Sepia Saturday: Let's Pretend

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt is a picture of a theatrical troupe in costume.  The stage is probably the ultimate world of pretend where an otherwise unassuming person can release his inner villain and a fresh-faced youngster can be transformed into a crippled oldster with the aid of a wig and makeup. 

As a child growing up in the Cradock neighborhood of Portsmouth, Virginia, my stage was my grandparents’ garage.  Every summer discarded window screens were rearranged to create walls for houses or schools.  Paint cans were lined up as sofas and chairs.  Stoves and refrigerators were drawn with chalk between studs. 

Left to right: The Allen girls Anne, Mary, Peggy,
and moi on the far right in a red and white dress
buttoned behind me to create some exotic outfit.

All my friends contributed dress-ups so that we looked the part of teachers, mommies, pioneers, or whatever was the character du jour.

My sister's friend Susan (left)
and my sister Mary Jollette (right) in 1966
both wearing taffeta gowns that had belonged
to my mother.

I loved playing dress-up.

And speaking of dressing up, I must cut this post short.  I have to get dressed up.  There’s some place I need to be.  Can you guess where and why?

All the world’s a stage at Sepia Saturday where my friends will be making plenty of curtain calls. 

© 2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.