Laura lights up my life

When I was in high school, I decided to try out for the drama club and ended up doing lighting and set design construction.   I learned a simple slap/ball/change for a simple stint in the chorus but was usually behind the lights.  In college I did get a few speaking part and in college we were into theater make up. I went to a woman's college so in one play I walked across the stage as a solder require spirit glue and a beard.   I took enough acting classes to almost have a minor in dramatics and surprisingly, I became very expert in makeup. 

When I was working at the college, I taught a course on TV and after I did workshops nationally to large groups (200-300) of mostly men.   So to get into both roles, I wore make up along with my Chico clothes.   How I do anything is how I do everything so I didn’t just do make up, I DID MAKEUP. I entered into a serious relationship with Laura Mercier which included about five steps to each part of my face – cancelling this and covering that and enhancing this and that eyebows darker, lighter under the eyes... etc..   The final package was 5 or 6 hundred dollars and required a separate bathroom hanging kit and about 20 min.   I don’t know if it made a great difference but under glaring lights and working the front of a room for a full day workshop…. I felt good.  

I did a gig in Nashville at one of the big venues at the airport.  The guest room was very large and spacious and the bathroom had all the amenities.  One of the other presenters made me very nervous and when she got nervous, I got nervous.   When she wrapped on the door saying let’s get to the room early, I ran.  After the workshop I had a very tight window going to Houston next so I grabbed my stuff from the room and boarded.  It wasn’t until I was telling someone in Houston about the new me and makeup that I realized I had left $600 worth of Laura hanging on the back of the bathroom door.  I must have left a great tip on the bed, for the staff had brought the bag to the office and they overnighted to me.  

My next gig was a different workshop with a group of child care providers educating preschoolers about fire prevention.  I dropped the make-up and dressed more casually and probably gave a better workshop.  

For me, education was much like the stage, you have to get the audience attention and keep them wanting more.  For a room full of fire chiefs, the makeup was a must and the day care staff not so much.  The secret is knowing want role you are playing and dress the part.