Adopted by the Cast of...Into the Woods!

Chapter 1: Mother Cannot Guide You, Now You're On Your Own.

My name is Aimiee Gray. I'm an actress who acts on stage and screen. We all know how life goes. Terrible for some and lovely for others. As a part of this tv show called "Broadway Babies" me and some other women who were 'adopted' by casts of off-Broadway and Broadway shows are making these books about our lives and what happened to us and how we came to be 'adopted' by these casts. As you can guess by the title I was fortunate enough to be 'adopted' by the original Broadway cast of Into the Woods back in 1987. So I am here to tell you that story. I guess I should start by saying that Aimiee is my middle name basically making it a stage name as my real name is Marie.

On the 19th of July, 1979 in Buenos Aires, Argentina a baby girl in the form of me was born. I was named Marie Aimiee Gray as Marie was my late Grandmother's name and it was to honour her. My mother Carolina had sadly passed away while giving birth to me and my father (I wouldn't dare to tell you his name) blamed me for her death. I have an older sister named Gabriella and she was like my best friend, we got along like a house on fire. My father had virtually refused to care for me from the day I was born so Gabriella did so. She was only 12 when she took on the responsibility of caring for a newborn baby. We moved to Patagonia when I was 2 as that was the place where my mother came from. There I learned to speak Welsh as that is one of the official languages of Patagonia. We lived there until I was around 6 years old.

Gabriella turned 18 on the 17th of August and so she then was old enough to move to another country and take me with her. So she got us both passports and we headed on a plane to the USA. I don't really remember what happened on the journey to the US and I can't remember what happened until a week later.

24th of August, 1985

"Marie! Come down please, it's time for breakfast" Gabriella shouted from the kitchen. Everything about life in this moment seemed perfect to Marie, but naturally anything like moving to another country with your sister would feel like an adventure to a 6 year old. "I'm here" Marie answered. She ran up to her sister and hugged her legs. "Hi" the little girl said looking up at her sister "Hi" Gabriella answered laughing before patting her on the head. "Come on, breakfast is on the table. I got your favourite, Lucky Charms" Marie bounced up and down like a crazy child. She was only ever allowed sugary cereal on the weekends so this made Saturday so much better already. Marie was starting school the next month and was not looking forward to it. She hadn't been to school with people of a different nationality.

18th of September, 1985

Gabriella was sat down in the living room of the apartment when she got a phone call from Marie's school "Hello? Yes this is her older sister, ok so I need to pick her up? Alright, thank you. Goodbye". Gabriella got in the car and started driving to the school. Marie had been punched by another child because she lacked the ability to speak very good English. She could only say so many things in the language because she usually communicated in Spanish or Welsh. "Hello, I'm here to pick up Marie Gray" Gabriella said to the receptionist of the school "And you are?" the woman asked "Gabriella Gray, her older sister". The woman nodded and Marie came running up to Gabriella crying. "¿Hey que pasó?" Gabriella asked "Una chica me golpeó porque no puedo hablar bien inglés" Marie said between tears. "Shhh está bien. Estoy aquí ahora y te tengo bien? No te preocupes." Gabriella picked up Marie and carried her out of school. 

That was my first experience ever with the beginning of being bullied. How I wish I never was.