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I think I forgot to put this up when it was posted. I went over to Wooster, OH to do a little stage combat workshop, as well as a book-signing and lecture on acting professionally. While there, I did an interview, and a month later it was posted on the Wooster site. Voila.
I just got back from Ann Arbor, and a pair of memorial services for Jim Posante. To call him a mentor is putting it lightly. The man was a walking theatrical machine - actor, director, choreographer, fight choreographer, dancer, singer, trumpet-player, scenic designer, lighting designer, prop-master, and on, and on.
In the last year, while talking about the novel, I always mention how I hated Shakespeare until senior year, when I was cast in a production of R&J. Jim was the guy who cast me in that show. He and Harlan Underhill were co-directing the play, and they put me in the role of Mercutio. It was Jim's first Shakespeare. Mine, too. But working together on it, we were both hooked.
Jim was also very close with Mike Laverty, a good friend and classmate of mine whose life was ended far too early, just a couple years back. But then, Jim was close to everybody. Even moreso since his heart-attack two years ago, when a lot of his moodiness vanished and he re-embraced life.
When I say he was close to everybody, I mean it. One memorial was held at Greenhills School, where he taught. Looking at the crowd, the headmaster's opening comment was, "Even beyond the grave, Jim's got me breaking fire code."
The other memorial was held at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor. The place seats 1,400, and since the ground floor was comfortably full I'd guess there were between 900 and 1,000 people there. It's astonishing how many lives intersected with Jim and his partner Charlie. I saw people I had ceased to remember existed, and many more that I often recalled fondly but had fallen out of touch with. We all embraced and swore not to drift apart again. Again, Jim's great talent lay in bringing people together. That, and in making them believe themselves capable of impossible things. Like me, singing. Only for Jim.
The services were funny - I mean, really funny. Not somber, but a celebration of everything Jim, from his mannerisms to his uncanny security about his appearance, no matter how outlandish it might appear to a common eye. Referring to Jim, Bart Bund said, "Here's a man who looks like Santa and his elves combined." Many were the comments on his short stature, and of the oversize heart within.
I last saw Jim in November, when I stopped by Greenhills for a day to teach a workshop to his students. He was as cheerful and gossipy as ever, and we just hung out through most of the day between classes. He got to meet Dash, which was a treat for them both.
Jim is one of those people who can't be gone, who isn't gone. Because he imprinted himself so strongly upon you that his presence will loom in your life forever. Which is great. Because as long as we're alive, so is Jim.
Amazon has at last published the second of my short stories related to THE MASTER OF VERONA. These are time-killers until VOICE OF THE FALCONER is published at the end of the year.
This one is entitled SAN BONIFACIO'S CURSE, and is an alternate opening to the novel. In fact, it's my original opening, expanded and retooled. It went because I found an opening that was stronger for the overall plot. But I've missed it, so I published it here. At $0.49 it's a steal. Go, enjoy!
DB
I've got a NEW BLOG. (Yes, as if I had time time...)
It's called A DARK WOOD, and it's due to the other theatre company I'm a part of, ShanghiLow Theatricals. In an attempt to raise our profile, our Project Czar Steve Pickering has asked that all four of us create blogs that can be a part of the ShanghiLow experience. Kevin Theis has a political blog going called THIS DIRTY HOOD, while Steve's is ORSON'S RUN. We're still waiting on Sherman, I think.
Anyway, since the company is about adapting literature for the stage, I decided to start reviewing books. My first is SLEEPING IN FLAME, by Jonathan Carroll. It's up now.
Caveat - I'm not a reviewer, nor have I reviewed before. I am really just saying nice things about books I'd like to see on stage.
It was just pointed out to me that I haven't been posting, and in my lack of posting I have neglected the biggest bit of news. I'm going to be a daddy - again.
Yes, Jan is four months pregnant, and everything is going well. We are hoping to avoid at least a few of the trials that went along with Dash's birth (gestational diabetes, preaclampsia, footling breech - even in the womb, the kid was a death-defying adventurer). Saw the heartbeat again yesterday. Astonishing.
For those who weren't around, long before we came up with Dashiell, we had nicknamed him "Basher" in the womb, after the Don Cheadle character in Ocean's Eleven. This was due to his activity, and the feeling that he was experimenting with explosives as the pregnancy went on.
But we have abandoned Mr. Cheadle for this new offspring. Our second child is nicknamed "Jack-Jack" as in The Incredibles. This is for two reasons. First, with a kid named Dash, obviously the second kid is going to be Jak-Jak. Secondly, if you've seen the short "Jack-Jack Attack!" you may remember the line "The baby was exploding, Mr. Dicker!" Yeah, that's our kid.
So, happy new year to all. We have so very much to be grateful for. And we're so looking forward to this year because, as Mike Nussbaum says, "Babies bring good things."
Cheers,
DB
