A Sad Discovery, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               I graduated from Seton Hall University on May 14, 1977.  It was one of the proudest days of my life, both for me, and for my mother.  I am very glad she was there to see it, because, less than two years from that date, she would not be here. She died on April 2, 1979.  So, I am glad not only that she lived to see me graduate from college, but to see me do so, "cum laude," which meant a lot to us both, after the way I was ignored in high school.

                                                 Just yesterday, I discovered a Facebook page for actors and crew members, who had worked at the Seton Hall Theater-In-The-Round  It was then I discovered, on September 21 of last year, that one of my foremost theater instructors there, Gilbert L. Rathbun, had passed away, at the age of 85.

                                                    I took four classes with Mr. Rathbun, and I can name them to this day--History Of The Theater, The Meaning Of Contemporary Theater, Children's Theater (my favorite) and Acting.  He was definitely of the Lee Strasberg school, and, being of the postwar generation, he was obsessed with Arthur Miller's "Death Of A Salesman."  In fact, during either my junior or senior year, he staged it, and I, briefly, stage managed it. But I dropped out, because his obsession was so overwhelming; he rehearsed the students (who had to do other things, like work and classes) relentlessly.  I heard, at the time, that he actually wanted to enact the role of Willy Loman--he would have been perfect!!!!!!--but was not allowed to.  Besides, it would have looked out of place, with him playing with a cast thirty years his juniors.

                                                     Nevertheless, he was a wonderful man, and a great teacher.  I can still hear him say his famous catch phrase, "Think, in terms of........"  When I found out, not only about his passing, about the Memorial Mass in February, which I also missed, and wished I could have gone to, I was sad.  Sad for his family, and sad for the bit of my history that he takes with him. Another sign of, as Tennessee Williams once said, " the enemy, Time, in us all."

                                                         And to discover this the same week as my 40th Year High School Reunion!!!!!!!!!  Geez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!