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Stepfanie Kramer
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| On June 9, 2000 I was given the honor of seeing one of the industries top performers in person. The last week in May of 2000 I was researching information on a performance Ms. Kramer was to be making at a Celebrity Gala in Littleton Colorado. The theater reading of "Love Letters" was being held at the "Columbine Country Club" in Littleton hosted by the theater company "Main Street Players". When making phone calls I never dreamed that I would be offered a chance to see the event in person by Shannon who was in charge of the guest list. A few days after the invitation I contacted Shannon to let her know that the invitation arrived safely and that I was very excited for this honor. Little known to myself Shannon had been making some plans of her own. Before hanging up I was informed that Ms. Kramer was informed I was to be in attendance at the show and was looking forward to meeting me! The pure shock that she even would acknowledge I was going to be there was more then any words could ever say. That was NOT the end of the news from Shannon, she then advised that I was to be sitting at the "honorary table" with Ms. Kramer herself. Nerves hit with a fierce force knowing that I was to be sitting just a few seats away from the person that I have looked to for inspiration for so many years. After a lot of planing and many hours of lost sleep due to pure excitement I was ready and waiting for the day to come. Thanks to a lot of encouragement to go (and enjoy) by two friends I packed the 8th to leave the next morning. After what seemed like years of waiting I arrived at the San Francisco airport at 3 am pacific to board a plane that would lead to one of my three ultimate wishs in life. Even though I had only slept a total of six hours for the last few days I could not sleep and could not sit still in my seat. The flight touched down in Denver at 9:57 am. How ironic with "57" being Ms. Kramer's former call number on Hunter. After collecting my luggage I waited nervously for one of the members of the Main Street Players whom graciously opened her home to me. After picking me up at the airport we headed for Littleton where she lived. On the way we talked like we had known each other for years, and I had a feeling that I had just made a friend for life. When we got to Kathy's home we ate lunch and relaxed a bit before heading to the Country Club to help with the finishing touches for that night. When we arrived I was surprised that the room was smaller then I had imagined it would be. There was small stage that had two desks for the performers to sit at and read from the scripts. While there I helped set the wine glasses (that were small gifts for those who were in attendance) and helped decorate the auction tables for the items that were up for bidding. While sitting at a table curling ribbon I had a thought "What if Stepfanie Kramer was to walk in right now". Now if it was psychic prediction or pure dumb luck the thought turned into reality. I looked up from the wine glassed to see Stepfanie Kramer standing only five feet away from me. I smiled at her and she smiled and winked in acknowledgement of the smile. I could not say a thing but of course there was hugh smile on my face that I thought would never go away. She looked as great in person as she has over the years in her television performances. Ms. Kramer had on a long sleeveless dress and looking very nice with her hair straight and unpermed (remember those years?!) and her make up was very elegant. Accompaning her was Gary Eklund and Zach Galligan. Mr. Eklund is the Host of a radio show in Southern California and was there as the limo driver for the celebrities. After looking over the performance area both stars went into a private room to practice the reading. This was the first chance both stars were able to work on the play together after Robert Hays was unable to fufill his duties in the reading. After they left the banquet room I ran over to Kathy who could not understand why I could not stop chanting "Oh my Gosh" about 40 times straight. Ok I can keep my cool in the moment but it comes down to it YES I can act like a typical fan when the coast is clear! No one had realized that either performers had even been in the room or could fathom a thought why I had started smiling like an idiot! After realizing there was only 2 hours till the event was to start Kathy and I dashed to her home to start getting ready. When we got back to her house I had the honor of meeting her son who graciously voulnteered to evacuate his room and sleep on the couch that night. He did not mind since he was getting up early to go fishing the next morning. The humidity was torture on both Kathy and myself since both of us were wearing black outfits. THANK GOODNESS FOR AIR CONDITIONING! After looking each other over to make sure nothing was out of place we took off once more for the club. When we got there (twenty minutes late) the country club was already packed. The auction items were out and already had many great bids. The paintings were amazing and all were donated by local talented artists. I had been informed prior that Ms. Kramer was donating several items herself. One was the ACTUAL script she was to read from that night and had been practicing from for several days. The other item was an autographed copy of her "One Dream" CD. Item numbers 16 and 18. I placed my bid (wrote my name, table number and bidding price) on the script and waited for the end to approach. Dinner was served behind schedule but was still excellent. You could chose from the Chicken, Top Sirloin, or the grilled fish. I can not remember to save my life what was for dessert, since I could not even eat the dinner itself due to nerves. While at dinner I sat next to Mr. Eklund who was happy to have the company and a few chairs away from Zach Galligan, Ms. Kramer backed out of eating dinner due to pre-performance nerves. I was able to understand completely where others were not able to about her declining dinner. It is very difficult to eat before an event for a lot of performers, it also is hard to keep concentration needed for the show. Ms. Kramer's husband Mark Richards was driven by Mr. Eklund along with Mr. Galligan to the benifit where Ms. Kramer opted to driver herself since it was a short drive from her home. While eating Mr. Eklund and myself talked and me helped keep me grounded and to calm me down. Mr. Galligan left the table only to ruturn and find his chair was invaded. There was an open chair next to myself so I offered for him to join me. After a few moments we started talking about the reading and other things. Zach asked me why in the world I would travel so far just to see a performace. I expalined to him that Ms. Kramer has always been a sort of role model/ inspiration for many years. He then asked me how I was going to explain this to Stepfanie herself and NOT sound like a complete fanatic. After telling him exactly what I was going to tell Ms. Kramer he seemed very happy with the answer. When I went to freshen up my makeup I was asked by a woman if I was a memeber of the "Main Street Players", after telling her I was from California and only there for the performance and see Ms. Kramer she was shocked. She told me she was a writer for a local paper and was given the assignment, she asked if I would allow her to do a piece on myself for the paper/ entertainment section. I accepted her offer and we went back to her table and she took down my information and a short bit on being the founder of the Information Network. I thanked her and went back to my table where Mr. Galligan and Mr. Eklund were smirking at the events that happened. The Executive Director Deborah gave Mr. Galligan and Ms. Kramer the 15 minute mark till the start of the performance so both headed off to the back stage area. The performance was very entertaining and well excepted by the audience. Both performers complemented each other nicely and had a great chemistry on stage. A few times there was complete shock by myself to hear Ms. Kramer swearing, I wish I could have gotten a photo when she said the "F" word the first time! At the intermission neither of the stars came out from back stage but I did see Mr. Richards sneak back to speak to his wife. Even though they were backstage you could still see into the small area. The second part started and the chemistry was still there. Did you know that Ms. Kramer can speak french? I guess after honeymooning and traveling so much you have to pick up something! I am not sure how much but I do know she can at least read it. Before the second half started Mr. Eklund asked if I would take a photo of himself with both actors after the intorduction since I was only one of three people with a camera. WHAT AN HONOR! The performance ran till approximately eleven PM, Mr. Eklund introduced each performer and they took their bows on stage. They signed there scripts and started to leave, before they did I asked if they would mind posing for the photo and both obliged. After taking the photo Ms. Kramer met with her husband was heading out the door to go home. From across the room I heard Kathy scream out "Kendra if you want to meet her get your but over here!". Kathy had stopped Ms. Kramer, and let here know that I was actually there. From what I was TOLD during the acknowledgements prior to the performance I was not introduced like previously planned so Ms. Kramer did not know I had actually made it to the show. Since she was heading for the door I really thought that I was going to miss meeting her that night. I grabbed my camera and my photo that I had brought with me from Ebay and approached Kathy who was standing with Ms. Kramer, Mr. Richards and a friend of the Richard's family. When I got to where everyone was I could not believe that I was standing there about to be introduced to Stepfanie Kramer! I can remember almost word for word, and action to action what happened next, it doesn't hurt that I wrote everything down on the trip home either. Kathy took me by the hand and started talking to Ms. Kramer. "Stepfanie I have the honor of introducing you to Kendra Sherwood, Founder and President of YOUR fan club. She is here from California just to see you." The look on Stepfanie's face really showed interest in the introduction. After the intro. Stepfanie reached out and shook my head, then looked and saw the photo in my hand. "Would you like for me to sign that for you?" "Yes please if it would not be too much of a bother." "Not at all, would you like it personalized or just signed?" "Which ever you would prefer." She took the photo out of the original plastic wrapper and I handed her the sharpie that Mr. Eklund handed me when I was walking over (bonus it was blue, my favoite color). We walked over to the small table and she looked over the photo closer. "Where did you get this at, I have NEVER even seen this one before." "I won it off of Ebay a few months ago, I have several more candid shots from a person down in Southern California. I could send you copies for your collection if you would like." "That would be great." She then signed it "To Kendra- All the best to you! Stepfanie Kramer". I thanked her for signing it thinking that was going to it and she was going to leave, boy that was one time I really could not predict what was going to happen. "Kendra what do you do?" "Right now I am a temporary worker. I am heading to the police academy soon. I am hoping to become a police officer someday." "Wow what a job for such a young person. It is a very dangerous, please promise me you will be careful." "It is dangerous but I am not going to be working in California. But I do promise to be careful." "What made you do all of this, the club and all?" "I have been inspired by your work since I was about 8 years old and saw you on HUNTER." "Wow so you have been a fan for how long? 15 years?" "Yes even after you dropped out of sight, after your wedding, giving birth to your daughter, it was hard cause there was so little but I still researched and used the sources out there." "I don't know what to say, I feel so honored that you would do so much for someone you do not know." "It has been my honor all of these years, it has been a way to give back all of the hard work you have done for the industry." "Thank you so much this means to much for me." "It has been my pleasure. Seeing all of your performances and interviews on television over the years you always showed such strength and inner-courage. It is hard to find that in real life let alone from someone that is in the entertainment field." I thanked her for all the positive influence she had given me over the years, that even with out her being there personally it gave me a lot of strength to start over after there had been so much turmoil in my life. She hugged me and said "You are welcome." Shannon asked if she may take a photo of the two of us for the "Main Street" scrapebook and she said only if I did not mind. How could anyone resist! While Ms. Kramer was speaking to a family friend Mark thanked me also for everything I have been doing. He told me that Stepfanie also was honored and glad to have me doing these things. He then asked if I would take a photo with the two of them. A photo with Mark and Stepfanie and I did not have to ask! Kathy took the photo for me with a smile on her face, she was loving it that I was having such a great time. After the photos were finished both Mark and Stepfanie thanked me again and went to say goodbye to their friend. It felt like a fantasy had just come true, not only did I get to meet Stepfanie Kramer, I talked to her about half an hour. After the Richard's had left I walked around with my head in the clouds and even was asked for my photo with Zach Galligan, whom even signed my script. Oh yes I forgot to mention I WON THE SCRIPT!!!!! The actual script that Stepfanie used on stage, it even had the french parts were underlined I could not stop laughing when I read it! So Mr. Galligan and I took the photo and I met up with Kathy and we headed back to her house. Ms. Kramer is as she shows herself in interviews and on talk shows. I thought that there was going to be no way that she was going to be what I have come to know from television. I was right, she so real and so much more elegant in real life. Even after all of the excitement I fell asleep fast and woke up wondering if it was dream. Looked at the photo, and the script and knew I was beyond that, my wish had come true. I hope everyone that is fan or has been inspired by Stepfanie Kramer has the chance to meet her and see the wonderful person she truely is! Thank you to The Main Street Players for the hospitality, Shannon for eveything you did setting up the night , Kathy for opening your home to me and your son for letting me steal his room from him ;-), to my best friend B.B. whom with out I would have backed out and taken the chance a lot of people would kill for (You know who you are) a life time of hugs to you for that! Also to B.W. for the help you gave me to get there, Mr. Eklund and Mr. Galligan for keeping me leveled before the meeting, lastly to Stepfanie and Mark for your love and kindness to a complete stranger! I will truely NEVER forget that night as long as I live. |
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