As a young boy growing up in New Jersey in the late 1950’s, my passions were street baseball and trying to emulate Mickey Mantle.  All that changed one summer night when my mother took me to see my first professional musical at the Grist Mill Playhouse.  The Pajama Game introduced me to a world outside of our post-war victory neighborhood.  The costumes, the sets, the music and the singing; oh yes the singing.  From the closing curtain till I fell asleep that night, I was planning my own musical.  Everyday after chores, I had my brother open the draw-string curtains in our living room so I could make my entrance in front of our picture window with my bowler hat and “Steam Heat” moves.

Later that summer Mom and I returned to the Grist Mill to see A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. That’s when it happened.  The magic of live theater.  On one of Erronius’ seven trips around the seven hills of Rome he stops to talk to a Roman soldier who unwittingly forgot to remove his 20th century wrist watch.  The actor playing Erronius sees the watch and asks the soldier where he came upon such a fine timepiece.  The embarrassed soldier somehow managed to maintain his composure and replied, “Sears and Roebuck”.  This broke up the cast, and the audience, and forever hooked me on live theater.  To this day, my most enjoyable theater experiences come during those “once in a lifetime”, spontaneous moments that only happen on the stage.  And every time, I think of Mom and our summer nights together at the Grist Mill Playhouse.

Robert Ackerman – Palmyra, PA