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Fact Box

Margaret Bush at a glance

Birth date: March 2, 1959

Family: Married 28 years to Marvin Bush with a son and daughter

Hometown: Richmond, Va.

Education: University of Virginia

Residences: Alexandria, Va., and Boca Grande

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Margaret Bush (yes, from that Bush family) stole the show in her debut last week in the Royal Palm Players season opening production of "Sex Please We're 60," said RPP Executive Director Michele Strauss. The beautiful, tanned Boca Grande devotee with the Lauren Bacall-level voice discusses this week what it's like to be a part of the Bush family, why Boca Grande has a hold on her family and what her future is with the Royal Palm Players.

Question: How did your first Royal Palm production go?

Answer: I really think it went well. I really enjoyed the experience. It was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Charlie Tyler, who is obviously very talented. He's just a delight to work with, a very generous and giving person.

Q: How much onstage experience do you have?

A: I've been doing this for 15 years. I've been working for 15 years on it. In 1995, I started commuting from D.C. to New York and took classes part-time at a school called the School for Film and Television. I really learned the fundamentals of acting in New York. I learned what to do. I'm still learning how to do it.

Q: When did you land your first role?

A: I continued with my education at Studio Conservatory in D.C. at the Shakespeare Theater Conservatory and I started auditioning. I was very fortunate I got cast on a regular basis and I do three to four shows a year in the D.C. area. For the past three summers I've done summer stock in Maine and it's actually professional theater.

Q: Have you ever done a musical? Or want to do a musical?

A: At the moment I'm not doing musicals. I'll need a little more instruction (breaks out laughing) for musicals. I really prefer comedies. I really think there's already a lot of pain and suffering in the world and everyone should go to the theater and laugh. I consider it to be my community service to make people forget their troubles and spend two hours enjoying themselves. I think it's very important for everyone's state of mind.

Q: Do you still get butterflies before a performance?

A: Of course. Of course. It's funny they hit about I distinctly remember them coming washing over me Sunday. I was sitting at the Pink Elephant having lunch with some people, one a former director who had come from D.C., one was a friend who had come up for Miami, two other new friends were actually with them from Naples, we were sitting their having lunch, having this perfectly delightful conversation, when all of a sudden it just hit me like someone had just kicked me in the stomach. I realized I couldn't stay. I had to get up and leave to clear my head.

Q: The Bush family isn't known for acting. Why is it a passion of yours?

A: Remember I married into this family. (laughs) Even in my own family there's no background of performing artists. For me, I'm a bit of a thrill seeker. I find this to be very daring, sort of risky and always very rewarding.

Q: How has the pressure of being part of the Bush family affected you?

A: Well, I try to focus on the positive. I always have in my life. We've had the opportunity, living in Alexandria, to be very involved with family members as they move in and out of Washington. My father-in-law (41st U.S. President George H.W. Bush) was there for 12 years, so from 1980 to 1992 we lived 20 minutes from my mother- and father-in-law eight years in vice president's house and four years in the White House. We were raising children and our family values were like anyone else's in the country. It was very important to have our children's grandparents involved in their life. Other than having a pretty amazing front and back yard and a really nice house to take your children to see their grandparents, it was just like any other family. We were extremely close to them and spent many weekends at Camp David. Our children grew up having that opportunity to share so much in the time their grandparents were in Washington. When they left in 1992 it was very sad for us. We were left behind. We remained in Alexandria.

Q: But surprise - another President Bush would soon come to Washington. That had to be a pleasant surprise wasn't it?

A: It was very surprising. We didn't expect it. Not at all. When George and Jeb were governors - George of Texas, Jeb of Florida - it was really Jeb who was expected to take the next step and run for president. At some point the tables turned.

Q: How did you meet your future husband?

A: We both went to the University of Virginia together. I met my husband because he was my brother's roommate. When my brother brought Marvin home for Thanksgiving, it was my first year in college. Marvin transferred from the University of Texas and it was his first year also at the University of Virginia. So my brother brings this friend home for Thanksgiving and I thought he was - the most outstanding quality Marvin has is an outstanding sense of humor - and so I thought this was the funniest person I ever met in my life. That's a pretty important quality for anyone I spend time with, that they have a sense of humor. I thought what a great guy this roommate is. By Easter, he was my guest at our household for the Easter weekend.

Q: When did you discover Boca Grande?

A: It was about 18 years ago. A friend recommended the Gasparilla inn to Marvin and me. Our oldest was in kindergarten. It was our first year we had spring break. With our kindergartner and 2-year-old, we were looking for someplace to stay for spring break. Marvin's parents said, "Oh, you all should try Boca Grande. You'll love it." And we came down and checked into the Gasparilla Inn and stayed at the main inn. We thought that was sort of like staying at your grandmother's house because you can just run up the steps and there you are, your room is at the top of the steps. It was very convenient when you had younger children. We just loved that whole atmosphere. It was so safe and manageable.

Q: Why did you keep coming back?

A: We loved the old-school feel of this island, natural down-to-earth and no pretensions - we were very taken with the personality of this island. We bought a house in town in 2002.

Q: You made your debut this year with the Royal Palm Players but it could have come a year earlier. What happened?

A: About this time a year ago we were down for Thanksgiving vacation and I went into the Royal Palm Players and asked (Michele Strauss) if you have any additions coming up. She said, yes, "I'm looking for an actress and if she could look just like you, I'd be so happy. We have this role that needs to be filled and you're the perfect type for this role. I asked what the play was and she said "Smell of the Kill." I had just closed that exact play in D.C. (laughs)

Q: Perfect casting but you didn't get to open the play. What happened?

A: Sadly, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. She's still alive and responding well to treatment. I was supposed to start rehearsals three days later. I knew all the lines. I was literally packed and ready to go to Florida. I was heartbroken about my mother and heartbroken about having to pull out of the show on such late notice. I felt so badly about that. But Michele was so lovely about it. They dedicated the show to my mother. It was so sweet. I'll never forget it. Michele was so kind and genuine about really just making sure my family was OK.

Q: What does the future hold for you?

A: I definitely want to continue working with Royal Palm Players. I am already cast in their March production called "Annoyance." Now that I'm an empty nester I can spend more time on the island. I am absolutely swept off my feet by the people of Boca Grande. I have to say I've never been anywhere in the world where the people are as friendly and as welcoming and as genuine. Visitors sort of invade their island on a seasonal basis but the way people treat us is exceptional.

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