old: Amaryllis in "The Music Man," which had lines and a singing solo, to my horror. The first rehearsal, I was cautioned by the adult actors: Careful, the director doesn't like kids.
Was it W.C. Fields who said, "Never work with children or animals"? It makes sense. Children steal the scenes, chew the scenery. In the case of dogs, they might eat it. Later in my illustrious community theater career, I did a production of "The Wizard of Oz" where the dog, Toto, would simply wander off stage to be petted by the audience. The animal actor was replaced by the director's daughter, who played . . . a dog. Community theater in rural Ohio in the '90s was wild.
