Kay Wop

Recently a dear friend of mine that I met in New York City nearly 10 years ago tagged me in one of her photos. When I saw the picture I got so excited that I peed a little because I recognized that face staring back and me and I hadn't seen her in years... I actually had that very same picture myself once but I lost it. The lady in the picture was none other than Kay Wop.

Kay Wop was one of my brilliant creations in Mary Ann Konk's comedy class at the school I went to. Let's face it... Voice and speech class is great, Meisner is exciting, Movement was relaxing, and scene study was a real treat but Comedy... There is nothing more exhilarating. Our assignment was to basically people watch around the city or character study if you will, and begin to develop a character of your own. We worked on these characters for over a month and each class came back with new information - what they looked like, what they dressed like, how they talked, what their name was and where they were from. Their stories developed over weeks until you were living and breathing that character and getting to know that character more and more was all you could think about. When I would take a sip of water I would ask myself, how would Kay do it? If I was putting on shoes... how would Kay do it? If I was going to the bathroom, what would Kay be thinking about if she were going to the bathroom? So. Much. Fun.

Kay really got some exposure to the real world when I spent time with her. She rode the subway, she went grocery shopping, she even got gas! She spent some time interacting with people which was the best part. A lot of the time, these developed characters for class don't often get a lot of interaction with people outside of the class. Kay was fearless. She was also stupid. She was an older woman who clung onto her childhood before the death of her dad at age 7, so she never fully developed into an educated adult. She was kind, she was sad, she put a lot of thought into her sentences, had a hard time seeing and she was definitely hard of hearing... HEH?

Kay had a certain swagger about her. A bend in the knees and a thrusted hip forward. She had bright messily painted lips and lipstick on her teeth. Her pink terrycloth robe with the chiffon yellow bow around the waist was her most treasured outfit. She rarely wore anything else. Her favorite piece of her wardrobe was a pair of her dad's booties that her brother, Doody gave her when she was fully grown. They were puffy and had a windbreaker type material over the outside.

Creativity is such an important part of staying healthy. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in work, or school, or some guy that I forget the importance of taking time to let my imagination run away with me and create music, or write, or perform, or play a game, or draw. You get my drift. The experience is different for everybody. I thought about Kay today because she came into my life in 2001 and that was the year I graduated from The School for Film and Television (it's called something else now). September 11, 2001 was the day that my graduating class was showing their final reel performances to agents, managers and casting directors throughout the city at an event put on by the school. We had been waiting for this day in anticipation and hope for a successful future. How very insignificant that became when we woke up that morning.

Today I let my mind run away with me. It was a day of remembrance. I remember the events of that day so clearly that it will be engraved in my mind until the day I die. The feeling of that day will stay with me each year. My thoughts are with those who lost someone that day and to the courageous men and women who have been fighting for our country. God bless.

Kay... I love you. We shall meet again.