I've worked some, although it's hard to see a dent in this clutter, lay down for a bit, and now I'm contemplating dinner. Thanks to my six hours of sleep last night, I suspect that I will crash relatively early.
In 1973, Middletown OH friends Jim Martin, Ron Fetzer and Paul Scardina threw a huge New Year's Eve party at Paul's place. He was the director of the Middletown Arts Center and he lived in a huge old house in West Middletown, at the top of the hill. The weather had been fierce and it was an ordeal getting to the party because the house was up a steep hill and the roads were very icey.
Ron Fetzer was a high school drama teacher at Middletown High and the tech director for the Campus-Community Players, which was going a joint production of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, in which I was playing the Major General, with the Middletown Symphony in February or March 1974; it's a blur now. Jim Martin was the symphony's conductor, Paul was choreographing the production, and Ron may have been directing it. I don't remember now. The party was a cast party as well as huge party for other friends from the arts Center and other Middletown environs.
I remember that the party began around 8pm, and I recall some of the events:
1. my brother Macbeth got into a tequila shot contest with Ron's wife Jan, who drank him under the table, then raced him through the snow around the house, and when he slipped on the snow and fell down the hill,carried him back up it. He was married to his first wife then, a lovely lady who was everything Lady M is not: kind, generous, nurturing, friendly, and not particularly narcissistic.
2. Helen Rivero got totally smashed and ended up chasing Paul all over the house about 4am, determined to get into his pants. He's gay; she failed. He was a dancer and he moved fast.
3. Around 6am, the stragglers - about 20 of us - had eggs and bacon for breakfasy before we left Paul's place. I got home around 9am and went directly to bed.
Best New Year's Eve. Ever.
