To the Editor:
I was unable to attend the celebration of Ann Day’s life May 17. It was held at the Lincoln Theatre. How fitting. These are some of the thoughts I may have shared had I been there.
The Trooper: Ann graced the stages of many local theaters over the years. I had the privilege of directing her in an improvised performance we called: “Our Lakes, Our Rivers, Ourselves.”
Round Top Center for the Arts had been given a grant from the Horizon Foundation, which allowed us to spend almost all summer creating this children’s theater extravaganza. After the production was produced at Round Top we were invited to perform at the International Year of the Ocean at the Samoset Resort in Rockland.
The cast consisted of about 15 kids plus Ann Day. “Our Lakes, Our Rivers, Ourselves” was attended by some of the leading marine scientists in the country. In honor of the Year of the Ocean, well known folk singer Paul Winter, performed, singing some of his beautiful sea ballads.
Now back to the “trooper,” Ann Day: Ann was cast as the narrator and chosen to play the role of Seaweed in our performance. ‘Now what in the world am I supposed to wear as a costume,’ she asked me, beaming that famous impish smile. ‘You mean for me to get seaweed from the ocean and parade around in it in front of an audience?’
‘Yep,’ I responded, not expecting her to do any such thing. ‘Crepe paper will do just fine.’ I consoled my favorite actor.
Ann tried different crepe paper designs for her role but thought they all looked fake. ‘Show biz,’ I replied.
On dress rehearsal Ann appeared at the theater, draped in real seaweed that covered her head and body and she had smeared her face with wet mud. ‘You owe me one, Kelly,’ she said, ‘If I were a swordfish you’d be in serious danger.’
True to the trooper she was, she played the entire run of the show at Round Top in her real seaweed costume. She came to the event at the Samoset with a bucket of seaweed and mud to once again leak all over the stage, acting with the kids in fish costumes, divers in an underwater submersible, and too many sea creatures to mention here.
This was an environmental piece created out of the imaginations of wonderful kids, plus Ann Day, who told the story of the threats to our Maine waters and all waters by pollution, overfishing, disasters, oil leaks: civilization.
‘The message is in the seaweed,’ Ann told me proudly after the show closed. ‘But I’m still going to get you!’
For this incredible actor and great sport my love still goes very deep.
The Animal Lover: Over the years Ann Day supported the Lincoln County Animal Shelter. Many animals found forever homes with her and her husband, Dr. Day, the local veterinarian at the time. She left a gift in her will for the shelter.
One afternoon, having lunch with Ann, I met her pet rat. He was a big fellow and immediately became my friend. Not being much of a rat enthusiast, I still fell in love with this smart boy. I think he rested on my shoulders during our entire luncheon.
I wish I had called Ann, in her last years, to tell her that I now have a pet rat, albeit an outside rat, that visits each day for bits of this and that I save for it. I don’t know if it is a male or female but his or her name is, “All-Day” — as in dawn and noon and afternoon.
Now that our beloved Ann is gone, we see our ‘day’ of her in the setting sun.
There will be a cast of thousands of animal angels to perform with Ann in heaven. I hope to be with her and the animals one forever-Day. I promise not to bring a bucket of seaweed.
