Sunday, July 02, 2006

Summer 1978


I've been thinking about getting older, and people that have come across my path who I've admired. Who got older, and did it with incredible style. The person who most impresses me with aging with style was a professor I had in college, Dr. Jean Scharfenberg. She died a few years ago, and a Google search didn't bring up a decent bio, although there are a few acting and directing scholarships in her memory. This is a photo from As You Like It, from the first Illinois Shakespeare Festival, in Bloomington, Illinois. I worked in the costume shop that summer. I believe the actor in the photo is Gary Cole who may be familiar to you from the Night Caller television series, and playing Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald in a television movie series. The costumes are macrame, people! We were not loving macrame in the costume shop, believe me. Dr. Scharfenberg directed this production. She drove a Porsche, wore capes, and used a cigarette holder. She had a pool in her back yard in Normal, Illinois, and her pool parties were legendary. I was invited once. My favorite memory of Jean Scharfenberg was when I spent an afternoon alone with her in New York City, while I was on Spring break with the Theatre Department. We stood on line to get tickets for On Golden Pond when it was an off-Broadway production. She laughed heartily at me, while I gasped and screamed through my only cab ride in New York.
Dr. Scharfenberg educated many actors that are working now. I often recognize former classmates on television shows and in movies. My life now has very little to do with my college experience as a Theatre major. I realized in my senior year that if I pursued a life in the theatre, I would probably spend most of my time waiting tables, and while I wasn't the most talented actress, I was worse as a waitress. I do think about getting my MFA in costume design, even now sometimes. While the job I have feeds me, it doesn't really Feed me.

1 comment:

Bonne Marie said...

What a tender tribute to your friend! RIP, Dr. Scharfenberg...

But of course, we all enjoyed Gary Cole as one of the seminal members of the Steppenwolf Theatre group...