"GUIDING LIGHT'S Troublemaker Resurfaces as Oakdale's Surprise Mother"

Lisa Brown sat cross legged in front of her dressing room mirror, carefully painting her nails glossy red. Dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a pullover, she looked more like a teenager waiting for the phone to ring than a veteran Broadway and soap performer. "I feel like someone drained the blood out of my system," she said matter-of-factly, flashing that familiar gamine smile. A flu bug had bitten her family over the weekend. Her wide brown eyes grew wider as she described her two-year-old son, Buddy, "puking his brains out."

In an industry where people often manufacture appropriate social postures, Lisa Brown says what she thinks, although she often leaves sentences unfinished as her mind races from idea to idea. Even a quick encounter with Lisa convinces you that she doesn't care about creating a public image. She has her work, her child, her husband, her parents–in short, a full life which occupies her days, and her thoughts–some of which she shared with us.

Television Acting: She Can Take the Heat
I like the pressure. To go (she snaps her fingers) and do it. I enjoy last minute changes. The director comes to you and says, "We've got to cut thirty seconds out of this scene. It's a minute ‘til two. If you don't do it now, we're going to have to go to lunch which throws the schedule out, buh, buh, buh, buh!" I get a kick out of doing it. That's the challenge.

On "As the World Turns":
What's interesting about ATWT is that it still has a lot of its people–the ones that have been on it for a long time. They've not been casualties of a new producer or a new writer as was the case of "Guiding Light" . . You don't get that with any of the other shows.

On Her New Look: Strawberry Blonde
I wanted to do something different. Most reaction is pretty good. You see, people still recognize me as Nola. (**and they always will) I'll be like the Archie Bunker of soaps, but that's fine.

Her marriage: Two Careers and A Baby
When we first got married I was doing GL and the Broadway show "42nd Street"–which I left when I was five months pregnant. Tom was very busy too. He was working "Guiding Light" and building his rehearsal studio. So we were both on these crazy schedules. But then we had the baby, and everything just went whoosh (she indicates leveling out with her hands). You are geared toward that. Nothing else is important. You move from life that has been so self-centered. I'll never do both again (act on Broadway and on a soap simultaneously) because of my son. It's just too hard. I found that out this summer when I went back to "42nd Street". It's just too much time away. That's why I wanted to come back to soap opera. Tom is in California, going out for the pilot season. He's always been involved with music, but acting was first. There was so much press on his music that casting people within the industry were going, "Oh, he's a musician." It's really hard for my husband to be away now. He and Buddy are very close.

Motherhood: What Life Is All About
I think my biggest help was talking to Maeve Kinkead (ex-Vanessa, GL ***ahhh Maeve). "It's going to put you in touch with everything–with yourself!" she said. And it has. You go to the grocery store and you just feel like you want to go: "Hi! I'm Lisa and I have a kid, too." All of a sudden you relate to every woman. You relate to your mother. YOU FORGIVE HER FOR EVERYTHING! For everything she ever did to you that you hated her for . .and to watch the change in my parents . . how they've opened up. You could talk about it with other women who have children, but until you go through it–giving birth–you don't really know. It's an incredible experience. It puts you in touch with . . . .nature. You look at everything differently . ..you see the connection in things. Having a baby makes you see what life is all about.

Her Parents: A Welcome, Helping Hand
My parents live with us. Having your parents close by is really wonderful. For example, you have to get dinner and Buddy's having a fit, and Mom's there. It makes you feel so secure. And having a child is such a gift for your own parents. I know in my case that was part of it. I'm an only child and they lived in Kansas City. Being separated from your only child and grandchild was a lot for them, so they moved up here. It's just great. I can go away and not be worried about it. It is invaluable to have your mother around. I can't tell you how at ease it makes me feel. Because you can't help but feel guilty even when you have the perfect situation.

On Doug Marland's Women: Nola Reardon
Nola was so interesting to play as a character because Doug Marland, who is currently the head writer for ATWT, always wrote it so you saw what she was doing. It was very clear. So people would go, "Ohhh . . ." (She heaves an exasperated sigh and slaps her forehead). As opposed to going (she shakes her finger), "You bad girl." They loved to hate the character. (**in Nola's early days) It wasn't just black and white. And the fantasies were like doing repertory television. But there again, that came out of working out her problems. It was never arbitrary. For example, when she had to choose between going with Kelly and going with Quinton, "Casablanca" happened.

Iva Snyder–The Sadder-But-Wiser Woman With A Secret
I think they wanted to add a little conflict in the Steve/Betsy situation. Originally, Iva was just supposed to be his secretary. But I said, Iva's got to be Steve's equal. I had worked for Tad Channing in a big, very large construction company on the West Coast. I was very powerful, in a very high position. And, well, I know more, and he being such a MAN, being threatened by that. So when the first couple of scenes came out, I did a little rewriting on my own using my background. My father's in construction. He's an estimator. So I knew, technically, how you would rise to a certain position, and how long it would take. And I worked for Doug. He wrote Nola. I just think he's the best. THE best. There are lots of things coming up that I can't even talk about, but it's going to be interesting to work on.

On Daytime vs. Nighttime Television: No Respect
People always ask daytime people, "Are you getting more respect?" I have to say, "No!" and I think that's really a shame. I think that in New York, people who work daytime television are much more respected than they are out in California. For some reason, there is an attitude. I was at this Star Weekend and I met John Astin, and he said, "I really respect you because you work harder than anybody." And that's really true. We do one show a day. Nighttime does one show a week. They get time off. We do it all year long. And, our work is more emotional. It just shouldn't be that in the industry, you aren't anything unless you've done a nighttime show. We're putting it out there everyday. It blew me away when I was in LA and people viewed it (daytime) as a training ground.

On Being Recognized:
Someone came up to me in the grocery store yesterday, as nice as can be. All they want to do is say, "Hi." It's funny. I go to the grocery store looking like shit. I don't have any make up on. When people recognize me, they really must be a fan. (She laughs) Because I don't look anything like I do now with make up and my hair and all. It doesn't bother me. You are such a familiar face and they don't expect to see you standing over the baked beans in the grocery store.