Monday, January 25, 2010

Witch Hunt with Fire Batons!

Just a quick refresher that in honor of my 2 Year Blog Anniversary I am playing a game with you. I am posting 4 stories this week and you get to tell me if the story is true or false. 3 of the stories are true and one is false! I hope you are enjoying the game thus far!


Here comes the second story!


It was the summer in between my freshman and sophomore year. Summers were always busy for me, as I was always preparing for Nationals at Notre Dame University and then the month of August was my birthday. This summer was a little different.


My baton twirling coach was from Riverside, California. She had come to Utah to twirl for the University of Utah and because she was Mormon. Her mother who was also a baton coach still lived in California. It was during my freshman year that I met my coach and knew that she was the best thing for me to excel in my chosen sport. Rachelle was an absolute blessing in my life and gave me many opportunities that I would not have had, if it were not for her.


One of them, was to be in a movie! HBO contacted her mother, Debbie and wanted 5 girls who could twirl batons with fire. The movie was to be called Witch Hunt. For some reason, my name was included in Debbie's list of girls to be in the movie. So with my parents permission, I was whisked down to Southern California for a short period of time to train with my coach and be included in the movie. All by myself sans parents!


I remember first being driven down to downtown LA to be fitted for our costumes. We were to wear Drum Majorette costumes with boots! Everyone was buzzing about Dennis Hopper being in the film. He had just recently finished a small film with Keanau Reeves and Sandra Bullock called Speed. Pshhhh! Dennis Hopper, smopper! Who cares! Also in the film was Penelope Ann Miller. I had heard her name, but really didn't know who she was. That was my first taste of the movie star business.


We returned home and rehearsed our little routine for the movie and then went back to intense training for Nationals. It wasn't until some time later that we arrived back into LA to actually film the scene. I remember being escorted to a chair where a woman did my make up. Then I was taken to a trailer to have my hair done. I didn't really enjoy this process because as the hair dresser was doing my hair, she was disturbed by the baby hairs on my fore head that never grew. She exclaimed to me "What the heck(edited) am I suppose to do with this?" Humiliated I sunk down in my chair thinking "I feel pretty, oh so pretty!"


After that, we waited around FOREVER!! We were given dinner to eat from an outside sandwich vendor. I remember that I sat by one of the stars from the show. I cannot remember his name, but he has dark curly hair. Never talked to anyone, just ate. It got dark and we were asked to rehearse the scene with all the extras. It felt like we did it a thousand times. Here is the scene I was in:


It is a large outdoor auditorium filled with people. The time period is about the 1950's and so everyone was decked out in skirts, hats, red lipstick etc. The people had gathered because they were going to burn a woman at the stake because they thought she was a witch. For some reason, in the movie people were being killed in mystical ways and so they were on a hunt for the witch who had to be guilty of such crimes. As for the entertainment as they are gathering the people before the big burn, a band is playing with 5 girls twirling the baton, none the less ON FIRE!!


I know! I know! If I knew then what I know now, I would not have done it! I was young and naive. I wanted to be in a movie! What 14 year old wouldn't?
Dennis Hopper was hired as the investigator of the crimes and was at the auditorium to convince the people that they were accusing and burning the wrong woman. He finally joined the rehearsals about 10:00 pm with his blond young friend probably the age of his granddaughter. (Yes, it was creepy!)


At 11:30 pm, we finally filmed the scene. They filmed it twice and I was so nervous. Part of the routine was to throw the fire baton up and spin around. This made me nervous because a. I was wearing boots and b. Flying skirts are in the way of fire batons.


I remember having two very clear concerns:


1. DO NOT DROP THE BATON!
and

2. DO NOT CATCH ON FIRE!


Needless to say, we wrapped up around midnight and made it home just after one. As a memento, I wanted to keep something to remind me of such experience. So I stole a button they were handing out at the auditorium in support of burning people at stakes. I also ransacked the treat trolley of gummy worms and Miss Debbie did not like the older boys were talking to a 14 year old girl (who was pretending to be 16!)


I was paid $500 for my work and had began my love of twirling fire! I never saw the movie in its entirety because it was AWFUL!! Big surprise! I wonder why?


Anywho, from this experience I have learned that the movie business is a very slow and corrupted process. I like my happy little naive bubble and I will twirl fire batons today, IF you pay me $500. Any takers?


Is this story true or false? Go vote at the left hand side bar on the top of my page.


13 comments:

CB said...

I fully expect you to teach us to twirl fire batons at 3:00 am while singing the BYU fight song on our blogger weekend!!! :D

Mackenzie said...

Um...singing the BYU fight song??? I certainly hope not!!! But yay to fire batons!!

Heather said...

I this is true. I want to see you twirl a baton with fire.

Jenice Henrie said...

Do you still have your fire batons?

Joy For Your Journey said...

I am voting true on this one. If it isn't you are a very good story teller with a great attention to detail. Plus I want it to be true! What a great story. How many people can say they entertained during a burning at the stake with their own little fire.

Small House said...

Seriously, if this is a true story, which I think it is...you have lead a full life at 14!! HAHAHA
If it's not true, I don't know how you come up with this!

The Dorsey's said...

I love that story!

I am very jealous that you were able to have that experience. You guys had a lot of fun when you went to California.

Anonymous said...

I'm planning to be buried at night when I die. Fire batons and bagpipes are on the program. Can you come up witha routine to "Amazing Grace"

Jenice Henrie said...

Suz,

Anonymous is your dad. He forgot his password. I thought you should know it was him.

Janet and Suzie's Dad said...

I think I found my password.

Lacey said...

Uncle Bob, you crack me up! I remember wishing I could have done that.

Janet and Suzie's Dad said...

Thanks Lacey, would you be interested in doing a duet?

JENNIFRO said...

This was fabulous too! If it's not true...you are darn good at details! I think this is true also! I cannot wait to find out the truth...I hate waiting. This was awesome...I love the adventure of going to Hollywood at fourteen. And $500 seems about right for something like that. I'm sold!

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