My Theatrical Release

Ronald Payne's guest contribution, which was posted last week in this blog, reminded me of my stage debut in a union suit as a high school boy. My theatrical career was short-lived but the other boys and I had a ball!  If you are a long time viewer of Union Suit Fan, you might remember me posting this on December 15, 2016, the first year of my long underwear blog. 

Here it is again..... 

Me and My Union Suit

Here's a photo my mom took of me in long winter underwear
back when I was in High School.
I wore this "costume" of long underwear, boots, and cowboy hat
in a school play entitled "A Country Christmas Carol." 

I forgot all about this picture of me in my union suit until my sister, 
sorting through a bunch of old family photos, mailed this to me recently!

Merry Christmas Everybody!   .... Chris



A week or so later, I added this note to my original posting, based on emails I had received.....

The post of me in my Union Suit in high school received more emails than any other post I have done. Thanks to Paul, Ernie, Rich, and Sarah, among others. I appreciate all of you for responding! Sarah commented that me being "tall, dark, and skinny," I must have had the role of Slim Pickens.

Well, no. Actually, "A Country Christmas Carol" was a take off on Charles Dickens' story about ole Scrooge. Ms. Dietrich, my English Literature teacher, had written an adaptation with a country bent. Instead of night shirts, she had us boys wear our long underwear! I was given the part of the "Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come" and wore the white Union Suit as shown in the post photo above. The boys that played Scrooge and the "Ghost of Christmas Present" wore red Union Suits and the boy that was the Ghost of Christmas Past" wore a grey Union Suit.

All four of us, I believe, were at first reluctant to appear on stage in just our long underwear and boots. But we did and to our surprise the play was a big hit with fellow students, teachers, and our parents! An article and photos of us in our Union Suits made the student newspaper as well as the year book.
I guess for awhile we were local "celebrities."

(Regrettably, I have no photos from the student newspaper or year book
from that time...Chris)

Comments:

Anonymous September 20, 2017   

I am a 16 year old boy who last spring was one of the brothers in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in our high school musical. In one scene, six of us boys woke up in our union suits to have breakfast but not before our older brothrs wife wanted our underwear to wash. We than switched to wearing blankets and danced around. Its cool to see you in a union suit too for your high school play... Bailey from Grand Rapids, MI