Enter Stage Left

image of me in a Commedia play.

Enter Stage Left

“Love art in yourself, & not yourself

in art.”--Konstantin Stanislavski.

1960--16 years old, sophomore in high school, got my driver’s 

license, first car a 1952 Chev business coupe, got laid for the

first time, wanted to turn out for football, play at fullback, but

joined the Stage Crew instead, became a scene painter secondary

to my love of sketching/painting, created a painting of a Mississippi

riverboat on an 80’ X 30’ scrim.

        1961--Junior year High school, while wrestling with a friend

        back stage over a Yankee screwdriver, hit him in the mouth

        & knocked out his front teeth, chained the disliked Shop teach-

        er’s new Edsel to a phone pole, then felt guilty when it pulled

        the bumper off.

                      

                      1962--graduated from high school, saw Elvis while

                       attending the World’s Fair in Seattle where he was

                       making a movie, made the transition from stage hand

                       to actor, playing Sitting Bull in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN,

                       winning the Best Actor of the Year award.

                                         1963--decided against college, went to work

                                          in my father’s machine shop located next to

                                          the Duwamish River, got fired because I refused

                                          to pull out a dead wharf rat that had crawled into

                                          a welder & got fried; can still smell it.

1964--got a scholarship & attended a community college, starring as

Benedict in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, began to get serious about

writing poetry, inspired by English professors.

            1965--graduated from Highline College first in my class, having

            dreams about achieving success as an actor & writer, transferred

            to the U of W, English & Drama major.

                          1966--Viet Nam War was raging & I got drafted right out

                          of school, but got a 120 day delay for boot camp because

                          my mother was dying.

                                        1967--got out of boot camp, designated the

                                         Outstanding Recruit Squad Leader, six months

                                         later reprimanded for my bad attitude; got fired as

                                         Captain’s Driver at NAS Miramar. 

                                                       1968--discharged from the service,

                                                  started back to college as Drama major,

                                            had to help an old girlfriend, impregnated by

                                      old friend while I was away, to find a midnight

                              abortionist, both illegal & traumatic. 

1969--became a college Star in play after play,

1970--auditioned for the U of W’s fledgling BFA Professional Actor’s

Training Program, accepted & began three years of conservatory 

training; hell, I was on my way--too bad it didn’t work out.

Sex, drugs, & rock ‘n roll;

the 60’s were all that & more--

my baptism of fire.

Glenn Buttkus

Posted over on dVerse Poets Pub MTB