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Eden Gay

Local takes stage in "Annie"

By Michael Butler

Taking the stage in front of hundreds of people can be a daunting task, especially if you're just ten. For Eden Gay, it's a piece of cake.

Eden is playing the part of Tessie in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival production of "Annie." She will be a fifth grader next school year at Forest Avenue Academic Magnate School in Montgomery. Her mother, Kristi (Jackson) Gay, is a Tallassee High School graduate. Her grandparents are Jim and Betty Jackson of Tallassee.

"I auditioned back in February," Eden said. "I got a callback the next day. We had to wait for three weeks," a period her mom called "stressful."

Then Eden was surprised with a visit from her parents at school to let her know she got the role.

"I was like, 'What, me?' It was a long process but worth it."

The play began on July 4 and will run through Aug. 5. Eden is a member of two casts handling the duties of the show.

Members of the Cast of "Annie"

"It's kind of pressure," she noted, "(but) it's been really fun."

Kristi agrees.

"It's nervous (and) exciting all at once. We're like, 'Okay Eden, we're here with 800 of your closest friends who have come to see you.'"

So what does the future hold for the child star?

"Maybe one day," she pondered, "Broadway."

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