Once Upon a Christmas 2012

Last year my church, Hollywood UMC, put on the first annual "Once Upon a Christmas", an afternoon of storytelling and music. There were five of us who each took turns sitting on a stool in Grant Hall, George played the guitar and there were maybe 50 people present. We told stories and laughed and teared up and smiled. It was a great December afternoon.

Well, this year, they decided to do it again. But on a Saturday night. With us storytellers at the front of the sanctuary with microphones and a 30-member choir behind us. George was still there with his guitar, and the stories were the same (you can read mine here, on last year's blog) but the event? Very different. We had a host, Pauley Perrette from NCIS (and a member of our church), we also had cookies afterward arranged by the fabulous Angela and we had a rehearsal. And cues. And we had to remember when to go where and we did our very own "Saturday Night Live' ending with us on stage waving goodbye. Quite the night.

It really was a great event, we had a good turn out (though we'd have liked more we had about 150 people, 180 if you count the choir) and most of all? We had a great time, all for a great cause (we raised money for the Homeless Lunch program on Tuesdays at church). And I have to say, I really did like performing. I wasn't nervous at all, I loved the comradeship that comes with putting on a show and being in it together. It was also so fun to make people laugh and to have people, even the next day at church, quote my story back to me ("when televisions were the size of Priuses") and tell me how I inspired them to make their own "tree of boys" (do I know my audience or what?!?!). 

Am I going to become a performer? No. Wearing heels all night wasn't great fun. Sitting around waiting for rehearsals? Over it. But actually performing? Amazing. I'm a writer and so just getting to share my work (because I read my story, there was no memorization involved) with others, and make them smile and laugh was something very special for me. Very special.