"Bye, Honey. Be evil!"
"Ok, Mom."
"and be evil loud!"

Not my usual parting conversation with my 12 year old daughter. She has landed the part of the evil stepmother in a summer theater production of Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods." She is delighted to be able to "brandish a knife."

What fun to play the villain with wild abandon, to be evil loudly, to make condescending faces and get praised for it. I'm a bit jealous.

When my daughter told her dad and his new wife about the part she landed, her step mother said, "Oh I have lots of good ideas for you!"

Pretty funny of her, huh? That's the first time she made me laugh. That's progress, isn't it?