Daytime Encounter Cast

Note:  Click on images below to see full size

Part I – Our Arrival  

Written by Lucy (aka Soap Gal)

There was both good news and bad news when my sister Aline and I met Daytime Encounter’s staff, Lori and Claire in Times Square, NYC on the morning of August 10, 2002.  We were among several OLTL fans, waiting for the bus that would take us to the Daytime Encounter Studio where we would be Soap Opera Stars for a day!  Aline’s husband Will, and my husband Jerry accompanied us to observe the process of soap making and give us a little moral support. 

The bad news came first:  Kamar De Los Reyes (Antonio), who was scheduled to participate in the event, had to cancel at the last moment because of a family emergency.  The good news:  Fortunately for us, Teddy Sears (Chad) was able to attend and graciously put some time aside to step into Kamar’s place. Teddy was an absolute doll, and because of his charming personality, the fans really responded in a positive manner. I personally think he is a wonderful and fun kind of guy!!!  

(Pictured on left: Sears & Lucy)

Teddy was scheduled to meet us at our designated “Bus Stop,” and while some of our group waited on the bus, we opted to wait outside with Lori, Claire and a few other participants.  After waiting 15 minutes, we assumed that Teddy was running late.  But, unbeknownst to us, he had been waiting all that time “on the bus” for US!  He eventually realized what was happening, got off the bus, and found us waiting for him on the nearby corner.  The 45-minute bus ride to the studio gave us a wonderful opportunity to introduce ourselves and meet other fans, who shared a common interest in OLTL.
 

The Stage manager was the first to greet us when we arrived at the studio.  He took our group through the studio set where we would be soon taping our scenes, and led us into a large room, which he called the “Rehearsal Room.”

As soon as we entered the room and rounded the corner, there was Ty Treadway (Troy) as large as life and looking especially handsome, dressed in a casual blue shirt and black pants, and as charming as the character he plays on One Life. He gave Aline and I a warm greeting and big hug when we introduced ourselves.  What a wonderful way to start the morning!!!

“Welcome to Soap Opera Boot Camp,” announced Ilene Kristen (Roxy), the next star to greet me, Jerry, Aline and Will.   Looking petite and pretty as can be, Ilene’s personality and soft-spoken manner is just the opposite from that of the character she portrays on One Life to Live.  So is her hairstyle, which is smooth, sleek and shiny, unlike Roxy’s trademark bouffant style we see everyday on TV.  (Pictured on left: Ilene Kristen & Jerry)

The rehearsal room was large and stark, with long tables for us to sit at.  We were each given a tote bag filled with our nametag, script, tee shirt, and other little goodies.  We were then invited to partake in the continental breakfast that was set up on a nearby table.

It was about that time that Michael Storm and I spotted each other from across the room.  It had been 3 years since our last meeting, although we correspond on a regular basis.  How sweet our reunion was – old friends reuniting – so comfortable and relaxed, like time had not passed at all.  I finally had the pleasant opportunity to meet Sally, Michael’s wife of 36 years.  She’s intelligent, attractive, and a real pleasure to chat with.  (pictured on left:  Sally & Michael Storm)

After exchanging pleasantries, and snapping a few photos, the stage manager entered the room and called the four actors to the front of the room where they sat in director type chairs.  The stage manager explained what we could expect from our day at the studio and invited all the participants to ask “Behind the Scenes” type of questions of the actors. Only one person in the room had the chance to ask a question; while the rest of us tried to formulate our thoughts and work up some courage, a staff member assumed that no one else had any questions, and ended the Q&A session.  It ended up okay, because we had plenty of time for questions later.

(Pictured on right: Storm, Treadway, Kristen, Sears)

After the introductions and orientation, the 23 participants (16 women and 7 men) were divided into four groups, with each actor taking charge of one group; Meanwhile, Jerry and Will, and the husband of one other participant (who also came to observe) were asked to fill in for 3 men who unfortunately failed to show up for the encounter.  The 3 husbands were placed in Teddy’s group, and that was the last we saw of them for a while.  How we would have loved to be a fly on the wall for their auditions, hair and makeup!

Now we were ready to begin our workday and discover what really goes on behind the scenes of a soap opera.  Aline and I were initially assigned to Michael’s group, but we had the added pleasure of auditioning with both Michael and Ty.  The participants were all asked to do a brief introduction, which included announcing which character we hoped to portray in the Soap Opera Parody.  Prior to the event, we received a copy of the script so we could familiarize ourselves with the characters and the storyline. The majority of the women in our group expressed the desire to play the role of Violet, even though the part only had a few lines.  When questioned about why that particular role was so popular, there was a rousing and unanimous answer – "Violet gets to take Ty’s shirt off and performs CPR on him after he gets shot!" (Pictured on left:  Sears, Treadway, Kristen, Storm)

When our group finished with the auditions, we were ushered past the control room and onto the studio set, which was all set up with camera, lighting, sound equipment, and wires and cables strung all across the floor – a very impressive site.  The next order of the day, was camera blocking.  The stage manager, director, and crew went through a couple of scenes with Michael, Ty, and our little group of aspiring actors, making notes on how to enter the scene, move around the set, and how to physically act out the scene.   Up to this point, we still had not been assigned our roles, but we were given temporary roles to act out during this important process for the crew, as they had to figure out how to set up camera angles, etc.  There was a lot of camaraderie and joking going on between Michael and Ty and our group, which made this part of the day as much fun as the actual taping.

When we were finished with our portion of the camera blocking, it was time for us to go to hair and makeup, while a new group went onto the set to do their own segment of camera blocking.  Each group that followed us went through the same procedure, but at varying times of the morning.

The next room we entered looked like a living room, with sofas and chairs.  This is where we would remain while we waited to have our hair and makeup done.  There were already a few people ahead of us, and not much place to sit, but when Ty noticed Aline and I walk into the room, he stood right up from his comfy spot on one sofa and offered us his seat.  What a gentleman he is!  There was only one hairdresser, and one makeup artist, so they had to work fast to do all 23 of us before lunchtime.  Thank goodness every group had staggered schedules.  (pictured on left: Ty & Aline)

The time we spent in this waiting room really allowed us to get up close and personal with Ty.  He was so down to earth, that it felt like we were chatting with a close friend in one’s own living room. Ty filled us in on some behind the scenes kind of stuff.  He gave us an interesting account of his experience in the tank of water when he was rescuing Nora from the river. It was similar in detail to the way Hillary B Smith described it in her SOW interview, but he added that they both actually got a shock when a nearby wire touched the water, forcing them to get out quickly.  Fortunately they were both okay.  He went on to say that the crew had thrown dirt and all kinds of debris into the water so simulate river water, then they let it “ferment” overnight so the bacteria was nice and ripe for him and Hillary to climb into the next day.  I asked if he did all the scenes himself and he responded, most definitely.  There were no doubles involved when they went under the water.

There’s much more to come ...

Click here for Part II of Daytime Encounter ...  

Click here for OLTL stars autographs...