Last Friday, I got a phone call that made me just giddy. Every year, a director/producer/choreographer named Ben Tichy pulls together a huge concert of musical theatre pieces. It's all to create a scholarship fund for some Orem High senior who wants to pursue theatre in college, and it's kind of in memory of the late Syd Riggs. She was an amazing drama teacher at Orem High, and she was a pretty terrific woman.
I never did work with Syd, but like many I knew her. If you met her, she became your friend. I understand that she was a terrific drama teacher, not unlike my amazing high school drama teacher, Beverly Blanchette. She was also truly awesome and has gone on to greatness in performing arts education in Florida.
As I said, I never did work with Syd, but I wanted to. I auditioned for a Christmas show she was directing the year that I was a Young Ambassador. None of the YA's were cast that year, and my rejection letter pointed out that there were scheduling conflicts. (They actually sent me a letter! That was great!) But Syd was complimentary of my audition at the time, and on a few occasions when we'd see each other we'd express a mutual desire to work together. Finally one summer, I was attending a master class at Sundance, and she and I visited in the party that followed the event. She mentioned that she was directing the musical Jane Eyre soon. I LOVE that show, and I believe I'd be a good fit for a couple of roles in the play, including Jane. I shared my insecurity about being a bit overweight and approaching 30, and I commented that there was a tremendous amount of talent in the area. Because she's so awesome and so nice she said, "But there aren't as many really great actresses as you think, Dianna." I took it as a compliment and an invitation of sorts to audition.
Unfortunately, life happens and things don't always work out, and that's okay. I planned on auditioning, despite my insecurities. But within weeks of the audition, my husband received a wonderful promotion that was also going to amount to a bit more stress, and he sheepishly asked me to consider not auditioning. I wanted to support my husband, so I didn't. A month later I decided to check out the CD of the musical, and as I listened to each song, I just burst into tears. It was one of those shows that I would've fit into so well. I still think it's unfortunate that we couldn't work it out somehow, but I'm glad that I could support my husband just the same.
That was around 2003. Two years later, Syd Riggs passed away. I don't know all of the details. I think that it was due to some unforeseen complications follow foot surgery. Life is strange, but I guess when you're such a wonderful person and you've finished your mortal work, God might find a strange way to take you home. I understand that it was a terrible shock to everyone in her life.
I want to say this. Syd was apparently a great teacher, and she was a great talent. But what I admired most about her was that she was clearly a great wife and mother and a generally wonderful person. She seemed to have a terrific relationship with each of her children who I knew, which is really saying something of the kind of nurturer that she was. And she was a great nurturer to so many other people. As I've shared, even though I never worked with her, she was very encouraging to me as a person and as an artist. It really is a wonderful way to be, and I believe she probably felt great peace when she went Home.
So, about the concert, if you or anyone you know are free on Saturday at 6:00 PM or 8:30 PM, it is really going to be a terrific show. There are so many amazingly talented performers in it, and the director is crazy talented as well. I'm so excited to be singing "The Winner Takes It All" from Mamma Mia. If you come, be sure to say hello afterward! (Well, I think I'll be able to come out and say hello. At least I know I can after the 8:30 show.)
Anyway, tell your friends!
