By Linda Sivertsen

Other Voices

Editor’s note: Best-selling author Linda Sivertsen was inspired by news of the ongoing fund-raising effort to enhance theater renovations at Los Altos Mountain View high schools. The result is this piece, exclusive to the Town Crier, about her experiences in local theater. For more information about the fund-raising effort, see page 23 in this week’s issue.

“Is it possible to be talented at something and not even be conscious of how you acquired the talent?” This is the question I asked myself after I was suddenly drop-kicked into the media spotlight after the release of my first book two years ago. Who knew I’d be comfortable on television or in front of large audiences? Surely not me. I had anticipated being nervous and tongue-tied when the cameras were rolling. Isn’t it natural to be nervous when expected to be an expert with great knowledge as a first-time author?

But my father, Al Tisch, knew I’d thrive. He wasn’t surprised by my ease in the spotlight. “Linda,” he said with sincerity, “you are the same person who narrated the ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ in the Foothill College auditorium when you were in eighth grade. You commanded an audience then and you do it now.” Wow. I laughed at his comparison. How could the two be related? How could a childhood play prepare me for talking to millions of people on CNN or on stage in a formal ballroom full of businesspeople? Dad’s words haunted me for a while as I rolled this concept around in my brain. It seemed so unlikely, but finally I concluded that the truth was so obvious I had missed it altogether. Enunciating the words of Dr. Seuss in a dimly lit venue from my youth absolutely set the stage, so to speak, for my adult belief in myself.

Somehow my parents knew to enter me in the local Los Altos Children’s Theater auditions when I was a kid, and for that I am forever grateful. Mostly, I am grateful that my town thought such endeavors were important. Now, 25 years later, I find that my beloved hometown still does.

Recently, my father took my sister and me to the Bus Barn Theater for a rendition of “The Odd Couple.” Staring at Hillview Community Center, I recalled that the brown building before me on the left was where I used to have my makeup applied before each Children’s Theater performance. The larger building on the right was where we performed our shows! Elated, I ran across the lot to the old theater to find it exactly as I remembered it. I am 10 years old again, seeing my mother, through the open door that looks out on Hillview Avenue, drive up in her two-toned Riviera to pick me up from rehearsal.

There I am, at the front of the stage, screaming out as the Wicked Witch of the West from “The Wizard of Oz,” and over to the back right is the spot of my first crying scene as Jo in “Little Women.”

I pull myself back into present time. “The Odd Couple” is about to start across the lot, and I’ve got to get myself together.

Exiting the building, I hear voices and turn to find a dozen or so teen-agers rehearsing lines on the patio, laughing and hamming it up. Was I really that tall and fresh-faced when I was in their place? They seem so hip and cool, not like the gangly “theatrical types” I remember us being. They look excited and a bit nervous, too, as if they have an important show of their own to get ready for. I see my past self in them and leave with a smile. I pray that decades later, this cycle will continue.

Wherever I go, I take the theatrical foundation I received in Los Altos with me, even though the correlation is newly recognized. This picturesque town offered far more than physical beauty for my formative years; it offered the beauty of creative expression.

My present work as an author, interviewer, columnist and speaker leads me to interview some of the world’s most successful people (from athletes to financial moguls to movie stars), and I am often fortunate enough to talk about my work in the press. But nothing has ever been more nerve-racking than standing on those huge stages as a kid, or more fulfilling.

Back then, Mom was clapping and laughing louder than anyone, and Dad had the tape recorder running, often with his embarrassing black headphones in glaringly obvious view. Mom is gone now and Dad is usually in another town when I am on stage, although his pride remains constant.

I thank God for those summer days of long ago and for a childhood spent in this magical town. I can’t imagine me without Los Altos as the backdrop; the community of theaters and thespians brought great vision to my life, and now my stage, both inside and out, is limitless. May every gangly child and teen be so lucky!

For any adult out there reading this who has contributed to the arts in this heavenly town, take pride in what you do for others, even for those kids who have not yet recognized their worth or their talent. It is there, waiting to be called upon.

One day, when they least expect it, this background will catapult to the forefront and help them to thrive!

Linda (Tisch) Sivertsen is a columnist, speaker and editor, and the award-winning author of “Lives Charmed: Intimate Conversations with Extraordinary People.” She has been featured on CNN, “Leeza,” “Extra” and the E-Channel, and in the Star and NY Post. Currently writing several new books, she lives in Los Angeles and New Mexico with her husband and their 10-year-old son, four dogs and two cats. Her Web site is www.LivesCharmed.com.