Du Quoin Theater Major Kate Stephens Meets Television Idol Carol Burnett
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[For decades, television greats like Lucille Ball, Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Burnett brought quality time to families all across the United States.
We gathered around our television sets and took an hour out of our lives to just laugh.
They were -- and for those still living--are more than first class comedians. They are first class people--humanitarians who gave as much away from the stage as on the stage.
Carol Burnett still tours, and for Du Quoin theater student Kate Stephens--now a freshman at SIU-Carbondale--meeting Carol Burnett backstage at the Fox Theater in St. Louis Friday is now the memory of a lifetime.
Kate is the daughter of Joe and Billie Stephens. Her mother is a secretary at the Du Quoin High School from where Kate graduated in May.
"Kate has always been a great fan of Carol Burnett's ever since she was young," says her mother. "She came to look up to here as someone for inspiration--an idol."
"My husband, Joe, discovered that Ms. Burnett would be performing Friday, November 5 at the Fox Theater. I immediately got on the phone and ordered tickets for her upcoming birthday. I informed them how much Kate admired Ms. Burnett and how she was a great influence in her going to theater in college. To my surprise, a few weeks later Ms. Kathy Parker from the Fox called me and informed us that the information had been passed along to Ms. Burnett and that she would like to meet Kate after the show."
Kate was overcome with joy to get the chance to meet her idol. "Kate and I went to the show, which began with a montage of clips of Carol answering questions asked by audience members from her old shows. Then she appeared on stage in a Bob Macke dress, and for two hours answered questions from the Fox audience."
College students were in the audience with flashlights. If you had a question they came to you, turned on their flashlight so Ms. Burnett could see you. They would hand the college students a microphone so you could ask your question. Kate had the privilege of asking her a question as an audience member.
Ms. Burnett was very kind to Kate backstage, especially when Kate started to cry. Ms. Burnett said, "Aw, honey, you don't have to cry" and comforted her with a hug. She took time to talk with Kate about being in theater in college, asking her about a play she was in at SIU and about her future.
It's a day she will never forget.