The Actress in the Glass Booth

by Cheryl Felicia Rhoads

Visiting Washington DC, I had asked an orchestra leader at a hotel restaurant, if I could sing Bibbity, Bobbity, Boo? Only four years old, I stood on the stage, singing a song about magic. My show business debut came as a shock to my family, who hadn’t noticed that I’d quietly slipped away from the dining table. Sometimes, I have a tendency to spring things on people. Later, when working in the entertainment industry, I shocked non-family members with my worldview. But when one is an actress and a conservative, there’s just no easy way to break it to some folks. So one time I was at my agent’s office for a voice over audition, I asked to be heard in more ways than one.

See – there was this anti-President Bush stuff plastered on the door leading into the recording booth. It had been there awhile, and I had tried to ignore it. Weeks before, I’d been waiting along with another actress for an audition. We’d been having a pleasant chat, when suddenly this woman dove headfirst into an anti-Bush diatribe! Stuff like that had been happening more and more. And I began to dread going to auditions there.

Finally, I was called for a commercial promoting the famous cemetery to the stars, Forest Lawn. Wishing I’d been around for the old Hollywood instead, I started to obsess about the Anti-Bush signs. So I prayed a second. And as fate would have it…at that precise moment, down the hall, but well within earshot, my agent loudly declared something to the effect of “These insufferable Red-State…God people” (profanity “etc”). I glanced upward and whispered “Thank-you.”

I went and stood at the agent’s door. He was with another client, but spotted me and laughed “We were talking politics!” I replied, “So, I heard.” Then I smiled, “Can I talk to you a sec?” The actor bid us a good day and my agent leaned back and sighed, “What’s up?” I took a deep breath and gently…I began to tell him.

I told him I’d come to audition for a commercial, only to be distracted from the task at hand. Each time I’d come to his office recently, I was being continuously assaulted with vociferous viewpoints opposite to my own.  But I added that whatever one’s politics…the relentless and overt contempt for then President Bush (and “office decorations” to that end), was just not appropriate in a work environment. It was his agency, of course, and he could say anything he liked, but we’d had a good working relationship for nineteen years…so, I needed to say something!

At first he simply stared at me wide-eyed. Then his eyes narrowed as he airily claimed to be unaware of any political signs in the office. Now look – this man was the owner of the agency, yet he didn’t know the terrain. But if there had been a “Support Our Troops” sign, I assure you  he would have been aware of that! He also knew he had loudly used unflattering words to describe people…like me. Due to this bizarre bubble that so many in the entertainment industry exist in, it simply hadn’t occurred to him anyone might be offended by any political propaganda!

Afterwards, I still had to go back to the booth and audition for the Forest Lawn Cemetery commercial. Later, another conservative actress felt that would now be an analogy for my dead and buried career at that agency, too! Perhaps, but then again, I’d recalled a line from the film, A Man for All Seasons.  When a court social climber Master Richard Rich, betrays Sir Thomas More in exchange for being made the Chancellor of Wales – Sir Thomas rebukes him, “Richard, it profits a man nothing to lose his soul for the whole world… but for Wales?” (So concern about a mere voice over job also seemed trite.)

Nevertheless our conversation ended friendly enough, even though my agent still didn’t seem to get that show biz companies are not think tanks for government policy!

But, I went and completed my audition and that was that. And here’s the thing, a few days later despite my actress pal’s dire predictions – I was actually called in by that agency for three more auditions for just that week alone. Plus, guess what? Upon my return, I discovered that every bit of political paraphernalia had been taken down!

So prompted by a higher source one may suddenly be cast to play a role other than what one had in mind.

Now I live Washington DC where I first sang Bibbity Bobbity Boo. I still perform and I mentor those who are now coming up the path. In following the next indicated action, I always seem to have access to the appropriate audience. And, I always caution students to be wary of exchanging one’s soul…not for Wales… or voice over gigs! With faith and hard work one shouldn’t need to worry about being PC to have a show business career.

Oh and I forgot to mention something… as it turned out, I booked that Forest Lawn commercial! In fact, it paid my rent that month. So…talk about your Bibbity Bobbity Boo! All things considered…that really was a bit of magic!


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Posted Feb 26th 2009 at 12:22 pm in Entertainment, Politics, Uncategorized | 45 Comments