Tag Archives: Picnic

William Inge, playwright … his story (and mine – and what he means to me) is posted here. It’s his birthday today, so he’s been very much on my mind (obviously). I played Millie in a phenomenal production of Picnic. … Continue reading →

Cakes are being baked, people are fluttering about getting ready. Millie waits on the porch, painfully self-conscious in her ridiculous dress, waiting for her “date” to appear. Finally, he does. He says all the right things. Tells her how pretty … Continue reading →

Music starts to play. Everyone is happy, gay … it is the night of the picnic. Hal holds out his hand to Millie, gesturing he’d like to dance with her. She, a tomboy, informs him as she steps into his … Continue reading →

But then, as the dancing goes on, Millie relaxes and stops trying to lead. She relaxes in his arms, and lets go, a little bit. It’s romantic. She truly believes that maybe he likes her, maybe he’s into her. Even … Continue reading →

And then … as darkness descends, Hal stops dancing with Millie, and instead starts dancing with Madge, the older sister. In an instant, you can feel the heat between them, the need. Millie – and the fact that SHE had … Continue reading →

And this is how Millie spends her time the rest of the picnic. heh heh heh I mean, it’s not funny … Millie was very upset about her sister stealing her thunder and taking her man … but still. It’s … Continue reading →

Millie, the part I played, was a 16 year old girl, shy, awkward, but covering it up with tomboy brashness and rebellion. She smoked in secret. She screamed obscenities at the newspaper boy. And yet deep inside, she kept alive … Continue reading →