OFHS Alumni Bridget Morrissey Returns as a Published Author

Barnes and Nobles in Orland Park was packed for a special fund raiser for the Drama Club and Group Interpretation on Friday night. There was a special appearance by the Disney Princess Belle and the Group Interpretation performed. The show stopper though was the guest of honor, Bridget Morrissey, author of the the book What You Left Me. This book signing and reading was more special than most because Bridget Morrissey is an alumni of OFHS and was a favorite of the drama club and group interpretation team.

Bridget Morrissey graduated OFHS in 2008 and left for DePaul University in hopes of pursuing her passion of acting. As fate would have it, she would only attend college for 2 years before she decided to join a child hood friend and try her luck in Los Angeles. While she was in Los Angeles she realized that her passion was not in the performing arts but in writing. This did not surprise her mother, Pat Morrissey, because she remembers Bridget writing her own plays and stories as young as 5 years old.

Bridget wrote her first draft of What You Left Me, in about 8 months. She had some practice though because this was the second novel that Bridget wrote. The first one didn't catch the attention of the literary world, but that did not deter Bridget. Once What You Left Me, caught the eye of a literary agent, she spent the next year or so, writing and rewriting until her book was perfected. It was finally published and the rest is history. Bridget attests her perseverance to the strength and determination she found in the children that she worked with everyday as a full time gymnastic teacher. "It is was hard to give up on something, when I would see my kids working so hard everyday," Bridget said when asked about her drive. She kept writing even after What You Left Me was being published and hard work paid off again. Bridget's second book titled A Map Back to Us will be released in 2019.

Bridget is very humble about her success and has not forgot where she came from. She came to Oak Forest for the purpose to hold this fund raiser for the Drama Club and Group Interpretation Team. She was coached by Mrs. Harris 10 years ago and didn't think twice about coming home to support her two hometown loves, OFHS and acting.

Bridget wouldn't come home without seeing all her hometown friends. She has kept in touch with many of her high school drama club friends over the years and Bridget decided to go one step further. She organized and coordinated a 10 Year Anniversary concert of Grease. This was the musical that was performed when she was a senior, 10 years ago! The 10 Year Anniversary Concert of Grease will be held at Oak Forest High School on Saturday, June 9th. I suggest everyone get their tickets and come to the show. Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased at the door. It should be a fantastic show and a great stroll down memory lane. And just an FYI, the book What You Left Me, is definitely a page turner and a fantastic story of friendship, family and all the other threads that bind us together. A must read for summer! You can order it on amazon at https://www.amazon.com/What-Yo...