Christine Therese Laporte in 2013 |
She ran Drama Club, and taught us acting, as if we were all going to become professional stage actors. She taught the Stanislovski" method of acting. I doubt any other high school drama teacher did. She taught us nifty useful little things like how to fall without getting hurt. It even helped in my falls off horses, almost all the falls I’ve taken since high school resulted only in a bruised butt. She never had us putting on the standard high school play fare of things like "My Sister Ilene" but had us performing "Blood Wedding" by Frederico Garcia Lorka and "Dark of The Moon". I played the jilted wife in "Blood Wedding" and Barbara Allan, the girl the Witch Boy falls in love with and becomes human in order to marry, in "Dark of the Moon". Eric Estrada, then known as Hank, played the witch boy. Yes, Eric Estrada graduated from Brandeis High School in 1968....and went on to "Chips".
Ms Rita Brodley's Drama Class |
In 1967, Hank and I were good friends. Although there was chemistry between us as well, we never became more. Girls fell at his feet and he unfortunately had little respect for any of the ones who did. I refused to become one of his "chicks", something he called all girls except me...he did keep trying anyway, I kept saying no. I did get to know a lot more about him then anyone else did as he trusted me. To this day, I will respect the confidentiality and not share his entire life story. I will leave it as he had a really tough childhood, and adolescence and little self confidence excepting in his looks and ability to charm the girls. We had the same art teacher who was one of the really good ones. One day she asked me to stay after class....of course I was trying to figure what I had done now. It turned out she had noticed Hank and I were friends and wanted to know if I
Christine Therese Laporte Class of 1968 |
To this day, whenever Eric Estrada is asked how he became an actor, he gives me the credit, using my full name. I don’t know that there is anyone else whose life I impacted as positively.
I never did become an actress. I do, to this day, present and express myself well in a strong voice I can project when needed, stand straight and confidently, do an excellent job of faking confidence when needed, and.....know how to fall as painlessly as possible. I credit Ms. Brodley for teaching me all these things that have served me well all my adult life.
Ms Brodley would be even more surprised by what I ended up doing for a living than I was, Eric would not as we held entire conversation with barely a word spoken out loud. If you’re curious, check out my web site;The Russian River Psychic. Ms. Brodley would probably think I’m nuts, Eric would not.