In Praise of Friends -- Bonnie Hellman
I got to know Bonnie gradually over the course of several years. She was a member of the Actors Co-op and I was an avid supporter of the company. But one of the things that first struck me was her vivid personality. It's hard to talk with Bonnie and not smile.
As we got to know each other, mostly through conversations after church, I came to appreciate both her commitment as a believer and her commitment to her craft as an actor. She is a wonderful character actor, and I always smile when I see her in some commercial. There was one such, a laundry detergent one I believe, where she sat behind a row of machines barely peeking over them. Because, by my standards (I'm 5' 8") she's short. And she plays with it. In that commercial, she made me laugh by the mere shifting of her eyes!
I've also come to respect her for the work she does with kids - teaching them acting, and putting on productions. As director/producer of those shows, she has to work with the very uneven material she has in her junior actors. These are not kids who will necessarily be pursuing professional acting. Yet she sees her job as making each youngster believe that when he or she steps out in front of the audience, they own the moment. I can't help but believe that her kindness and attention will have a profound effect on these kids for years.
I so want to write a part for her, just so I can see her do it. She has depth to her and I would love to write something that lets her charm with her great comedic timing and then suddenly transform into something more, something different. Because I can imagine it easily.
I look forward to seeing her when I can, and to talking with her when we get the chance. It is such a pleasure to know her.
As we got to know each other, mostly through conversations after church, I came to appreciate both her commitment as a believer and her commitment to her craft as an actor. She is a wonderful character actor, and I always smile when I see her in some commercial. There was one such, a laundry detergent one I believe, where she sat behind a row of machines barely peeking over them. Because, by my standards (I'm 5' 8") she's short. And she plays with it. In that commercial, she made me laugh by the mere shifting of her eyes!
I've also come to respect her for the work she does with kids - teaching them acting, and putting on productions. As director/producer of those shows, she has to work with the very uneven material she has in her junior actors. These are not kids who will necessarily be pursuing professional acting. Yet she sees her job as making each youngster believe that when he or she steps out in front of the audience, they own the moment. I can't help but believe that her kindness and attention will have a profound effect on these kids for years.
I so want to write a part for her, just so I can see her do it. She has depth to her and I would love to write something that lets her charm with her great comedic timing and then suddenly transform into something more, something different. Because I can imagine it easily.
I look forward to seeing her when I can, and to talking with her when we get the chance. It is such a pleasure to know her.