My sister Mary always wanted to be an actor.
She studied drama in college.
She also served as an apprentice for a couple of years at the local summer stock theater, which featured appearances by visiting celebrities. She did similar work one summer in the Pocono Mountains.
At one point she moved to New York City in hopes of finding stage work.
In the meantime she worked in the public-information department at Columbia University.
She didn’t find any stage work, but after she moved to Albany she used her theatrical skills to become a professional storyteller, telling folk tales in schools and, in recent years, telling stories about things that have happened to her.
Some months ago, the PBS World Channel program “Stories from the Stage” invited her to come on the show and tell one of her stories, which concerns something that happened while she was working at Columbia.
Her episode was telecast last month. If you’re interested (and I hope you are), here’s a link to it. Mary is the first of three storytellers.
I think the program came out well. If you agree (and I hope you will), here’s a link to other stories she has written. (I especially recommend “Summer Stock,” which is about, well, I already told you, didn’t I?)
