(bright upbeat music) - Will you consider this?

It was 57 years ago and you met somebody and somehow you just clicked.

Well, Pam Orear and Peggy Hupp are those two people and that was like 1969 or something like that?

- Yep.

- 1968.

- 1968, and you guys were 13 years old.

- Yes.

- Well, and the reason that I have you here is because you're both way involved in community theater and community theater is what got you together, so let's hear your version first of that 1968 meeting, Pam.

- Well, I met Peggy in "Flower Drum Song," Corn Stock, directed by Len Cos, his very first show he ever did at Corn Stock and became a legend.

And I was in the youth chorus with her.

Her sisters were in it too.

And we only did one song in the show, so they were letting us younger people come and help with makeup so Peggy was coming and helping with makeup 'cause she was not in the show.

And she ended up being the one that was doing my makeup and I was very upset because this other younger girl was able to do her own makeup, remember, and I would always complain to Peggy about why does she get to do her own makeup and I can't?

But Peggy did a great job and that's how we met and we just hung out together.

We were really, not a whole lot of people that were our age.

They were the younger or older, so we kind of, and we were so much alike.

All our interests were the same and we just bonded and from then on the story is, you know, we- - Friendship.

- Friendship, absolutely.

- Okay, so let's hear yours.

So how did you do her makeup?

I mean, after all that pressure because she couldn't do her own for heaven's sake.

- Well, I don't know that I knew all that at the beginning, but she was just, she was someone my age, and again, we had a lot of interest.

What I loved when we were younger is we always used to harmonize.

We'd drive in the car and we'd sing all these show tunes.

I don't even know if I remember any popular songs when we were in high school 'cause all we did was sing show tunes.

But yeah, we had a lot of interest.

I loved her family, I loved spending the night over there, and it just kind of started that way and then we were in shows together and kind of grew from there and it was at Corn Stock.

I think our first shows together were at Corn Stock.

- Yes, absolutely.

- Okay, so what shows were they?

So, "Flower Drum Song," "I Enjoy Being a Girl," was that the one that you sang?

- Uh-huh.

- Okay.

- No, not me, no.

- No, no.

You got to be in the chorus.

- Just the young little kid chorus.

(laughing) - [Christine] Yeah, right.

- We only did, we did not do that many shows together.

We did "George M!"

together and then "Anything Goes" together and then "Babes in Arms" at Peoria Players.

We did a group called Sing Up Peoria, which was part of Up with People, and Up with People had come to Peoria when we just became friends and they were starting a local group and my dad had had, back then Up with People would stay in people's homes, so we had two of them stay at our home, and so Peggy was hanging out with us at the time and she went with us at the initiation meeting and that took us together through high school and that was probably what we did the most together because we had two rehearsals a week.

Saturdays and Sundays we had shows that we were doing, and you know, we did a lot with Sing Up Peoria together.

- Okay, so you're both hometown girls, right?

- Yes.

- I mean, you're born and raised here.

Did you go to the same high school?

- No.

- Okay.

But you managed and you had one phone in the house hanging on a hook that stretched all the way so you could have your private conversations, right?

And kept that friendship together.

- Yeah, we, actually, I took, I went to Bergen.

We took a bus from, I took a bus from Bergen to Richwoods.

- Yeah, back then where you lived, they didn't have a bus that took her to her house, so she would go on a Richwoods bus that would take her right to Knox, right there were Lou's is, right there on the intersection.

- Okay.

- And I would take, my bus would stop there before it went to my house so we would meet at Lou's when Lou was open.

- Yeah.

- And then she would go on her way and then I would go on my way and we did that the whole, whenever Lou's was open, we would meet every day after school.

- So you guys really have been through all of the ups and all of the downs and there are so many that kind hit you, that's for sure.

What has been, if you can each think of one, it might not even be the same thing.

What has been the the most sorrowful for you that you were there to support one another?

- I had gone through a divorce and so, gosh, not having Pam in my life, I don't know what I would've done.

She's very supportive.

She was there for me if I needed any time of the night.

She's just been such a loyal friend, even when I would do stupid things or, you know- - [Christine] That's what friendship's for.

- I know, she would always forgive me and welcome me back.

I mean, it wasn't a big thing, but I'm just saying through the years, you know, she's just been such a great friend and helped me through that part of my life.

- Right, and then you.

- Well, first of all, just to go back a little bit, we left each other at 18.

I went off to college to California and did not come back again until I met, I mean, I came back and forth a little bit until I met my husband and then we moved and went to Champaign, so we had not been in the same city.

When she did get her divorce, I was right in between school and so I did come and that was the first time we had an apartment together.

- Yeah.

- Oh, right.

- And we shared an apartment together through her divorce.

- That's when she did the stupid stuff.

No, I'm just kidding.

(Peggy chuckling) - Well, she did like to take a blanket with her friends and go down the stairway.

(Peggy laughing) - You can go down a whole lot faster.

- Yeah, they used to have a lot of fun.

- It's like a rollercoaster.

- But I thought what in the world, what are you guys doing?

She's always been fun loving and everything.

But probably when my brother died and I was living in Champaign and Peggy was here and my son was just a year old and she immediately took him.

I kept him at her home with all her other brood.

I mean she had, you know- - Three boys at that time.

- Three boys, yeah, she didn't have Katie yet.

And she was there to support.

She even gave a talk at the funeral because she had known him and I think that was probably the hardest thing I'd gone through where I needed my best friend 'cause he died very young and it was a hard time.

- And it just wasn't fair.

- It was not fair.

- She was there to help you pick pieces.

- Absolutely, and she was there for my entire family.

She was unbelievable.

She just did so many things for us at that time.

- Well, and going through high school, my senior year is when my mom and dad got divorced and then I went and lived with her for a while, so they were my family.

- Right, exactly.

- I always called her mom, my mom and her dad, Dad, and so they were my extended family.

- Exactly, well, I do know that, well, you were directing for a while and you always figured out a way to get her dad, who was just a stitch, in some of your shows, or was he in all of 'em?

- No, no, no, no, no.

- Cameo appearance.

- Actually, this wasn't happened for him until he retired.

He should have been on stage.

The guy was hilarious, you could tell.

- He remembered every joke he ever heard.

- And once again, their family was an extended part of my family and her parents were so close to me, but her dad loved me because I could not retain, I could not remember a joke.

Cannot remember a punchline, so he would find me and tell me the same joke over and over and over again and I would laugh like it's the first time I heard it 'cause it really was to me the first time I heard it, so it's like, oh good, "Pam's in the room," you know.

But when he retired, he, I don't exactly really know, she had all sorts of family in a show that we did.

He did two shows out of all the shows I, and he loved it, and it was great having him and her.

She had her brothers were in it and her kids were in it, and yeah.

- My daughter was in a couple of them.

- Matt was in it.

- Yeah.

- And Matt.

- Yeah.

- Okay, so what's been the most fun you've had together?

I know you said that you've thrown her a couple of parties.

Have you thrown some parties for her too, just surprise parties?

Oh, she forgave you.

- Because she doesn't like birthdays.

She doesn't wanna celebrate 'em so I didn't wanna make her mad.

- Pam, you're one of those.

- She forgets.

In high school- - [Peggy] This is another reason why we're friends.

- We remind each other.

- Yeah.

- I think it was my 16th birthday, she came over with a whole carload of people for a surprise party.

Do you remember that?

- No.

- It was a bunch of Sing Up People and you showed up and I luckily was presentable, thank goodness, or I might have been annoyed.

(all chuckling) And so that was, that was kind of fun, you know, it was like 20 people there that came and she initiated that and they brought all this stuff.

(Peggy speaking faintly) - Did her mom know that you were gonna do that?

I mean, had you got it cleared with your parents?

- [Pam] I don't think so.

- Oh, you even surprised her mom too.

- Yeah, no, I think that they had all been, I don't even know how much planning there was in that, but I remember it because it was touching for me - Right, exactly.

- That was fun.

- Exactly.

Well, that's so much fun, but in the meantime then, you've been in a couple shows together and you've been through all these other things, but you almost kind of compete with one another now because, I mean, so you direct "Newsies" and then you direct the "Wizard of Oz" and then, okay, well then you gotta outdo the next one, but is it competitive like that?

- Not at all.

- You're not competitive?

- Not at all.

I support everything she does and sometimes it's just different types of shows, so you get a different group of people auditioning, but I learned a lot from her 'cause I was her choreographer for years, so really I'm extension of Pam (laughing) because I even said to her daughter, I go, "I'm reminding you of your mom, right?"

And she goes, "Yes, you are."

(laughing) - So, what did she mean?

In what way?

Just because you know what she's thinking, what she sees when it comes to choreography.

- She just is very good with blocking, spacing, characterization, bringing the best out of people, and I just gleaned all that information.

I'm sure there was some of me in there because I had done a lot of theater before I start directing, and also choreographing, you have to see the whole picture, so choreographers can make good directors.

Someone told me, so I thought I tried it.

- Somebody told you that, so.

- Yeah, I thought, "Well, maybe I'll try it."

(all chuckling) - And then Pam, how about you?

- Well, she's being very humble.

We started off together when we were, when we graduated from high school and we both went to ICC.

I went there for a year before I went off to school.

And we went to Hines Grade School and asked if we could direct the "Wizard of Oz," our very first show, we had 100 kids.

That was when it was fifth through eighth, and we decided, we just mutually decided that I would direct 'cause that was really where my interest was.

Her interest was in dancing, she was gonna choreograph, and then we continued on.

I would come home and for summers and we had started to do Theater Peoria and we did quite a few shows.

In fact, I love to tell the story about Bobby and Jenny Parkers for the people that know them.

- [Christine] Yeah, uh-huh.

- They met, well, they didn't meet, they already knew each other, but he was our Tom Sawyer.

- Tom Sawyer, right.

- And she was our Becky and they had their first kiss in our show, and even back then when the kids would find with switching the gum, you know how Tom chews the gum and Becky takes it in her mouth and everything, and so and then they continued on and are legends in Peoria in the theater community thing.

The question was what was... What was the exact question?

I forget.

I've gotten off of there.

- (coughs) Excuse me.

Excuse me.

- You said the competition.

- Competing with one another, that's right.

- There was only one time that we had a competition problem and that was when I did "Les Mis" youth and she did "Grease" at the same time.

- Yeah.

- And it was, both of more the older kids.

It was, you know, with a lot of the older kids that were, I could only go to high school, but yours was pretty much all high school too.

- Yeah.

- They all couldn't decide which one they wanted to do so we did have quite a few, that was the only problem when we were like, "No, no, come on, you wanna do 'Les Mis,' right?"

She said, "No, no, you wanna do Grease."

But it was fun.

- That's true.

- There was never any kind of hard feelings or anything, but Peggy's an incredible director and choreographer.

She's got the double plus, I don't choreograph, and so, you know, she can basically do it all.

We're there to support each other.

She was there with me through, everything through "Oliver" last year helping out.

That was great to have her back.

- Which was quite a production.

All right, so people kind of dabble in community theater, maybe they attend, maybe they don't, but they can also be involved in their own way.

They don't have to be on stage performing.

So what are some ways that they can contribute?

- So yeah, there's painting sets, there's helping make props, if needed.

There's, you know, learning lighting and sound and there's just so much involved, and everybody is one group, you know, they're one family during that process.

And I mean, there were so many people in "Wizard of Oz" this summer that were involved.

- Right.

- So, yeah, there's a lot for people to do.

The biggest thing is, is maybe to go to an audition and maybe let the director know that you're interested.

Another thing that's very needed is costumes.

A lot of our costumers are overstretched, so if people can sew, that is a big thing.

- [Christine] That's a gift.

- That is a very big gift.

- I mean, even if you just hem, you know, simple things like just alterations is so needed.

Costuming is probably our number one need right now in community theaters, people get involved in the costuming.

- So where do you start?

I mean, you keep a lot of those costumes and you share with Peoria Players, but where do you store them for Corn Stock, in the barn?

- Corn Stock has two areas.

They have quite a big, huge extension of the tent that's climate-controlled where they're there, and then they have another area where they keep some of, when you're doing a show, they'll bring all of that in there and store all the costumes in another area, which is also climate-controlled.

- And there's reciprocals with different theaters, so Players can get costumes from Corn Stock, Corn Stock from Players, Community Children's Theatre, some of the high schools, so everybody's really good about kind of sharing costumes if needed and so that's good.

- Okay, so when you are directing a show, I mean, especially at Corn Stock because it's in the round and you have four ramps, people getting there, how difficult is that to envision what your backdrop is gonna be, because there, there's not a whole lot of backdrop, you know, when it's theatre-in-the-round.

- You need a lot of creativity.

- Yeah, exactly.

- And you know, you start thinking about it quite a time before auditions so you have a vision of it.

But yeah, you have to be creative and create something that the audience can buy into because, of course, theater is, you wanna immerse yourself in whatever the story that's being told is.

- Right, so you dream about that.

So the director dreams about it, or you have your set design people thinking that through?

- It needs to start with the director.

It's always a director's vision.

And the director will sit down then with the set designer.

A lot of community theater in Peoria, I think both of us and a lot of others, actually are very involved in their set design because we have the vision and so you have to pick somebody that- - [Christine] Thinks the same way you do.

- Well, or you're both open to listening and sharing ideas and coming up with them.

The nice thing about Corn Stock, it can be very minimal, minimal sets.

- Exactly.

- I just use a cyc for my backdrop usually, so lighting ends up being more important so that you light it right in the back.

But in comparison to a proscenium stage where you have to think every square inch, you can go very minimal with Corn Stock.

So it does get to be a little bit more creative, but your cast and your characters are what's the most important out there.

- Right, well, so for "Newsies," it was all that metal structure.

And then "Oliver," you had, I mean you had dark and you had beautiful- - Bridge.

- Yeah, I mean it was, it does take a lot.

- Yeah, I do a lot, both of us use large casts, so we have to do levels.

You have to come up with something, especially on the trim part that's level.

Corn Stock is set up to be in there completely in the round, but most shows anymore are done in the three-quarters round so they can use that area up in the trim to bring up, you know, to expand that lot, but there have been things and there are still directors that will go and do it strictly in the round.

We even have had some small musicals do that not too long ago, so that's always kind of fun.

- It is.

- You know, you bring the audience up on the trim and they're sitting up there and everything is completely down in the pit.

- So how far in advance have you guys been thinking about what shows you want to do in the future, or you wanna bring back because they were so much fun to work with the people in the cast and everything?

- Well... - Yeah.

(Pam laughing) Sometimes it's just, for me maybe going to Chicago and seeing shows, I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I would love to do that."

So you sometimes have a bucket list, but I mean, we've been doing it for so long- - Start a bucket list, I think, yeah.

- That, I mean it's not, I think I've done all my dream shows.

There's probably more out there, but yeah.

- I've got one or two left maybe, but we're really supporting some of the younger, newer directors now too to come in and do some of the, you know.

I'm actually going to be doing something next summer at the tent and that will be announced.

It had already been announced by the time this has shown- - All right.

- So I'm not gonna share what that is going to be, but it's something that I've been interested in for many years and so I'm kind of excited about this one.

This will be fun, but right, I think neither one of us have got a big bucket list left really now.

- Yeah.

It's kind of done.

- You've lived long enough to- (all laughing) - [Peggy] That is the point.

- Well, there's always new shows that come up like, oh, I would be so much fun to do, but I keep thinking, you know, it's time for some of these other directors- - For the next generation, and speaking of which- - Next generation take over.

- How are they doing?

Do they come to you to tap you for information and some of your expertise?

Or are they, "I can do this, I know what I'm doing."

Well, I mean, you don't have to name names or anything, but are there some who have been that way?

Because in my business, well, I guess this is my business now, but in my past news business, there were some, it'd be like, "Well, you know, that's not exactly the way you're supposed to report that story, you know."

And they would go, "Oh, well, is there a handbook on that?"

And I go, "No, there's not."

But then, you know, they'd figure it out.

Okay, well guess what?

The old lady was right.

- I have had several people come to shadow me, younger people.

Some of them have gone on to direct and some not so much, so yeah, I've had people, you know.

- It's normally ones that wanna get involved.

- Exactly.

- Not ones that are already been asked to do a show.

- Okay.

- I am one that actually support them not coming to talk to me.

I think you need the confidence to know your vision and to do your vision and not be confused by somebody else.

That's why when I'm gonna direct a show, I make a point not to go and see a show somewhere else.

It's the same show.

- Oh, okay.

- Because it gets in my mind, my vision starts going, well, maybe I should do this, and I don't wanna start stealing ideas because they're great ideas, you know, so I am actually one that supports, if they've been chosen to do a show, it's because they've got the vision and the confidence to do the show.

- But if they come to you, you will- - Oh, absolutely.

- With a question, okay, so, or I'm having a little problem with this, so how can I fix this?

- Absolutely, and Corn Stock has a mentor program for new directors, so they get an advising director that's there for them if they have any questions about the round and stuff like that, so that's- - And then in the winter you have the lab theater and people of all ages can perform in those shows as well.

- Absolutely.

- So people need to go online and look up cornstocktheatre.com.

Is it dot org?

- Correct.

- Yeah, and see auditions are and what the shows are and everything coming up.

- And there's a lot, there is a link for volunteering.

So there's a lot of opportunities to be out there and to volunteer and to help the program through the summers, through the winter.

- Well, even some of the volunteer opportunities are working the concessions.

- Absolutely.

- You know, taking tickets at the door.

- Absolutely.

- Checking and helping people sit, yeah, so you don't have to be a performer, you can perform in your own comfortable way.

- Absolutely.

- Yes.

- Okay, so, what do you look forward to most now?

Oh wait, this is airing on August 22nd, I believe, so quick.

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ ♪ Happy birthday, dear Peggy ♪ ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ - Thank you.

- It's her birthday on August 22nd.

- Yeah, okay, so what do you look forward to most, other than that birthday, celebrating another trip around the sun.

- I look forward to waking up in the morning.

- Okay, that's a start.

- Just kind of on the down low now (chuckling) with my age.

But I just look for other opportunities to be creative.

I think in our time of life right now, it's so good to keep being creative.

- Keep busy.

- Keep working and keep busy and absolutely love it, I love it, and my kids support me.

They go, "Mom, I know how much you love this."

But yeah, I just look forward to whatever new opportunities that come my way.

- And you'll be directing "Mary Poppins" and that will be... - Community Children's Theatre.

- Yeah.

- And auditions are the second weekend of September and the show's the first weekend of December.

- Wow, and then Pam, what's your next show that you're doing?

- I will say this 'cause it will have aired after it, so I'll be doing a "Hunchback of Notre Dame" next summer and it will be an all-adult cast, and this is the first time since 1981 that I haven't done a show without children in it.

- Really?

- Yeah, so this is gonna be different and interesting, yeah.

So I'll be doing that too.

- That'll be fun.

It'll be interesting.

It'll be a change for you.

Just really quickly, 'cause we have a couple minutes left, you both said you like working with large casts.

Why?

I mean, you're herding cattle that way in a way.

- I like how it fills the stage.

I mean, there's nothing wrong with smaller groups, but another thing is that's how I got my opportunity.

It was always large casts and I love to see new people come out with "Wizard of Oz" and see them to fall in love with theater, children that just fall in love with being on stage.

That's what I love is the beginning to the end, the creativity, and just seeing how new people get involved, but I do like large casts.

Not that I wouldn't do a smaller cast, but I don't know, sometimes, I had 147 people audition for "Wizard of Oz."

- Wow.

- It was heartbreaking to cut people.

- Exactly, yes.

- So I got down to 70.

(all laughing) - Community theater's community.

It's involving your community and it's, I go into a show saying, "All right, I'm not going to cast a person if they're really not the talent to be on stage.

It's not their thing."

I'm always surprised that I end up with 100 people that actually have the ability and the talent.

Not everybody can sing and dance.

Some are stronger in singing, some are in dancing, but it's the, I enjoy the family.

I've always had my family involved and everything.

My husband is an actor too, and our kids have been involved and so there's something special about bringing in the family- - There is.

- Unit to that, yeah.

- And there's something special about you guys too, and your friendship, so thanks for sharing your stories- - Thank you.

- With our audience.

- Thanks.

- And, you know, take in some community theater when you get a chance.

- Absolutely.

- In the meantime, until next time, be well.

(gentle music) (gentle upbeat music) (gentle upbeat music continues) (lively upbeat music) (lively upbeat music continues)