Shari Wills had her first role in third grade: she was a beluga whale in a play about endangered species. She fell in love with acting. But after South Bristol Elementary School, Shari let it go. This summer she tried out for her first role since being a beluga. She landed the lead role. The play is “Homer Bound” by Maine playwright and actress Karmo Sanders, in which the characters of a Maine island have gathered for a shotgun wedding. The real Shari, though, lives on the mainland and always has, from Wiscasset to South Bristol to Waldoboro. She and her husband, parents of two little ones, work at Reny’s Warehouse Distribution Center in Newcastle.
Ever since I was little, my mom would say to me, “You’re such a drama queen. You should act.” Then she’d tell me all about the high school plays she’d acted in, and I was like, “Well, I’m not that good.” Insecurities!
But I’ve never forgotten how much I loved it back in grammar school when we used to put on plays. All through high school and after I would think about it and tell myself I should just try it again. But then I’d think that I wasn’t good enough.
But suddenly, acting was coming to Waldoboro again! So, I thought I’d try out. Then, I changed my mind. And then, I decided to do it, and I went even though there was a line outside of others trying out. It was a whim!
You had to sign in and put down the part you were trying out for, and they had a sheet with a short description of the parts for us to read. I liked Lila. She is 30 years old and I’m 37. And I was like, “That’s kind of close.” She was having a shotgun wedding. And I thought, “Well, I had a shotgun wedding — though I was only four months pregnant, and she’s nine.” I’ve been pregnant before. I was like, “Okay, let’s try this,” and I put down Lila as the part I wanted.
The theater was filled with people sitting in the audience, and they handed us small scripts for us to read, but we didn’t have to memorize it. I was nervous as all get-out. People were getting up and reading but I don’t remember anything.
Then I heard my name. I walked up on stage and took my spot. I was shaking, and I was giddy, and I was all things all wrapped in one, being up there and never having done this before and doing the best I could. I read the part how I thought Lila would say it.
A couple of days later, the phone rang. It was Susan, the director, asking me to come in for a call-back. I was absolutely beside myself. I had never auditioned before!
When they called me back for the final casting, they emailed the entire script, a 100 pages. They wanted us to read parts with each other. That was nerve-wracking. A few days later they called to offer me the part. It was wild.
I told my husband. He said, “Go for it. You do you,” which is amazing to me. You don’t get husbands like this very often. I told him about the kissing scene, too. He was like, “That’s okay, I know it doesn’t mean anything.”
It was weird for me, though, because I haven’t kissed anybody since I got married to my husband. I said to Greg, the guy who plays my husband, “Well, this is going to be awkward, but we’ll get over it.” It’s still awkward, and Greg’s in total agreement with that.
These days I’m up at 6:00, out the door at 7ish to drop off the kids off, and at work by 8:00. Then I’m out by 5:00 and off to rehearsals that start at 6:00. I get home around 8:30 when my oldest is in bed so I don’t get to see him. That sucks. At least I’m home right when my little one is about to go down, and I get to hug and kiss him. This is the hardest part, not seeing my children much.
But I’m doing what I want to do. For me. And I needed this. I’m a very introverted person. I don’t get out very often. I don’t like crowds. This is really out of my comfort zone — which I’m working on — but it’s not easy.
I’m a perfectionist. My own worst critic. When something’s not right, I get discombobulated. A couple of weeks ago I didn’t have my lines together, and it was the first day we were rehearsing without scripts. I was feeling stressed about everything, from family to work to this, and I just broke down and started crying on stage. I felt I was letting everybody down. But all the actors came up to me and said, “It’s okay. Everybody breaks. Take your time.”
I never thought I could do something like this, learn lines and act and be on stage. But now that I’m going for it and doing it? It’s given me confidence. And now I’m thinking, “What’s next?” More acting! I hope.
Whatever happens, being in this play has changed me. I used to sit by and let things go like so many people I’ve seen do. I’m not that person now. My oldest son has ADHD, and he’s been struggling a lot lately. My mama bear has come out. I’m fighting for him. My kids and my family will always come first. And I will stand up for their happiness and their well-being. You could say I’ve come a long way from being a beluga whale. And oh my gosh, opening night is almost here! My whole family, maybe even my dad, is coming. I am taking deep breaths, lots of them. I’m talking myself down from nerves and telling myself, “It’s okay. It’s going to run smoothly. You can do this.”
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