Have to ‘fess up here. I wasn’t completely honest in that first chapter.
The classroom and I didn’t really disappear but you probably already figured that out.
There’s also that last sentence, the one that goes, “I guessed I was no longer a regular guy.” That one. Well, truth be told I had never been a regular guy.
Dad was in the military, we moved a lot and I was often the new kid in school, an Outsider. How did this impact me? Well, I got to make up and live in my own worlds and I enjoyed all that very much thank you. Oh I wanted to be a regular guy for a long time to be sure, that is until I finally figured out that maybe being a regular guy wasn’t so wonderful. Okay, that’s out of the way, time to move on.
On to college. Music was definitely what I wanted to be studying and our local college was a very good place to be doing that. Dave Brubeck’s brother Howard was the theory teacher there. He inspired me to major in music.
However, I had some subversive friends up in the drama department who talked me into coming up to join the party.
I found out that actors were a whole lot more fun to hang out with than musicians and…, even though I wasn’t good at the drama stuff I managed to get cast as Kent in the school’s production of King Lear. ( I’m now a reguLear guy. Get it?)
Shakespeare was beginning to feel like an old friend. Still, Othello would be another year away and in another University.
Okay. Another fast forward. Whoosh, a year has gone by and I have transferred to San Francisco State. I’m still a music major but it is here that I see my first production of Othello.
Sidebar: Man, were the 60’s ever a great time to be in San Francisco! (Like man, like groovy, yeah way cool)
I honestly can’t recall a damned thing about that play except I thought the actor who played Iago was very good. Actually, considering my level of theatre acumen at the time combined with the culture of the period, it’s possible he was a ham and I made an assumption.
Still, I remembered something. The name Iago for a start and that he was a right bastard. It must be a great role to play, eh?
In my mind the thought of Othello was now simmering somewhere. We never know when these back burner stews will, or ever jump out to feed us do we?
I promise, this narrative will get to Sweet Willow soon. Be patient. Some music will come soon too.
Sorry I’m so late to the party. In all those years we hung together, we never talked much about our childhoods and what and how we were influenced… This is great. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for commenting Paul. I’d love to hear your side of how the collaboration got started up in Chapter Six.
These are great! Keep ’em coming, can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Thanks for reading. I plan to do a new chapter each week. They may come sooner depending on time.