New subject: I may need a ride from Austin as well

26 Jun 2010


      And in this message, Doc, you also say the day of arrival for us is August 7
(in numbered paragraph 1 below).  This note was sent February 15.
At any rate, I'm arriving early enough to show up on August 7, if in fact
that is our congregation day.
--Mike
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: James Ayres jayres@cvctx.com
Date: Sat, Feb 13, 2010 at 7:16 PM
Subject: [Winedale-l] Greeting and Invitation from Doc
To: winedale-l@lists.wikimedia.org
Hello to everyone!  It has been really good to hear from folks I have not
heard from for a long time.  Mike Godwin has done a remarkable job of
developing the list, hasn't he?  Well here is the letter Mike said I would
write, telling you all of the plans we have thus far set down for the 40th
reunion.  When I say "we," I refer to Gail McDonald, Alice Gordon, Terry
Galloway, Mary Collins, Kirsten Kern, Madge Darlington and myself.  Gail was
in the very first class, Terry the second, Alice the third, and so on.
 Three decades represented here.
Here we go!
The reunion really began with Mike's invitation to join the list, as many of
you noted,  so let's keep the exchanges and discoveries going.  We are still
looking for for others.  So please help with that.
To celebrate the 40th year, James Loehlin, director of Sh at W since '01,
has asked former students to present as prologues to the three plays he is
directing, performances of  8-minute scenes from each of the 37 plays (some
5 -6 scenes before each of those performances, then).  And he has designated
Saturday evening, August 7, as "Reunion Night."  At this point I am not
quite sure what he intend to do, but  I hope that as many of you as possible
can attend that evening.  You can read more in detail about James'  plans
for reunion at shakespeare-winedale.org.
*Plans for former students of the first 30 years (the so-called "ancianos")
are these:*
1.   A *week-long in residence *opportunity to work on scenes from Sh in the
Theater Barn toward a public *Reunion Performance on Saturday, August 14, at
2:00 p.m.*  Dates of this adventure: *Saturday, August 7 (arriving at 5:00
p.m.) through Sunday, August 15 (departing at 10.00 a.m.) * Participants
will be staying at the Shelby B & B 5 miles from Winedale.  Cost for each
participant is *$320*. All meals will be taken at Winedale in Wagner House
at no charge.  Sh at W fill fund that. Should you have interest in this
adventure, please let me know *before April 1*.  *Deadline*. On April 1, the
committee of young women noted above, will select 20 from those who "apply."
 They will also select the scenes and assign roles.
2.  Should you not have time or inclination for the week-long opportunity,
you may be interested in a *shortened version *we hope to schedule *Thursday,
August 12 (arriving at 3:00 p.m. through Sunday, August 15 (departing at
10:00 a.m.)  *Those interested in this opportunity will work on short
scenes, speeches, poems, etc., which will be performed at various times,
e.g., as interludes between the scenes on Saturday, as performances at the
brunch or at the reunion dinner, or just anytime the spirit strikes.  Those
working in this way will stay at B & B's in the area.  Or possibly at
Winedale in Wagner House.  Again, all meals will be taken at Winedale.
3.  Should you not have time for either of the above, we hope that you will
attend any part of reunion week that you can, feeling free to *drop in at
any time,* any day, but certainly to be present all day Saturday, August 15,
and hopefully Sunday morning following.  I can guide those in 2 and 3 to
overnight B & B stays.
*Most important to us at this point is that you make plans now to come to
Winedale for the reunion, find your way back here.  For any part of what we
are planning.  Bring everyone you love.  Kids and other friends.*
Here's a tentative schedule for *Reunion Day, Saturday, August 14*:
10:00 a.m. - 1:00  p.m.  Brunch.  With performances by Camp Shakespeare kids
and just anyone else.
2:00 p.m. Performance of scenes by week-long ancianos and others (see #2
above).
6:30 p.m. Reunion banquet.  More performances.
*Sunday, August 15:*
Breakfast at Winedale  8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Departure:  10:00 a.m.
I will of course have to learn how many to expect and on what days for meals
(breakfast, lunch, supper) at Winedale.
So there's your invitation.
One further thing:  please continue to search for folks missing thus far
from the list and send your discoveries to Mike.  He will send them to me.
 Many thanks.
...
From the e-mails I've read, excitement is building, folks are being
re-connected.  This is already a great experience, as many of you have
noted.
Several have asked me to say something in this letter of what I have been
doing.  OK.  Here it is.  It would be really good to hear what *you* have
been doing.  So please feel free to offer that.  We can create a notebook of
those accounts.
I passed the directorship of Sh at W to James Loehlin in September, '00,
after 30 years in the barn and performances of the 1603 Hamlet and Midsummer
Night's Dream at the Globe Theater, London, in '98 and '99 and Romeo and
Juliet in the RSC Swann Theater at Stratford in '00.  I began summer day
workshops for kids 10-14 at Winedale in '01, an experience which developed
Camp Shakespeare, which is now approaching its 8th year.  Camp Shakespeare
is mini-Winedale, a two-week in-residence exploration of the play through
performance open to kids 10-16.  We offer 2 two-week sessions of Camp
Shakespeare.  Have a look at the Camp Shakespeare link on
shakespeare-winedale.org.  I retired from UT in '06 after teaching in the UT
Oxford Program at Brasenose College (second time) and was eager to find out
what doing nothing was like.  But out of nowhere came an invitation to teach
Shakespeare at Texas A & M University.  So I did, for 2 years.  Currently I
am back at UT for a semester.  I am now in my 52nd year of University
teaching. JoAnn and I have 7 kids between us and 13 grandkids, ages 24 - 3.
  We live on a small farm near La Grange (12 miles from Winedale) in an old
farmhouse (c. 1902) which we are very slowly restoring.  JoAnn is a Round
Top real estate broker.  I am very much involved in the reading program for
4th grade munchkins at Round Top Elementary and at The Texas Czech Heritage
and Cultural Center (my mom was Augustine Kutac) in La Grange, where I am
helping organize the Czech library and design the museum at the site. I am
trying to learn Czech.  I also substitute teach at La Grange HS in the
Honors and College Prep programs.  And am very good at Wii bowling.  Will
take on anyone.
I really look forward to the reunion and to hearing from all of you.  I am
quite sure that if I have forgotten something in the above or misstated
something that I will hear from the feminine authority noted above.
I hope that all of you are well,  thriving,
Take pains, be perfect.
Doc
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