I was among those who made my way to Winedale last Sunday to see "Much Ado." It was just delightful. A gentle, cooling rain and breeze welcomed me on my bench. Just for me I was certain.
It was good to see James and Laurel. Brave troopers to say the least and wishing them all the best in the challenging days ahead. 
As I sat in the barn, I closed my eyes and could hear and see all my colleagues from days past welcoming me. I know the new students were making their own memories and would be part of our history. 
Finally, thank you Mike for providing the platform so that we may share our feelings and thoughts. 
Take care, dear friends.
Jerald


On Aug 20, 2022, at 9:02 AM, Loehlin, James N <jnloehlin@austin.utexas.edu> wrote:

Thank you, friends.  It was a great summer, the class was amazing, and Laurel, David, and Allison all worked tirelessly to help me through.  I'm so glad we were able to have the full performance season the students deserved.

I am at home now, trying to recuperate from the chemo and rest up for the start of classes Monday!

Thanks for all the love and support this summer.  It was great to see so many friends at Winedale.

Love,
James 
From: JOY MARVIN <joyandthomas@msn.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2022 12:50:58 AM
To: TERRY GALLOWAY <tlgalloway@aol.com>; Clayton Stromberger <cstromberger@austin.utexas.edu>
Cc: Casey Caldwell <w.casey.caldwell@gmail.com>; Shakespeare at Winedale 1970-2000 alums <winedale-l@lists.wikimedia.org>
Subject: [Winedale-l] Re: James, Laurel, and the Class of 2022 - Wrestling with the Angel
 
Excellent Casey!    I totally agree with Terry, Mary, and Clayton.   Thank you for this incredible summation of your weekend.  So thrilled that you were able to attend!

 

Love, Love, Love, 
Joy

 

Sent from Mail for Windows

 

From: TERRY GALLOWAY
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2022 10:31 PM
To: Clayton Stromberger
Cc: Casey Caldwell; Shakespeare at Winedale 1970-2000 alums
Subject: [Winedale-l] Re: James, Laurel, and the Class of 2022 - Wrestling with the Angel

 

Thank you , Casey. I’m with Clayton. For these last  many lovely years the beauty that is Winedale has been the beauty that is James and Laurel. 
Terry 
Sent from my iPhone


On Aug 19, 2022, at 7:43 PM, Clayton Stromberger <cstromberger@austin.utexas.edu> wrote:

 
I heartily join you…!!!  Beautifully said, Casey.  Thank you so much for this. 

 

Cheers and cheers, 

 

c

 

 

 

From: Casey Caldwell <w.casey.caldwell@gmail.com>
Date: Friday, August 19, 2022 at 1:35 PM
To: Shakespeare at Winedale 1970-2000 alums <winedale-l@lists.wikimedia.org>
Subject: [Winedale-l] James, Laurel, and the Class of 2022 - Wrestling with the Angel

Hi, all,

 

I'm sorry I've been so absent from our conversations of late. The pandemic was incredibly challenging for our family and then we've had a bunch of (great) life events, but now I'm here!

 

I'm writing because I've just returned from the amazing final weekend at Winedale completely inspired again by the play and work that the class shared with us. I was out all day Saturday and Sunday, for Two Noble Kinsmen, Winter's Tale, Much Ado, and then a second helping of Kinsmen. I've been away for a bit and returning for this weekend was such a joy. The student's engaged creatively and earnestly with the cruxes presented by Winter's Tale, the wit and clownery in Much Ado, and the erotic ambiguities and wild riffing on Chaucer in Kinsmen. I was jealous of their ability to energize a matinee audience soaking in that Texas heat, and deeply appreciative of the engaging conversations we shared after their performances. The whole team out at Winedale this summer is truly composed of heroes' heroes.

 

As many of you know by now, James is facing his own personal battle at Agincourt. Yet it's not merely his own. James is facing this battle with Laurel and the few, the happy few of the Winedale class of 2022. This summer was about Winedale and the experience that the students' were meant to have, and James's challenge was in one sense the same as always: to push and guide them in that process of self-discovery in and through Shakespeare (and Fletcher).

 

I know that James is fond of challenge roles at Winedale—in my first summer, I rated my musical ability a 0.5 out of 10 in our pre-summer survey of skills and he made me Balthasar in Much Ado (!)—and this summer he himself accepted the absolute challenge role. To continue mixing my metaphors (I blame/thank Shakespeare for the tendency), James elected to wrestle with the angel this summer and, in true Winedale fashion, he's done it as part of an ensemble. Beyond the various physical, mental, and spiritual limits that we push past at Winedale, there is an absolute limit—the limit of limits that marks off life's circumference from whatever is beyond—and I cannot think of a more quintessential expression of how James embodies everything this program means than for him to live at that limit and direct Winedale with passion and ability alongside the students, Laurel, and the rest of the team out there. James wrestles with the angel at Winedale and I can bare witness the immensity and beauty of the contest. To engage in the contest is to already have won. Even in this, James continues to teach me.

 

Please join me in congratulating James on the amazing play that the Winedale class of 2022 undertook! All my love and admiration, James!

 

Cheers,
  Casey Caldwell (Spring 2003; Summer, 2003, 2004; Summer 2009, 2010; 
                             Reunion 2015)

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