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Theater for young audiences is different than the other shows I have done. Each weekday we would do a show at 10 am. Even though it’s a short, one hour show, being there every day was challenging. Every. Single. Day. There were several times when I had to rush from the show to something else. There was a funeral that started at 11:00, and I raced straight there from the show. I’m sure I looked wonderful, removing my twirly eye makeup with a wipe in the car. And even then, I was still a bit glittery.

After the show, the cast would come back out to answer some of the kids’ questions. The manager would have us introduce ourselves, since there was no program for the kids’ shows. After about a week and a half, I got bored with just being Paige Erickson. This should come as no surprise, since many of you know about how I changed my name to Jess the whole time we were in Illinois. First I was Jess Williams, the next day I was Lisa something, then Melissa something. I also lied about my favorite color, favorite candy, and anything else the kids asked of a personal nature. That day someone had asked how old we were, and I said 34. Hey, if I am going to be Melissa, she can be 34.

On Friday night, when I was going through the awkward process of having Kendall stick his hand down my back to attach the mic pack to my bra (after the first time or two you just get used to it, really) for the evening show, he asked, “Did you say your name was Melissa today?”
Yes.
“Why?”
Just getting bored.
“And you said you were 34?”
Yeah. What of it. I can be 34.
“Well…”
Ahem.
“It’s just that Joel’s 33, and you don’t exactly..”
Here’s where I cut him off with a witty, “Shut up,” because I am so clever and can think on my feet.
“Stop right there,” I said, “I can do 34.”

Can’t I?
Maybe not. The next day I was Christina Rose, and when someone asked us how old we were, I said I was 41. But that’s as old as I’m going.