To Those Going To The New England Drama Festival, Make Sure To Have The Time of Your Life

In the hopes of making change for the better, I have agitated for many things in my tenure here in Barrington. It has not always endeared me to everyone I am aware.

People do not like change. People do not like hearing dissent. And really don’t
like hearing it from me. It is the cost of being that person who stands up at
meetings. It is just who I am. You win some and you lose some. But today I am
writing about one I won.

One of the first things I pushed for in town way back in 1996 or 1997 was that Barrington High School should enter the Rhode Island Drama Festival.

I was part of Classical High’s 1977 winning entry into the RI Drama festival and we represented our state at the New England’s in New Hampshire. The experience at the New England Drama Festival changed my life. It was certainly the highlight of my miserable high school experience.

It was fantastic! It literally changed my outlook on life. I went to 10 workshops
from people who really knew their stuff in the theatrical world. I met hundreds
of very talented teens from all over New England. I found out that in some
towns theatre was as important as sports and these teens, many planned to go on
to make a living at theatre.

It had never really seemed possible to me before that. I won an All-State Rhode Island acting award and back then they gave out all-Regional New England Acting awards. I am an all-State RI actor, and no one can ever take that away from me.

I remember some 6 years later seeing someone at an audition in Los Angeles who had been at the festival from Maine. He remembered my performance and said I scared the hell out of him. (That is why I always choose the picture above as I do)

More than half of that cast went on to work professionally in theatre and still do
today as do I. All from just going to that festival in New Hampshire.

In 2002 I finally talked John Gray into letting Barrington High school enter the Rhode Island Festival. I volunteered to be responsible for everything if they let kids go.

We went. We won. All the actors were all-state actors (and they always will be) Many have gone on to work professionally in theatre. One is the education director at Trinity Rep. And most would have said it was a highlight of their time at the
high school.

Barrington went to festival for the next 4 years -- once with another director and 3 with me -- but we never came in the money. (But in 2004 I tell ya' we were robbed.) When the new director came in she announced that she did not want to do the festival at all, but would do it every other year.

This was unacceptable to me. Going to the New England Festival, even just the chance to go, was too great an opportunity for students to let pass. So each year I fought for students to go to the festival. This caused some consternation.

When you agitate to fix something it often gets many people angry at you. But I only do when I believe what I am fighting for is important, and good for other people.

Two years ago there was a big fight to allow a student to go to festival with her play; the director said it was her “off “year.  A very big fight ensued and the director agreed to take a small play with no chance of winning to the festival, then
failed to get the paper work in on time so Barrington couldn’t go. There were
many angry people and the net result is Barrington was going to go to the
festival each year. Which is the important thing.  A very important thing.

You see this year, this is a year that would have been the bye year. If I hadn’t have fought for it they probably would not have gone. I am glad that the pain I went through got you the chance to experience what I experienced.

I haven’t talked to anyone in the cast of the show and I am sorry so many of my former students are unhappy with me. But it has really all been worth it. I feel
vindicated. Barrington got to go to the drama festival. They won the Drama
festival! And are going to go to the New England Festival in NH!

You will have the time of your lives, and if you only get one-half out of it that I did then your lives will be much better.

To Keri, congratulations of your great accomplishment.

To Mike and Sydney, You are All-State RI actors. And they can never take that away from you. It is just as if not more important than being All-State football or soccer. Don’t let ANYONE tell you different.

To the cast and techies: Represent our town and state well. Take it all in, learn whatever you can. And don’t forget to have the time of your life!