THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 3, 1995 TAG: 9502010122
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HENRY EDGAR, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
When Kathlyn Baker says the show must go on, she means it.
Last fall, when the opening performance of ``Once Upon A Mattress'' was over, she discovered she was hemorrhaging. After a trip to the emergency room, she returned to the theater for the rest of the weekend's shows. The next Tuesday, her doctor told her she had to go into the hospital and have surgery performed that Wednesday.
By that Friday, she convinced the doctor to let her out of the hospital. He agreed - on the condition she stay in bed all weekend. Friday night she was back on stage, where she finished the weekend's run of shows.
``It's not really that unusual,'' she explains. ``You have to really be dedicated to do theater. I didn't have that big of a part, but it would have been a real scramble to replace me and the idea of missing the shows just never occurred to me.''
She admits she felt terrible and went backstage and laid down between her appearances on stage. But she has no regrets about continuing her performance. ``I even tried to convince my doctor to let me out on Thursday, so I could make the rehearsal.''
Today, she's much better, and is currently rehearsing for another show, the Portsmouth Little Theatre's production of the Broadway comedy ``Lunch Hour,'' opening at 8 p.m. Friday at Wilson High School's theater.
She plays the role of Nora, the wife of Oliver, who has been married for seven years. ``They've gotten into a routine, and Nora feels Oliver is neglecting her, so she happens into an affair with Peter, who is married to Carrie,'' Baker explains.
``Carrie finds out and meets with Oliver, and they concoct a scheme to pretend they're having their own affair to make Peter and Nora stop their affair. Things get a little convoluted when Oliver starts to get feelings for Carrie and it gets to be a real mismatch of couples.
``I really like Nora, she's one of my favorite characters,'' Baker adds. ``She's very witty and she knows her husband very well - she's never taken in by the role-playing. Adam Ivy plays my husband and we get into some wonderful shouting matches in the show.''
She's been acting for about five years now, starting with a small dance role in ``Whatsoever.''
``I just sort of got hooked,'' she says. ``I like the idea of taking on somebody else's perspective about life, particularly if it's someone who is very different from me.
``The hardest thing for me to do is break character when the show is over because I'm so focused, I just get so focused on my character when the lights go down I get caught up in the moment and it takes a long time to unwind and get back to myself after the applause dies down.''
Joining her in the cast are Ivy, Marti Kraver, Jim DeMeno and Tom Falls. AT A GLANCE
``Lunch Hour'' will be performed at Wilson High School's theater at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Feb. 10 and 11 with matinees at 2 p.m. Feb. 5 and 12 at Wilson High School. Tickets are $7 and $6 for senior citizens and students. Tickets will be on sale at the box office on performance nights. by CNB