Geraldine “Geri” Vilar will be playing Mae, the Madame of the women in The Oldest Profession. Since this is her first show with ACT 2, we asked her to tell us about herself. Here’s what she told us.
“The youngest picture of me was at age 3 when I won a talent contest singing “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie”. Our landlady, Bertha Coogle, made the costume out of paper maché. The prize was a silver dollar.
When I was 10 years old, I took up tap lessons which were free to the kids of the Owens Illinois Glass Co. employees.
About the age of 14, my parents abandoned me and left me homeless. I felt so alone, but some people took me in as their house cleaner, and I attended East Fairmont High until they moved to Farmington where, after a while, I lived and worked on a farm until graduation in 1948.
My first love was Hillery Alderman, who died of cancer. I grieved over his death for years.
After graduating high school, I went to work at the Palace Restaurant in Fairmont. Then I started working at C & P Telephone Co. as a telephone operator.
I met Rafael Angel Vilar and have been married to him for over 66 years. We had 5 children, 5 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandsons.
While our kids were growing up I was a band mother, homeroom mother, cheerleader instructor, sewed their costumes, and drove them to events as needed, among other things.
I participated in many Fairmont State College Theatre productions and was on the staff making many many costumes, such as the ones worn for the King and I. My daughter Shelley and son Rick were also in that show. B. J. Sherman and Joan Lough were two of my favorite directors as well as Danny Weber and Gregg Brown in Clarksburg. I also did character makeup and hair.
I was a singer in the Fairmont Chapter of the Sweet Adelines Chorus and served as their publicity chairman and regional chairman.
As Ms. WV Senior, I became involved in many activities such as providing solo entertainment at numerous events such as the Morgantown, WV Courthouse Square concerts and tap danced with the “String of Pearls Senior Dance Chorus”.
As a member of the WV Silver Haired Legislature, I served as minority Speaker of the House and President Pro Tem in the House of Representatives in Charleston, WV. I was chosen to escort the Governor into the Senate Room. I was a featured singer at a couple of their banquets.
I also provided numerous historical programs portraying Mother Jones and Betsy Ross. I did my own research, wrote the dialogue, designed, and made the costumes.
I have met personally with several famous people such as Don Knotts and Richard Simmons.
I sang in the church choir and did solos. I directed the Monday Thursday church play As I have loved you and made all of the costumes. It was so well received we did it another year. I made the Easter Bunny suit, and with Mr. John Christy made the Christmons for the Christmas tree that are still being used. I served on many boards and helped with other events at Highland United Methodist Church and also at Fairmont Baptist Temple. I also served some as the Pastor Relations Committee Chairwoman.
Oh, and I was a Nancy Taylor Young Woman’s Finishing School Instructor for the Fairmont Business College and an honorary member of the FSU and FSHS Alumni.
I was, for a time, a receptionist for the Fairmont Times Newspaper. All this, and I never really had much formal training in any of this. Sewing for the large group of FSU chorus and others was a challenge and I only had high school training. I also did wedding and bridesmaids gowns and sewed for proms and plays, too.
As a professional clown and owner of a balloon delivery and greeting service, I was more than generous in helping with the Special Olympics and handicapped adult programs among others.
One of my most favorite acting experiences was as “Rose” in the Robert Tinnell movie The Second Chance. And now I am so happy to be a part of Cricket Hall’s show The Oldest Profession.”
Listen to what Geri has to say about her character, Mae, in The Oldest Profession.