The OQUIRRH Chapter of UTSPS is located in Tooele, Utah with Marney Zambrano as President.
She tells us a little about her background: I was born and raised in Ogden, Utah, earned a B.A, in English and German at
Utah State University, taught junior high and high school English and reading
classes in Utah plus English and ESL classes part time at Lassen Community
College in Susanville, CA for awhile. For the past 17+ years I have been the
librarian at Sterling R. Harris Elementary School in Tooele, where they pay me
to play.
My Daddy was an accomplished poet, public speaker, and actor. My
Grandma Elinor Hodgson wrote lovely poetry. My Mama was a teacher and a school
librarian, too. She could recite zillions of poems from memory and loved being
involved in speech and drama activities. I started composing poetry before I
was 5 years old and have no intention of stopping anytime soon. My friend,
colleague and fellow poet Jennie Mallon introduced me to Oquirrh Chapter and
Utah State Poetry Society in 1998, and I have
loved being a member of the society ever since! You are invited to join this
chapter when it restarts in Sept 2015. Contact Marney for more info.
IMPROMPTU IMPROVISATION?
While writing a little play for the family reunion,
Aunt Lillian probably penned the heroine's part
with her in mind; so when she accepted the role,
Miss Mary Hodgson––matchless prim and proper
schoolmarm by day; bright, blue-eyed, buxom and
blonde amateur actress by night––did not concern
herself with trivial affairs, like who would play the
leading man. She painstakingly practiced precise
elocution and polished her delivery and timing
to perfection, until each line, poignant expression,
or gesture produced maximum melodramatic effect.
Meanwhile, our hero, Police Sergeant I.M. Hilton,
a widower with five children, took on the play
as a favor to his friend Lillian, who, knowing him
to be trustworthy as well as talented, did not hesitate
to cast him opposite Mary, despite his being fifteen
years older than her niece. Sarge juggled learning
his lines with his job, church, and fatherly duties
as best he could and showed up for the first rehearsal
wondering if he would remember what to do and say.
No one ever confessed what crossed their minds
when they were introduced, but the script did call for
him to kiss her. She was so impressed she swallowed
her gum; and he was enthralled, he forgot he was
only pretending. And the rest, they say, is history.
