Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Having an Impact

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For those of you who are newer readers, I was a professor/teacher in two actor training programs for a total of 13 years; first at Boston University’s BFA program, then at the University of San Diego/Old Globe Graduate Actor Training Program. My focus was on Voice and Speech. I have mentored hundreds  of students over the years, many of whom I’m still in contact with (yay for social media!) and who have gone on to do wonderful things with their lives. There’s a whole contingent that lives out in Los Angeles, acting, directing, and producing shows like Modern Family, The Fosters, and Grey’s Anatomy. There are many who are based in New York City, and there are lots sprinkled throughout the country; teaching, acting, parenting, living good lives.

I met Rick at Boston University and we moved west when we were hired at USD. Together, we auditioned prospective students every year, traveling to New York, Chicago and San Francisco. We worked well together. We didn’t try to intimidate the actors like many programs did in those days; instead, we were warm and welcoming, quick to put the auditionee at ease. I like to think that warmth and our reputation for kindness helped to draw some of the best actors to our school.

Two days ago, I was tagged in an Instagram post by Brian Hutchison, one of the graduates of the MFA program. I clicked over to see it and this is what I saw:

On the left, Jim Parsons. Next to him is Jack O’Brien, who was the Artistic Director of the Old Globe when I was working there and a big supporter of the MFA program. Next to Jack is Brian Hutchison. And next to Brian is Aaron Krohn, also a graduate of the MFA program.

Up until yesterday when it closed, Jim and Brian were on Broadway in The Boys in the Band. Jack directed the current revival of Carousel. And Aaron is in The Donna Summer Musical. Three graduates of the program on Broadway – indeed, working just a block or two from each other – at the same time.

This little conversation ensued.

“…You chose us all!”

That’s right. I picked each of those guys out of hundreds of prospective students for the MFA program. Rick and I did that. We saw their talent, their creativity, and their good hearts and knew they would be the perfect fit for our small and intimate program.

I chose them all.

Now, I’m not one to talk about my career all that much and I definitely don’t toot my own horn. But I was so moved by Brian’s comment that I stopped for a moment and patted myself on the back. It’s easy for me to forget the impact that Rick and I have had on our former students, especially since I’ve been away from teaching for so long. And Broadway isn’t the be-all and end-all of a career – I’m very clear on that. But this? This is nice. This little moment in time, captured on Instagram, fills me with happiness. I love those guys and I’ve seen them all fairly recently. We keep in touch.

That Brian gets it, that he applauded us for choosing them and training them – well, I can’t imagine anything more satisfying.

Each of them was in a different year of the program but they were consecutive years, so they all know each other. I’m so proud of them. In addition to being talented actors, they are good people.

I haven’t taught for 17 years, but I see the impact of my work every day. And that’s not only as a teacher, but also as a mentor, as someone to talk to, someone who is always there to listen. Much of what I fondly remember is not the actual teaching, but the one-on-one time that I had with all of my students.

What a blessing. I’m feeling very grateful to have been a teacher – to see my ‘kids’ thrive in their careers. What more could I ask for?

Happy Sunday.

 

 

 

Reconnecting

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There are times I am amazed at what appear to be coincidences, but are – I think – something larger, something that comes from the power and energy of thoughts focused on another person. Case in point, this story.

I have a framed costume rendering in my upstairs bathroom from my days in graduate school. Impossible to get a good photo because it’s dark outside and the bathroom is teeny-tiny, but here it is.

I played a character named Kleopatra in Diary of a Scoundrel, a play by Alexander Ostrovsky. She was an older woman who was, how do I put it…..? Oversexed. It was a comedy and a lot of fun and at one point I chased a younger man around a pouf (a round settee that would be placed in the middle of a room) until I collapsed, skirt hiked, bloomers showing. That white satin material was used for the bloomers.

These bloomers, which I have passed on to Letitia, my vintage dress form and which I could never hope to get into again. I was very skinny in those days.

My friend, Richard, who was studying costume design at Temple, designed the dress, the bloomers, all of my costumes. He somehow managed to misplace those bloomers and strangely enough they ended up in my possession. Sort of like Don’s hat and eye patch ended up here with us in the cottage.

Richard and I were close friends during our time at Temple and for several years afterward. When I graduated, I was doing temp office work to pay my rent. I had very little money. Richard began working for the Opera Company of Philadelphia and he got me in there as a makeup artist. When an opera was being staged and produced, I did the makeup for the chorus. That’s where I got to see Pavarotti sing, watch him direct and, secretly, look at the huge mum-muu like costume pieces he wore. (One incident might have involved both of us donning one of his shirts with room to spare.) The extra money I earned was a blessing.

There was a publication called ArtSearch (still is) that listed job openings in the performing arts, with a focus on universities. I wanted to teach at a university, but one had to subscribe to ArtSearch and receive it in the mail in order to have any idea what jobs were being listed. I was so poor that I couldn’t afford it. So how would I ever know about job openings?

Richard surprised me and gave me a subscription as a gift and that subscription led to my first job at Boston University and the rest of my career. I am ever grateful to him.

After I moved to Boston and then on to San Diego, we touched base occasionally but, as happens, our lives were on different tracks and many years went by without contact. Two weeks ago, I was in that bathroom and looked at the rendering, thought of Richard, and decided I had to Google him and find out where he was so that I could write him. For various reasons, a few days went by and I hadn’t followed through.

I opened my email the next week and saw a message that had come to me via my professional website.

It was from Richard. He had tracked me  down. We had been thinking of each other at the same time. It was such a delightful surprise that our thoughts had reached out to each other across and through the ether. We have now reconnected and I was able to thank him again for all he did for me many, many years ago. He’s well. He’s married. He’s happy. He’s still working and teaching.

I’m very happy about that.

I thought you might like that story.

The limelight hydrangeas are in bloom.

As is the liatris.

And that’s a teeny tiny little bug on that coneflower.

Happy Friday.

Wednesday’s Forecast: More Rain

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Rain, rain, and more rain!

That’s the news here. There are breaks in the rain throughout the day, but rain is the theme here in the Hudson Valley.

I ventured outside in the afternoon to water the plants on the porch and check on the gardens. I ended up doing some work in the garden because, at the time, the sun was behind a cloud and I thought it would be okay.

Yikes, it was unbelievably hot and humid! I started cutting back the catmint plants because I’d had that on my mind for a while and I had just finished watching an episode of Gardener’s World where Monty Don was cutting back his catmint. If Monty is doing it, I need to be doing it. I’m glad I did something  outside, but I was so drenched with sweat afterwards that I had to take my second shower of the day.

The Far Side Garden (above) is quite lush at the moment.

As is the bed next to the porch – which is full of hostas and coneflowers and sedum.

I thought you’d like to see a picture of Sam, happily resting after chasing his ball.

Love that boy.

This is the pond that is on their property. It’s quite lovely. Eventually, Rick and Doug are going to build a gazebo there. Won’t that be lovely?

Don had a wonderful session with Louis Mendes on Monday. Louis is a true teacher and mentor and Don was very energized and excited when he came back home. They worked together for about 3 hours. Don has learned that when you’re standing next to Louis on any New York street, person after person is going to stop to look at Louis and the camera and ask, “Are you Louis Mendes?” It’s amazing. He’s amazing. He gave Don assignments, as well. Homework!

I’m in the ‘thinking and not even planning yet’ stage of the dollhouse. I have several ideas for the look of the outside and I’ve not settled on one yet. I’m gathering photos and ideas from the internet.

Happy Wednesday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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