After trying in vain to spark new life into her alter ego, Hutchison asked to be released from her contract a year ahead of schedule. "I don't want to be negative because I really do care a lot about the show," she laments. "but I'm simply speechless about this writing team. I've come in with suggestions, and I've been fed all sorts of things."

"When I came back from maternity leave, I was already in shape and ready to go," she adds. "The writers told me that Jenna would return wealthy from her father's inventions and want to open a nightclub. They gave me all this stuff, abut didn't run with it."

Hutchison's pushing for the character ultimately ended in frustration. "The writers can only concentrate on four people at a time," she suggests, "then they write the hell out of them--into the ground."

Despite parting ways with the show and the character she originated in 1992, Hutchison maintains her allegiance to EP Paul Rauch. "Believe it or not, I'm still very fond of him," she says. "He's remained my friend through all of this. I know this is a tricky thing to believe, but I'm not just blowing smoke up his butt!"

Hutchison attributes this to the long history she and Rauch share, which began when she ignited OLTL smoldering Gabrielle Medina in '87' under Rauch's regime. "Paul has always been a defender of mine, and brought me back to GL in a lucrative contract to boot, so he wouldn't decide to get rid of me just for the hell or it.

"There is no doubt in my mind," she continues, "That Paul is not responsible for what's happening with the show now."

The actress doesn't quite understand why things couldn't be different, but she isn't dwelling on it. "Not when there is business elsewhere," she says.

Regarding a return to OLTL, she explains cryptically: "I wish I could talk about the particular scenario.  Let's just say Jill Farren Phelps is a very good friend of mine."

Still, Hutchinson's decision to leave a steady GL gig has some scratching their heads. Why wouldn't a mother of two young sons with husband John Viscardi want to stay at a good paying job that doesn't require her to work every day? "I'm not able to sit there placidly and say, "It's such a nice day, thank you for my paycheck," she quips. "I can't just sit back and decorate the Bauer barbeque! If I'm there,  I'll have to see where the camera is, and you'll be damn sure I'll be walking in the background-- thinking, 'How can I upstage everybody?"

And what about the money? "People thought I'd crumble if I left," she says. "But we've ben frugal. and more than that, my husband is in real estate. His family owns five buildings, which he manages. SO, we do have an income outside of daytime. We've figured things out.

Whether she's working in daytime, rest assured, Hutchison won't be... well, resting. Last month, her theater company with Viscardi, Grundgie Productions, Inc., launched The Essential Theater Blah, Blah, Blah's first production, two one-acts. Hutchison produced Doing the Numbers, by award winner Richard Holland, and Redemption, written by Viscardi. "I enjoyed putting all the pieces together," she says, adding, "Maybe the stars are in alignment for me to go into producing.

"Being on the other side has given me a new perspective about the situation at GL," she continues. "It's so impersonal, what decisions come down to. So, yes, it's sad that Jenna's gone because she was great fun, but if you can't get the group to write for her, then you're beating a dead horse."

With Hutchinson's character out of there, one question remains: Will her infant son, who plays baby Rock, wind up on the unemployment line? Not necessarily. "A decision hasn't been made yet, but I'm totally open to Trevor continuing to play Rocky," says the actress. "One of the reasons is that he'd be working with his godfather, Justin Deas. Trevor takes to Justin like a duck to water. Plus, I love the people at GL and would be happy to visit any time. I don't feel any weirdness there."

And it's a funny story, concludes Hutchison. "People will say, 'Hey, your mom disappeared, but you still had a job. You were six months old, and you kept the family going!"  *