What
thuh...?
I was Doc's assistant that summer!
In the great imaginary competition that was going on a while back on
these airwaves for Best Summer Ever, I thought about claiming a special
category of award for this summer: Worst Summer Ever. None of
you, I believe, can claim that title -- so there!
I mean that somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but perhaps not. Lots of
intense stories from that summer. Not a lot of photos of happy
students at play, arms around each other as they walk back to the dorm.
Dark moments. Lines not learned. Rampant insecurities and
fears. Fire ant bites and stickers in bare feet. Picnic table
collapses and goblets thrown in anger. A Benedick and Beatrice who
couldn't stand each other, and didn't seem to care too much for their words
at times either. Struggles for oxygen. But at some point in the
subsequent years I realized that this experience was just as rich in its own
ways as any of the glorious ones. Just a different kind of learning;
and Mark clearly testifies to that. Sometimes falling on your face
teaches you more than reaching the moon (or so Edgar keeps telling me).
Doc never gave up on any of us, not even on the Convict Guy (too long a
story, you'll have to ask me one night on the porch), and wrote one of his
most beautiful and poetic "program notes" in the midst of all the our
gnashing and fumbling. I learned a lot then (and in '84 too, another
tough summer) about one of the things he was always trying to get across to
us: there is no "magic" just waiting to do all the work for you once
you step into the Barn. Just hard work, and sometimes real suffering.
Mark really really struggled that summer, to the very end, and then his
wife left him when he came back. A double-whammy life-changer, and
it's wonderful to see this, especially this summer. I will track him
down to say hey. Thanks Robert.
cs
On Jul 29, 2010, at 12:20 PM, Robert Jackson wrote:
Clayton Stromberger
Outreach Coordinator, UT Shakespeare at Winedale
College
of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin
www.shakespeare-winedale.orgcell:
512-228-1055, cell #2 (backup): 512-363-6864
UT Sh. at W. office:
512-471-4726