Hi Ladies,

You are not going to believe what I am about to tell you. I have been corresponding with Dee and this started when she sent me a PM to make sure I saw the smoking forum. She mentioned having done theatre and I mentioned to her that I had done theatre while living in Germany.

It turns out that I met Dee (Informally) about 15 years ago. You see, there was this annual event called the tournament of plays. Each year, we would have some professionals come and travel to each military base in Europe to judge the shows. At the end, we would have an awards night. The judges would pick the best shows, actresses, actors, directors, etc. It was like an oscars night.

Well, I had won an award for Best Actress in a Play in '91 for playing Shirley Valentine. Dee happened to have been there and she remembered that. She mentioned that she came with a friend of hers and saw the show. A year later Dee won an award for Best Actress in a play for her role as Lenny in Crimes of the Heart.

After the awards ceremony when everyone was slowly making their way out, I saw Dee in the lobby talking to the judges. I went up to her and congratulated her and told her I knew exactly how she was feeling.

We have been sending emails just to talk about our theatre experience in Germany. We have been slowly discovering that we had met at one time.

Now, what are the chances of this? We just met here at the forum and all this time neither of us had a clue about this.

Doesn't this just blow you away? It's blown both of us away. I have been reminiscent of that time in my life lately. Trust me, those were the days. It was so much fun!

Cheers,
Cathi

Wow! Cosmic Karma, Fate, Freaky VooDoo Stuff!!

That is so cool. They say that we ALL know each other within five people. As if, I know Joe, who knows Jeff, who knows John, who knows Julie, who knows YOU! It would just take too long to figure out the commonality.

Way cool, Cathi and Dee!

Optimum & Dee, what bases were you stationed at? I was at either Wuescheim or Metro Tango, while living on Hahn AB, between '89-'92. Are the plays you mention similar to Stars and Stripes?

That is so way cool! I haven't met Cathi YET, but I met Dee and we had an instant rapport. She is simply one of those sincere people that you thank you lucky stars you get to meet! Anyone who meets her will undoubtedly say the same thing. Now I just have to meet Cathi!

I love how the connection was rediscovered for you two. That is awesome!

How exciting it is for me to meet Cathi formally through this site...it's incredible. I have been blessed in more than one way by this web site. Thank you so much Dotsie.

MustangGal. I was initially at Lindsey Air Station in Wiesbaden. That was about a block or two from Wiesbaden Hospital. Those of you who don't know Wiesbaden may know the hospital. It's where they brought released, recovering hostages and they'd stand on the balcony and wave....remember the huge red cross on the roof? LAS is where I began my theater work in the military community as a volunteer. MustangGal we took a couple of shows to Hahn AB and the squadron I worked for...their HQ was at Hahn (our wing was at LAS). I was the Wing Commander's Secretary until LAS closed and then I went to work in Frankfurt at the Abrams Bldg (it's where Gen Eisenhower had his headquarters during WWII). That is where I did a lot of theater at Paulinenstra (a military community theater in a gov facility downtown Wiesbaden), and at the Frankfurt Playhouse and Dinner Theater. I have to say those were the days and what an experience. As a volunteer for the community theater I was blessed in being able to perform in so many cities across Europe. From Heidelburg, Giessen, Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Bad Kreuznach, Hanau, Darmstadt in Germany to Den Haag in Holland to Wales in England. As Cathi can attest to there's nothing more fulfilling than being a part of the military community on a base overseas...I always felt like I was giving our soldiers and airmen a place to come and see a theatrical performance and forget about everyday military life for awhile. It was very fulfilling. I was fortunate enough to be in the last show (You Can't Take It With You) performed at the Frankfurt Playhouse and Dinner Theater. The theater had been opened right at the end of the war by Eisenhower and I was there performing in the last show and able to be a part of its closing and the ceremony involved. It was a wonderful moment and also sad but it's a part of history that I'll always treasure and feel blessed that I was a part of something that was so special.
I look forward to talking more with Cathi and sharing with her more about my time in Germany and the theater life we share in common. How wonderful life is and how small the world.

JJ...you're so sweet...I thought the same about you...anyone who can write the way you do has to be wonderful and I look forward to meeting you again hoperfully soon. Dotsie says when she comes south we'll all get together. We have a date here on my front porch with a tall glass of tea sitting in the swing under the tall oak trees.

2 ships at night become 2 lighthouses....how cool and awesome.

There are some people I keep in touch with that were there on the award night Dee won. I can't wait to tell them this. One of the ladies was my director for Shirley Valentine. Two years later I directed her in Driving Miss Daisy.

JJ, I want to meet you so badly and I can't wait when that day comes. I have often thought of what it would've been like to have had you involved in our theatre.

It was a different time in my life, but it was a very happy and rewarding time. There were so many doors that were open when you were involved in the community theatre's on base. I thought it was a wonderful program for the soldiers who were there alone. When you became involved in a show, whether you were the lead or whether you passed out programs, you were a family.

Sadly, because of the cut backs, morale support went first. Of course, it should've been the last thing to go, but unfortunately, we lost more and more of our resources.

There is so much more to talk about and I am sure that Dee and I have some interesting stories to tell, LOL.

Cheers,
Cathi

This is too cool!
I love this site!