Dear Jeffrey and all the rest of you wonderful 150 people who presented that fabulous celebration of theater in Tennessee last Sunday, the First Night Awards. Robert and I had just a great time being honorees. As such, we were in stellar company – Deborah Anderson, Daron Bruce, Michael Bouson & Joe Correll, Dan McGeachy, and Ginger Newman – which was extremely flattering. And it was a great show! Our deepest thanks to Jackie Welch Schlicher, Nancy Emme, and Michael Montgomery for so sweetly leading our tribute section, three people for whom we have much respect as artists and as human beings. Many thanks to the really wonderful performers in our section: Darcie Wantiez (I’ll be Seeing You); Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva (The Song Is You); DeVon Buchanan, James Rudolph, Julia Marie Nettles, Ashley Michelle Diggs, and Kim Thornton Nygren – directed by Martha Wilkinson and choreographed by Pam Atha from a Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre production (Ain’t Misbehavin’); and Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva, Mallory Mundy, Amanda Lamb, and Darci Wantiez (Hard Times by Stephen Foster). Your work was inspired and worthy of any stage in the world – and thank you for the beautiful book for remembrance – perfect choice! Jeff, thank you for choosing exactly the right songs. I cried. And I had no idea how much receiving a First Night Award meant to me until Sunday evening. Robert and I, not unlike many folks, have had our full share of difficulties in recent years, from health issues to the Recession; but, if these things hadn’t happened, we never would have been inspired to create Ponder Anew: A WWII Warrior’s Story from my father’s WWII memoir. We’ve been performing it steadily for two years, hither and yon, and are booking into 2015-2016. It’s a work of art and heart that uses everything we’ve learned through 40 years in the theater and it’s doing some good in the world. I didn’t realize that receiving a First Night Award would feel like a cosmic “everything’s OK” affirmation of the choice to stick to our uncertain (if exciting) lives as performing, directing, and teaching artists. We will take our gratitude and, refreshed by it, carry this wonderful energy forward. I hope we can return to others what was so generously given to us Sunday night. Mr. Ellis, you have created a wonderful Nashville institution. Thank you.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 20:23:52 +0000
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