Thursday, September 09, 2010

where did the time go?

I stumbled upon a framed photo (literally stumbled over it since it is leaning against the wall, sitting on the floor of the den) of the boy’s very first public theater show - “Oliver!” Looking at that group photo of the cast, I was flooded with some memories and the question, “where the hell did the time go?”

After several years of our having moved back to NJ, my wife decided that it was time to get back into theater … it was how we met; and she really wanted / needed a creative outlet. So, she found a local community theater’s announcement of auditions for their annual Christmas play. That year it was “A Christmas Carol.” She was cast as Mrs. Cratchet … and in the course of rehearsals and performances she made some long-lasting friendships.

Now up to that point our son had done school plays … yet he was interested in how this “real” theater company did things. So many times I would drive him to the theater to drop him off just so he could watch. And during performances he’d hang out back stage with the other actors. Well … as they say, the bug bit him. And when this same company announced their big Spring musical he wanted to audition.

The boy was getting more and more excited as the audition dates approached … he found a song to use and worked on it for several weeks. The wife and I coached him on how to present himself during auditions … the typical stuff of ‘be confident,’ ‘speak clearly,’ yada yada yada. The day of auditions I found a photo of another production of “Oliver!” and made several little posters – putting them up throughout his room and the house with little statements like, “Break a Leg!” … “Have fun – I know you’ll do well” … and the like.

And the kid got cast as one of the orphans … also as one of Fagin’s gang …

And thus began his “career” in local theater here. Since that show, in only a few short years, he’s been busy doing one show after another; and he’s ventured out into other community theater companies.

But I saw that photo of the very first production he auditioned for and was cast in … where the hell did the time go? The boy was thrilled being in the show!

Yeah – these are the kinds of memories he may not recall … but I certainly do and cherish them.

Monday, May 31, 2010

13 years ago

Memorial Day weekend is often a bit somber for me - on the one hand it is a day of remembering those who gave their lives in service to our country; yet on the other it is a much more personal day of remembrance as this was the weekend that my father passed away. And it seems that no matter the amount of time that has passed so far, this is a time where I tend to get a bit foggy as I remember the good, the not-so-good, the funny, the serious ... all the time I did have with him. But for some reason the memories that loom the largest and clearest are those of his last weekend.

We were living a nearly 8-hour drive away; and with a two-year old, making the trip to visit was not easy ... so our visits became few and far between. We'd plan for visits during long weekends (like Memorial Day weekend). And so in 1997 we did just that. Because the cancer had come back - this time with a vengeance - Dad and Mom weren't able to visit us for their grandson's 2nd birthday. Dad just couldn't make that kind of trip anymore; and Mom had to take care of him. Yet they so desperately wanted to see the grandchild ... so we agreed that we'd make the trip during Memorial Day to have another birthday celebration.

I know that Dad was looking forward to the visit - probably more than I'd ever know, quite frankly. I later found out that he had been hospitalized only a few days before but signed himself out so that he could be home to welcome his grandson.
As we arrived at their house after a tediously long drive (having a two-year old strapped in a car seat is not a lot of fun!), I tried to explain as best as the kid could understand that grandpa might look differently from the last time we saw him. (The chemo was doing its best to destroy his health as well as destroying the cancer)

There he was - Dad was sitting in "his chair" wrapped in his bathrobe and a blanket, wearing a cap as he had since lost all of his hair. He could only talk in a whisper; and he was no longer able to eat nor drink but for a tube that had been placed directly into his stomach.
The kid took everything in stride to be sure. He was his usual rambunctious self - playing with toys on the floor right there in front of grandpa - and Dad just seemed to glow with joy at watching the little rascal.

Then the night took a turn for the worse.
At some point in the early morning hours, my mother woke me up to ask for help. Dad was having problems and she needed to pack a small suitcase because she was sure he'd have to go to the hospital. The ambulance was called. Mom insisted that she be with Dad in the back of the ambulance, so I drove another car to meet them in the emergency room. I got a bit lost getting there ... the dark roads were unfamiliar to me - and there's not much help available at 3am. But I did manage to get to the emergency room only 20 minutes after Mom and Dad arrived.

Checked into a room, the oncologist on call came and gave Dad the once-over. The last time I saw him alive was that night in the hospital bed ... Mom and I standing at the foot of the bed with my arm wrapped around her - both of us looking at him and telling him that, "It'll be okay," and that we'll stop by to see him the next morning.

That next morning we received a phone call from the doctor on call that Dad has passed at some point during the night. Taking Mom to the hospital that morning included quite a flood of tears from both of us - my having to pull over a few times because the crying was rather intense.
A priest greeted us when we arrived at the hospital - expressing his sorrow for our loss and assuring that Dad had received the last rites. "His sins are forgiven," were his words to us.

Seeing him lying there cold, eyes still open -
I did not think then, nor do still think now, that he had passed
peacefully. It wasn't a scene of peace ... I don't know if Dad struggled
to stay alive during those last moments or if he was angry or if he
eventually accepted and resigned himself to the inevitable ... it just
struck me as I saw him there that it wasn't a gentle passing.

There next to him were small pieces of paper and a pencil - since he wasn't able to talk well at all he wrote down his conversations ... and it was clear that this was part of his conversation with the oncologist that evening after Mom and I had left him. "The days of ice cream and milkshakes will be back" ...

So there you have it - my particular memories of a Memorial Day weekend in 1997.


Saturday, February 27, 2010

An oldie but goodie - Brigadoon

Yet another show is in the works for me - this time as music director for a local production of Brigadoon. This is at a theater that I've only worked at one time before ... performing as the Narrator in their annual production of A Christmas Carol.

When working on that show last December I felt amazingly welcomed by the company and production staff of the theater. "This is a place I'd like to work in more often," I thought and said to myself.

Where ... here I am ... working on a large musical.
And it does not disappoint. The folks involved are great.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

It's been awhile since I was an actor - and it was fun getting back to it

So, last night was the final performance of a murder mystery / comedy, "Catch Me If You Can" (no! it's not that Leonardo DiCaprio movie!) at one of the community theaters here. It was a fun run of performances ... sure loved my fellow cast members.
But wow! ... it was a while since I was last on stage in a play and with a substantial role. I mean I've had small roles in a few things that went largely unnoticed; but this one was an all-out-full-scale-OMG!-it's-the-lead-role-in-the-show kinda thing. And since I had not plied the craft of acting for such a long time - whoa boy! was I rusty at it.
Even when I was "in the biz" and working nearly constantly (many years ago), I knew (or at least hoped) that I was a decent enough actor to create a complete character and get the job done, so to speak. ... not a great actor by a long shot! ... a good actor who knew what I was doing ...
For this one, I sure couldn't have done it without the support of my fellow cast-mates.