Friend a Day – Nick Glover
I’ve known Nick for a long time but really only got to know him after he joined the vilification tennis cast and became my podcasting co-host on Geeks Without God.
Nick is a huge comic fan and over the last few years, he has introduced me to a ton of new comics. As a fan, he finds titles for me that go beyond the standard stuff that everyone has read. I appreciate the depth of his knowledge and his willingness to find me interesting new reading experiences.
We agree on a lot of topics but what always amazes me about Nick is his ability to boil his argument down to one or two insightful and cogent sentences. I’ll spend fifteen sentences to say what he says better in only one.
He has a relaxed attitude about working on stage that makes it easy to ask him to do just about anything. You never feel like something makes him uncomfortable. His response is always yes, and I can add this extra thing that will make it an even funnier idea.
When I have a complicated scenery item that I need, Nick is regularly the person who conceives of how to solve the problem. He made the elevator prop for an adaptation of The Shining I did this month and, as usual, he made it look better than I had expected and he did it for no cost. He loves solving those sorts of problems, I think, and he solves them well.
Nick has a very impish sense of humor. Usually, he keeps a straight face but every now and again, you can catch him being pleased with a joke he made. You catch him having fun with himself and it is charming.
I really look forward to recording new episodes of Geeks Without God and a big reason is the fact I get to hang out with my co-hosts before we record. Nick is a great guy and I’m very happy to have had the chance to work with him so often.
Putting it Together – The Friend a Day Project is Half Done
I decided to steal the Friend a Day project from Levi Weinhagen fifty days ago. My commitment was to write about 100 friends over 100 days. I’ve reached the halfway mark and it has been such a positive experience so I thought this week I’d talk about the impact it has had on me as a writer.
I have some definite rules about the project. I need to write about 300 – 350 words about each friend. The post must be 100% positive. No backhanded complements allowed. Not even about Mark Lazarchic. If people comment on the post with a backhanded compliment, that’s fine but I will remain positive. This is about doing something nice for someone, not about looking for the opportunity to make fun of them.
If the person is part of a couple, I try to avoid writing about them as a couple. Everyone has their own identity and I’m trying to recognize that identity. Their appearance is irrelevant so I don’t mention it.
While the posts are all about who those people are to me, I try very hard to remain focused on them. If I’m telling a story about our time together, I want to make sure that the story is about something they did that impressed me.
The number of people I write about is arbitrary. I have hundreds of friends and I’m only writing about 100. Part of that is because the commitment of writing that 300 word post is a lot of work and I don’t want it to go on forever.
Additionally, however, is the fact that we all have only so many close friends. At some point, I find myself writing about someone I like but I don’t always know that well. I don’t want to make things up. That means I really have to look at that person to figure out why I like them. I need to remember stories about them.
That angle takes a lot of work. It is tremendously rewarding because when you take the time to figure out why you like someone, you tend to like them more than you did before.
Friend a Day – Amy Stomberg
Photo by Bill Nault
I’ve known Amy since she started dating Jeremy back a number of years ago that I can’t remember. She also started working on CONverence around the same time.
Amy is another friend who always seems to be smiling. She always seems to be in a good mood. Since I typically only see her in social situations, I would like to think it is because she enjoys being around other people.
Amy skates with the Minnesota Roller Girls. That is a big part of who she is right now. What I respect is how much perseverance it took to get her there.
She tried out for the Roller Girls several years in a row and didn’t make it because she wasn’t picked by a team. So she became a referee and she kept working at it. It was important to her and she wasn’t going to give it up because of what amounted to bad luck and not a lack of ability.
A lot of people would have given up but she didn’t. That takes a lot of conviction and confidence in yourself.
I’ve found Amy to be very thoughtful about a lot of issues. She’s been vocal about vaccinations, which is something that is very important to me.
When she came to work for CONvergence, the advertising department was in pretty bad shape. She did a great job getting it organized and functioning properly. It was never something anyone really focused any time on fixing so she was someone who made a big difference in the getting the convention organized in the early years.
People come into our lives in different ways. That’s part of what this friend a day project is all about. I’m glad that Amy found her way into my life. She’s a great person to know.
Friend a Day – Derek Phillips
Derek just turned 60, which freaks me out a little bit because he looks younger than me. I guess dancing can keep a guy in good shape.
I’ve known Derek as a member of the Morris Dancers for years. He is typically the person who talks to me to let me know when they are doing their final dance before Vilification Tennis. I love Derek (and all the Morris dancers) because they know that huge crowd isn’t there to watch them dance but they are grateful for the crowd anyway. It’s one of the reasons I don’t tolerate the Vil audience bad mouthing the Morris dancers.
I’m going to tell a story about Derek that will, I hope, illuminate part of why I respect him so much.
A few years ago, he was going to do a piece of traditional dance at the Festival talent show. He had a piece of music he needed played but we weren’t able to find a working CD player for him. He said he’d have to pull out. Because he’s such a fine dancer we pushed for him to dance anyway.
So he performed the dance without music. And it was electrifying. Because he was electrifying. The crowd was completely silent while he performed. Anyone who can manage to shut up a crowd of 400 obnoxious festies is truly gifted.
Derek has always struck me as a gentle individual who celebrates life. He is always smiling and he is always gracious to others. He treats everyone with the respect in a way that we should all try to emulate.
He gives his all in his dance. If you ever have a chance to see him do his solo dance with the Morris dancers, just watch him. Watch how much he throws into the performance. It’s a great dance by a great dancer.
I’m grateful to have known Derek and to be in a show that follows him so I’m able to watch him dance. Happy Birthday, Derek!
Friend a Day – Jade Cook
Photo by Joel Brueske
Jade tried out for Vilification Tennis about five years ago now and she has continued to impress me with her desire to find what really drives her artistically.
For the last year or so, she has become focused on becoming a stand-up. I haven’t seen every performance but I’ve seen her working out her act at Fearless Lab almost every month. She has improved every single time I’ve seen her. It is obvious that it is something she wants to do and something she wants to do well.
One of her biggest strengths as a vilifier and as a comic is her expressiveness. The picture I chose for her is a great example. Her face conveys a great deal and it makes her writing funnier.
She has a very calm demeanor to her. Nothing really seems to get her wound up. She might be nervous before she goes on stage but she doesn’t let it show. I think it helps the performers around you when at least one member of the cast looks like they are saying “OK – let’s do this.”
Jade is open to just about anything that needs to be done. If there is something that needs to be done for a show and it doesn’t play to her strengths, she doesn’t care. She’ll do it anyway.
I’m looking forward to her continued improvement as a stand-up. She has a lot of talent and if that is the direction she wants to go with it, I have to believe she will be successful.
I’m glad that Jade tried out for Vilification tennis. It’s been a pleasure to know her.
Friend a Day – Brian Murphy
Photo by Ryan Haro
I’ve known Brian for almost the entire time I’ve been at the Renaissance Festival. In that time I’ve played three characters. I played two of them well.
I can’t even count how many characters Brian has played.
Playing a bunch of different characters isn’t an indication of talent in itself but with Brian, I’m simply trying to indicate that he is remarkably versatile. He changes things around. He tries new things. He enjoys something for a while and then decides it is time to try something else.
No matter what he tries, he does it well.
Brian has always been a poet and many of us have had the opportunity to listen to sonnets and other poems he has written. His ability to write good poetry is, I think, tied to his love of language. That also seems to be the reason he’s found so much joy in being a part of the riddle booth these last few years.
Writing a good riddle is all about creative use of language and that is something for which Brian has always had a passion.
When you meet Brian outside of festival, he is typically very quiet and thoughtful. I would wonder if it surprises people who have met him socially when they see him belting out a speech as Shakespeare on the last day of the festival. When Brian wants to be heard, he can definitely be heard.
Back when we were both on the production staff for the Festival, I remember that he and I disagreed once or twice. It was never major but what I remember is how respectful he was when he argued a point. He argued his point and he never attacked the person. He always treats others with respect, even when he disagrees with them.
A few years ago, he received the Lee Walker award, which was most deserved. When I congratulated him later, he admitted that it was an award that he really hoped he would receive. It was an honest moment that made me very happy that moment had come.
I’m very happy to have known Brian all these years. I’ve learned a great deal from him and for that I will always be grateful.
Friend a Day – Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw
Photo by Peter Verrant
I met Sara through her husband Joseph quite some time ago. I don’t remember when. I just remember being taken with her almost immediately.
Sara is a terrific dancer who can do a great job combining modern dance with comedy and storytelling. Her dances are always about something and always accessible to the audience. She’s graceful, yes. But she is also purposeful. Her movement has direction and emotion and I very much enjoy watching her dance.
When she was in Highlander: The Musical a few years ago, I learned she could also sing. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised but it was nice to see a new dimension of someone whom I already knew to be so talented.
What I’ve also learned is her skills as a comedian are as refined as her skills as dancer. She has great comic timing and a wonderfully expressive face. I’ve discovered all of these facets to her over the last few years and I don’t know why I keep being surprised. I guess I keep thinking there must be something she can’t do so darn well.
Sara is the organizational half of Joking Envelope with Joseph and I think it may be hard sometimes to see how important she is to their success. She is at every show handing out surveys, signing people up for the mailing list, and being the public face of their theatrical work.
She handles the details that need to be handled. And she does it with a smile and one of the most positive, friendly demeanors you are ever likely to encounter.
I enjoy spending time with her outside of theatrical work because she is so charming. She is thoughtful and interesting and funny.
Since she and Joseph have moved to California, I know that I’ll see her a lot less frequently so I hope to take advantage of the time I have when she is back in town. She’s simply someone who makes time pass more quickly when she is around and those are valuable friends to have.
Friend a Day – Terry Foy
Photo by Charles Hensley
Terry Foy interviewed me when I tried out for the Renaissance Festival almost thirty years ago. He taught me how to sing Ramblin’ Rover. Would I still be at the Renaissance Festival were it not for him? I doubt it.
With my schedule at the Festival, I only get to see his show once every few years these days. What impresses me about his work is the way he is subtly updating it every year. I must have heard the story of Loldigocks and the Bee Threars two dozen times. There are parts that haven’t change a bit in the time I’ve known him.
And there are other parts that have been altered slightly.
That’s the thing about Terry, he’s never finished with his work. He recognizes there is always a way he can make his show better.
I got to know him quite well when I was working as his Assistant Artistic Director in Arizona. It was hard work and I didn’t really know what I was doing at first. He helped me figure out what I was doing and he smoothed the road for me with people who were already there.
My own life needs meant that was a one year job. It was a job that taught me a lot and I’ll never forget it.
Terry has been a big supporter of The Dregs and whenever I tell him we are looking for new music, he sends me home with a CD filled with ideas. We might use one or two of the ideas but I think that has more to do with our work ethic than with his song choices.
I’ve found Terry to be a great role model because he has spent his life as a performer. He understands how to read an audience and he understands how to refine his show. If I tell him about a challenge I’m having, he always has a few ideas how to fix it.
Terry is a great performer and an even greater person. He’s got fantastic gifts as a performer and he’s always willing to share what he knows with others. I’ll always be grateful for what he’s taught me.
You can like his Zilch the Torysteller page on Facebook and you should!
Friend a Day – Claire Alexander
I’ve known Claire ever since she showed up to interpret a Vilification Tennis show at CONvergence. Actually, I’ve known her longer than that but I didn’t really know her until that evening.
While I’m not her primary clientele, everything I know about Claire tells me that she is very good at what she does. She is passionate about doing her job as an interpreter and she does it in an entertaining and engaging way. When she is doing a comedy show (as she typically is when I’m involved), she understands that she needs to be as much of a comedian as the performers on the stage.
I find her naturally easy to talk to. We often end up as “Fringe Buddies” in years where I’m spending a lot of time watching/being in fringe shows. The walks between the shows are as pleasant as the shows themselves. Because it is the Fringe, some of the walks are far more pleasant than the shows themselves.
She tells stories about her life that are truly fascinating. She should write a show about her life as an interpreter. It would be a bit ironic, I think, that someone else would end up interpreting the show.
Claire seems to squeeze joy out of life. I rarely see her spend time being down nor do I ever hear about times when she is down. She just loves the hell out of being and that makes her one of the best people to see when you are down. You can’t stay down when she is around. It takes too much effort.
The amount of energy she has is staggering. I’ve never seen her exhausted although it has to happen at some point, right?
Having Claire around is something happened by accident but it sure was a great accident. I always look forward to being her Fringe Buddy.
Friend a Day – Marc Baker
I haven’t known Marc very long. We met when he started dating Molly Zupon about two years ago. The two of us hit it off right away, I think.
Marc has a sense of humor that almost exactly matches mine. When we get together, we exist primarily to make Molly roll her eyes at us and/or squawk in disgust. I also like having Marc around because Molly doesn’t pay nearly as much attention to my nipples when he’s there.
I admire Marc because he’s a recovering alcoholic and when I’ve heard stories about his time as a drinker, I’m completely amazed to think that he made the decision to stop and has managed to remain sober. I know that it has to be a struggle every day but he meets that struggle with a good sense of humor (he was on Geeks Without God to talk about it).
He’s also very self-aware. When he realized that he was getting completely addicted to Facebook, he gave up on the platform right away. I think that he’s got a determined character. When he decided that something needs to be done, he takes action immediately.
One way in which that trait manifests itself is in the way he will tell someone when he likes something they’ve done. He’s quick to complement someone for their work when he enjoys it. As someone who has received more than one of those complements, it is a great gesture of respect.
He’s a lot more physically active than I am, which is a trait I should work harder to emulate.
Marc is very confident with who he is, which is rare. He is open about his weaknesses and proud of his strengths. He never pretends to be someone who he is not.
I often joke that Marc and I are boyfriends and while that is mostly done to make Molly jealous, I would totally date Marc if both of us were interested in other men. I’m really happy he’s my friend. The physical side will have to wait.
Grail Diary 