Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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What an Evening!

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This is all I’ve got for you today – a picture of one of the beautiful peonies that are in the bouquet I purchased the other day.

Pretty darned gorgeous.

Oh my. Yesterday’s party for my friend Rick was wonderful. I had no idea how moving it would be to see so many of my former students. And Rick. And students that went through the program after I left, some of whom worked with Don in Pygmalion  a few years ago.

Such a moving and powerful evening, this celebration of Rick’s work. I cannot put into words how he has shaped the lives and careers of the students who have gone through the MFA Acting program for the past 24 years. That he is adored is clear. That he is loved and respected for his mentoring of the program and of the students, that he shaped that program into what it is today is also abundantly clear.

I said a few words during the program. I realized that I had known Rick longer than anyone else in that room and I wanted to share some thoughts about the journey we made – giving up jobs in a prestigious acting program at Boston University and moving all the way across the country to work in a smallish program that had real possibilities.

It is now ranked number 7 in the world.

Rick and I confided to each other that if only one of us had been chosen, the whole thing wouldn’t have happened. It meant everything that we did it together.

So many impressions of the evening: former students who have just had babies, who are older, yet it seems like yesterday we were all working together, who pulled me aside to say how much my training has meant to them in their careers, who traveled great distances to be there for Rick. The MFA program at USD/Old Globe is an intimate one in the best possible way. We really got to know each other and that shared experience is priceless.

There’s a search going on for his replacement, but the truth is he’s irreplaceable. There is no one like him: kind, compassionate, funny, wise, completely committed to the growth of the program and to the quality of training – a mentor who has made his mark on so, so many.

Rick and I have been through so much together. Seeing him honored last night was a profound experience.

On a personal level, there is no one else, save my husband, who can make me laugh as much as Rick. When I think of our years together, I think of laughter, crazy over-the-top laughter. And joy.

I didn’t get home until just after midnight, staying much longer than I’d planned. It was lovely, a reminder that the work we did was valuable and that my former students are out there making their mark. I don’t teach any longer and it’s easy to forget that what I did was important, that I did  make a difference. And Rick? What a profound difference he has made. Words seem inadequate.

Thank you, Rick – for everything.

Happy Tuesday.

 

 

A Toast to a Dear Friend

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For your viewing pleasure:

A catbird taking a bath. A little blurry – he was shaking off the water and my camera wasn’t the steadiest, but I like the water going every which way.

I found this schefflera for one of my Guy Wolff pots.

I’m in love with these pots. I have to find two more plants for the other pots, but it’s surprisingly hard to find interesting houseplants around here. There are the usual contenders, most of which I already have. I miss the days when there were lots of little shops that carried interesting and exotic houseplants (I’m dating myself; this was in the seventies.) I suppose they’re still out there, but not in my neck of the woods. There is a little shop south of me which I will check out sometime this week.

I’m off to NYC later today. Back story: When I was teaching at Boston University, one of my colleagues was a gentleman named Rick Seer. Rick and I became great friends (he was an actor turned director and taught both acting and directing at BU.) When, in 1993, I realized I needed to move on to a better paying job, preferably at the graduate school level, Rick confided in me that he was applying for a job to head the Old Globe/University of San Diego Professional Actor Training Program. He then told me there was an opening for the Voice/Speech teacher, as well, and urged me to apply. I did, all the while thinking that though this seemed to be the perfect job for me, no department was going to hire both Rick and I at the same time. Rick had the inside track as he had guest directed out there and they knew him.

Nevertheless, I applied and much to my surprise, I got an interview. So did Rick. I think our interviews were a week apart. I flew out there, met everyone, taught a class, talked to a lot of powers-that-be and flew back home. Rick interviewed as well. I never thought I would get the job but, interestingly, I got the news that I had been hired before Rick found out if he had been hired. I didn’t want to entertain the thought of going out there without him – I’d never been to California before my interview – so I was on pins and needles waiting to hear about Rick’s situation.

He finally heard from them. He got the job. We said goodbye to Boston (very bittersweet) flew out there to find places to live, and then started a whole new life in San Diego. Rick turned out to be the best Chair there could possibly be. He built that program into one of the most respected training programs in the country. He spearheaded the building of a new theater on the campus of USD. He raised the standards for training and, together, we auditioned actors for the program in major cities throughout the country, accepting only seven each year (one of them was Jim Parsons.)

After eight years, I left the program to move east with Don.

Rick is retiring after having run the program for 24 years. There was a goodbye party and celebration on the west coast and tonight is the celebration on the east coast.

Besides being my dear friend, Rick was the catalyst for my move to San Diego, where I worked at the Old Globe theater coaching over 80 productions, taught in a program that is greatly respected, and when I went back there to coach Shakespeare in the summers of 2008-2010 because Rick recommended me to Darko, established a connection that continues to this day. Much of my professional coaching since then has been the result of contacts made while I was at the Old Globe.

And, of course, that is where I met Don.

So I have much to thank Rick for. Can’t wait to see him this evening and raise a glass for a great colleague, boss, and friend.

Happy Monday.

On This Cold Morning: Thoughts on the Passing of a Colleague and Mentor

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cupofjoe

Early morning.

It’s currently 8 degrees below zero. The wind chill overnight took the temp down to about 20 below zero. For once, we didn’t turn the heat down. We kept a drip going on the kitchen and bathroom faucets.

We’ve had trouble with pipes freezing before. Been there, done that. Don came downstairs during the night and checked on everything and the water was still flowing. Good!

We’ve been up for over an hour and all the blinds and shades are still down. We’re trying to keep all the warmth inside. But still, I’m wrapped in a shawl. Don has the afghan tucked around him, quilts are at the ready. Since I sit in front of the big picture window in the den, I can feel little puffs of cold air sneaking through the glass.

quilt&tree

The trees are still up. I’m not in a hurry. Besides, how can I take down a tree that still wafts its heavenly aroma my way as I sit here in my chair? I don’t think we’ve ever had a Noble Fir that kept its scent this long. This tree is amazing. I like the soft glow of the tree lights in the early morning hours. The first thing I do each morning is flip the switch on the little white tree and it casts it lovely magical light on the semi-dark living room.

hydrangea

I learned of the passing of a friend and mentor last night. Robert Chapline. Bob was one of the preeminent voice trainers in the country. He taught generations of actors, guiding them through the intricacies of the human voice, helping them to strengthen and enrich their instruments. He was a master teacher, kind, compassionate and wise.

When I was first applying for jobs as a Voice and Speech teacher, I applied to many universities. It’s a long and arduous process. I’d just about given up hope of ever being hired when an opening suddenly came up at Boston University. Because I’d been a finalist for a position in North Carolina, the Chair of that program recommended me to the Chair of the Theater Department at BU. I hurriedly flew up to Boston from Philadelphia, interviewed and taught a mini dialect class to Bob, the Chair and another faculty member, along with a couple of students. Somehow, I got the job. I surely wouldn’t have been hired without Bob’s approval. Bob and his partner Rick (also a faculty member) reached out to me, helped me find a place to live, welcomed me into their home. Bob became a mentor to me, helping me through that first year of teaching, always ready to pass on his wisdom, always generous and kind and respectful. Like all good mentors, he guided my journey but knew when it was time to gently shove me out of the nest so I could find what worked for me. I can never fully quantify how much I learned from him. I am forever grateful to him.

We lost touch over the years. Rick died many years ago. Bob was living in Los Angeles and had recently moved into an Assisted Living Facility where he read the words of Shakespeare every day. I can still hear his rich, mellifluous voice speaking that text. What an honor it was to know him. To be lucky enough to be his colleague and work by his side.

Rest in Peace, Bob. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Happy Saturday.

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Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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