Small moments in life can have a huge impact. Looking back, I realize that many of my interests and passions were sparked by events that might seem insignificant to others. Theatre, for example, became a major part of my life—first in high school and later when I taught at Rangeview. I can trace it all back to two key moments.
The first happened at Tennyson High School in Hayward, California. My sister was a student there, and they were putting on a production of The Diary of Anne Frank. We loaned them a chest of drawers for the set, and I remember they were worried about distressing it for authenticity. It didn’t bother us, though. My sister was on the tech crew, so naturally, we had to see the play. It was my first time experiencing live theatre, and I was completely captivated from the very beginning. But the highlight for me? Seeing our dresser on stage.
There was something magical about that live performance that stuck with me. I didn’t do much about it at the time, but I filed the memory away in the back of my mind as one of those quietly influential moments. Years later, when I was teaching and directing plays at Rangeview, I had the opportunity to direct The Diary of Anne Frank myself. I’d like to think we even outdid the version I saw in the mid-60s, though I always held that production as my inspiration.
The second moment that solidified my love for theatre came a year or two later. My brother was attending Crestmoor High School, and we went to see their production of Li’l Abner. That was the moment I connected with musical theatre, and I’ve been a fan ever since. To this day, I still find myself humming Jubilation T. Cornpone when I need a little boost. I never got the chance to direct Li’l Abner, but I did direct Fiddler on the Roof, which remains one of my favorite theatre experiences. But those stories are for another time.
Recently, I reached out to my sister to confirm my memories, and she was surprised by how much I had held onto from childhood. I’ve always believed that we choose which memories to keep close. For me, I hold onto the good ones—the ones that shaped me. Those early theatre experiences didn’t just spark a love for the stage; they gave me purpose as a teacher and director. It’s amazing how moments from a childhood classroom can ripple through a lifetime.