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Good evening.
Thank you for that warm introduction. I appreciate it. I
am so used to speaking one on one with people on the
telephone - so it’s a little strange being in front of
so many people! I generally get unnerved by this many
eyes looking at me.
I would like to acknowledge my grandmother, Mrs. Una
Russell, who traveled here from Athens, Georgia, as well
as my parents, Mike and Gail, and my sister, Elizabeth,
who, I might add, had to tolerate living on the same
floor of our house and sharing the same bathroom with me
for thirteen years. That in and of itself I believe
deserves special recognition.
I would like to dedicate my remarks tonight to a friend
whom I regarded as one of my proteges, if you will,
while I was at Germantown, David Lilly. A person we all
loved very much. David was a dedicated team player for
the Playhouse and GHS-TV, a bright young guy, and a good
friend. He continues to be missed. Dave, I know that
Green and I wish you were here with us tonight.
When Mr. Bluestein told me I had been selected as this
year's honoree, my first thought was, "Am I really old
enough to be honored? I thought you had to be as old as
Jim Barrett to be honored!" Just kidding, Jim! But as it
turns out, some years have now passed since my
graduation in 1992, so I was told that I am fair game,
and I am certain that the skit, if history proves
correct, will be scathing and leave no stone unturned.
I am grateful to Thespian Troupe #912 for selecting me.
It's quite an honor to be here. There have been a long
line of distinguished alumni and friends who have stood
here before me, individuals whom I have looked up to and
admired over the years -- Martin Cutler, Chris Parnell,
Danny McCleary, David Bryant, the Taylor family, Jim
Barrett, Kimberly Heimert, and on and on.
When I was in the third grade, my mother, Gail,
suggested that I try out for a performance of THE
LITTLEST ANGEL at the Germantown Community Theatre. I
got the part and I was hooked on the arts. I have early
memories of driving by Germantown High School on Old
Poplar Pike, being in my parents' car, and looking out
at those red-brick buildings and only knowing vaguely
that there was some sort of cable television station
inside and a theatre which had a reputation of being
more professional than some truly professional theatres.
I remember attending a performance of THE MYSTERY OF
EDWIN DROOD when I was in the 8th grade and being
utterly mesmerized by what I saw. I knew by then I
wanted to somehow be involved in "Production Workshop"
at Germantown High School.
I remember going up to the high school during the summer
before I even started as a freshman -- this would've
been the summer of 1988 -- and hanging around the GHS-TV
studio, looking up to Jeff Webb, John Taylor, Jeff
Stroud, Doug Norris, all the individuals who were
running the studio back then, watching them operate the
equipment with awe. I was hooked. Then and there I made
it my mission to become an active participant in the
studio and the theatre.
Fortunately I was blessed to be born to such amazing
parents who encouraged me to be pro-active in anything I
wanted to do. Beginning with Little League t-ball where,
as an outfielder, I was able to pick a lot of grass --
as it turned out, sports weren't my thing. But the arts
were. Want to start a garage rock band and drive them
and the neighbors crazy? "Yes." Act in plays at the
local theatre? "Yes." Get involved in the theatre and
the studio? "Yes." My parents have joked that I was
fortunate, as well, that they bought a house inside the
Germantown city limits, which thereby sent me to
Germantown Elementary, Middle, and High Schools… and set
me off on a path which has led me to this point. All of
these things happen for a reason.
I slowly but surely became more and more involved in the
Fine Arts Department, and eventually ended up being
General Manager of the studio my senior year. The four
years I spent at Germantown were among the best of my
life, for their own reasons. The University of Southern
California was a unique and enlightening experience, and
the years since I graduated from college have also been
interesting and challenging in their own way.
But the four years spent working in the Fine Arts
Department have their own special place in my heart as I
look back.
When you are 16, 17, 18 years old and Germantown,
Tennessee is your entire world, there's not a huge
amount of perspective on what you are doing. (Unless, of
course, you were fortunate enough to be jetting off to
Moscow while attending GHS, but that's another
discussion altogether.)
While you are in the moment at Germantown High School,
there is not a lot of time to contemplate what it all
means. Which is a good thing. You just DO IT. You just
perform. You belt out a show tune, you practice your
lines, you drag camera cables, you edit footage
together. The freedom is extraordinary. I look back now
with a certain amount of awe for how intense we worked.
The passion was unbridled.
Everyone I went through the program with was similarly
focused and engaged in the work. My fellow students and
I at the time -- Lee Blair, Courtney Clement, Chris
Green, Kyla Heimert, Ted Horrell, Shannon Miller, Cara
Rawlings, Jennifer Smith, just to name a few -- we
learned what teamwork was about. We were ferocious in
our efforts to produce TV shows, execute a production.
Though it may sound strange, I'd like to draw a
comparison to football. This is for Mr. Chism. Bear with
me here. I love watching college football. I love my USC
Trojans and I love my Dad's Georgia Bulldogs. I don't
care too much about pro football. Why? Because I feel
like those college students who are playing college
football are playing for their school. They're playing
out of passion. Sure, they may want to go on to the NFL,
but not all of them will, and yet they still play their
hearts out.
That's the way I believe we felt, though we didn't even
know it at the time. We worked with passion. We didn't
stop to think about which awards we were going to win,
for example. We were focused on producing quality
musicals, plays, TV productions. We were excited about
what we were doing. We weren't being paid a dime,
because this was not about money. It was about pride,
enthusiasm, and passion. We worked hard and when show
time arrived, everyone played their hearts out.
We took our marching orders from Mr. Bluestein and the
entire staff of the Fine Arts Department. No one can say
that it wasn't tough at the time. The experience was
challenging. It was tough. Everyone pushed themselves to
accept nothing less than the absolute best one could
offer. This was the invaluable lesson we all learned.
Push yourself. Work hard. Think things through. Check,
double-check, and check again. Stay focused. Be
motivated. And yet, above all, have integrity.
I believe that we have an illustrious group of alumni
who are out there pursuing what makes them happy due to
what they experienced at that early age. Individuals who
were molded at the age of 17 and 18 into sharp minds
filled with a sense of ambition and a work ethic which
was unparalleled by most of our peers at that age.
I say to the students who are here tonight: Take
advantage of the time you are at Germantown High School.
Push yourself to create. Use the studio to create
product. Participate in the theatre. Figure out what you
enjoy.
Fortunately you're living with your parents, therefore
you don't yet have the responsibilities of real world
issues yet: rent, job security, all of the things that
come with the territory once you are out on your own. It
becomes harder after college to find the time to
experience different aspects of the theatre, for
instance.
This is the time to contribute to the cause of what
those before you have done and that is continuing the
excellence of our high school fine arts program. It is
also up to you to bring in the next generation of
students who will run the program and train them, all
the while bonding in a way which will make your high
school experience a great one.
Which brings me to my next point:
One of the things that made my experience so great was
the amazing group of friends I went through school with.
The last time I had daily contact with my high school
peers was ten years ago, yet I still feel as close to
them today as I did back then. This is important. This
transcends the work ethic, the pursuit of perfection,
because the work created a bond between us which can't
be broken. It all adds up to a greater sense of
happiness and well-being as we all go our separate ways
to pursue our own lives - whether it's to Senatobia,
Columbia, New York, or Nashville - we all take with us a
feeling that we contributed to something great here.
I think back fondly to last year's banquet, where the
Playhouse celebrated 25 years, and was amazed by the
outpouring of love and affection towards each other. In
light of such hostile and tragic world events over the
past year and a half or so, it's nice to see the comfort
that this group of people bring to each other.
After 9/11, I believe community has become even more
significant, and our roots are important. I think that's
why we see such a large group of graduates and friends
of the Fine Arts Department return, year after year, to
the alumni banquet. It provides a sense of connection
and warmth that is hard to find. Only these days, upon
reflection, do I realize how fortunate I really was.
My family certainly weren't the richest folks in
Germantown if you are measuring by dollars, but I do
feel that the opportunities I had and the hand I was
dealt provided me with a strong sense of purpose,
dedication, and enthusiasm for going out and tackling
the "real world." It was these experiences which gave me
the confidence and motivation to pack up and go to
school thousands of miles away. It wasn't a need to
leave home, it was just a desire to go and find my own
way, with the strength that was imbued in me by the
adults who influenced me. Aside from my family, much of
the credit for that goes to the Playhouse and GHS-TV.
Now I know that Frank Bluestein does not like the
spotlight shining on him, and I admire his humility, but
his influence on me is incalculable. I could not stand
here without making a point of saying that the
responsibility he gave me while I was 17 and 18 years
old built up my self-confidence, fired up my ambition,
and motivated me to such a degree that I when I left
high school, I went after the motion picture industry
with great zeal.
Mr. Bluestein could not have done it alone, however, and
the close-knit circle of instructors over the years -
Karen Dean, Sara Savell, Leonid Mazor, the late Tully
Daniel, Ernest Chism, Almeda Zent, Brenda Bluestein,
Lanny Byrd, just to name a few - these individuals all
supported Mr. Bluestein's original vision for a tough,
sometimes agonizing, program which asks students to give
nothing less than their best. They recognized that there
has been and continues to be something special here at
Germantown High School -- something which cannot be
easily characterized.
I believe the end result of those many years of hard
work and dedication by everyone involved manifests
itself in each individual student going out into the
world and pursuing what makes he or she happy, no matter
what the job is or whether or not it is related to the
arts.
Each student's personal ambition to excel is what built
this program into one which is nationally renowned for
its innovation, intelligence, and creativity.
That is why I believe I am not alone in viewing our
group as an extended family, one which has all of the
ups and downs of a normal home life; all the intensity
of being pushed to achieve perfection with the end
result being well-rounded, hard-working individuals with
a clear set of goals and a mindset which encourages
positive contribution to society.
Again, thank you for inviting me to be the honoree for
2002.
Happy Holidays and May God Bless. |
