Catching Up

I’ve been a poor correspondent the past couple of days. I had a friend come to town for the weekend and I did the beach thing (note to self: more beach thing). Having a guest (or anyone) in the house inhibits me from writing. For me writing is a very solitary process involving lots of pacing and muttering or just staring into space. Funny – the pacing and muttering part is very similar to memorizing lines. When line learning I pace and mutter trying to get words INTO my brain. When writing I pace and mutter trying to get words OUT of my brain.

When last we joined our heroes the show had been smoked out twice in a row from the nearby wildfires. Friday we were under Code Purple again but we went in. The breeze was stirring and the powers-that-be decided we were going to go ahead. So we coughed and hacked our way through it and lo and behold the wind shifted a little during Plymouth and the smoke went away! It truly is amazing how just a moderate shift in the wind pattern will either blanket us with smoke or clear us out. Along with the wind-shift came the threat of storms moving in from the northwest. From smoke pace (try to breath) to rain pace (must go faster). But we didn’t get any rain. This was the first time we went at rain pace and as usual the note from stage management was “That was perfect pace. Do it that way all the time.”

Saturday night was a little smoky but not too bad. That performance was graced with a lot of alumni who were in town for Bob Knowles Memorial. Comments I got fro the alumni were favorable.

The memorial on Sunday was well attended. Perry Turner officiated. He holds the record for most male Principal roles played (5). Afterwards I introduced myself and said I was closing in on his record, Father Martin being my fourth role. He says if I ever come back for a fifth role he’ll come back for his sixth to maintain his record, although I think both he and I have aged out of most roles we haven’t done yet.

Many remembrances were given about Bob. The Alumni Choir sang “The Lord’s Prayer,” “Jesus, Once an Infant Small (what we call “Lullaby” in the show”) and of course the service ended with “Final March.”

A verse chosen by Bob:

When I come to the end of the road

And the sun has set for me

I want no rites in a gloom filled room

Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little – but not too long

And not with your head bowed low

Remember the love that we once shared

Miss Me – But Let Me Go.

For this journey that we all must take

And each must go alone

It’s all a part of the Master’s plan,

a step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick of heart

Go to the friends we know

And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds.

Miss Me – But Let Me Go.

Buffalo and Pete Peterson