Class Catchup

Thanks for the birthday wish!

Covid is an eerie time. I hope everyone is safe. Nancy and I have cancelled all of our summer travel plans and we are staying near home, with long walks or bicycle rides every day. Also reading a lot and watching birds on our deck. My parents used to have 15 cardinals at a time in their backyard in Louisville. We only have one pair up here in NH, but they are interesting to watch. They arrive reliably near dawn and dusk, and intermittently throughout the day.

Posted on: Sep 14, 2016 at 12:37 PM

Cassie, belated birthday wishes to you!
I am very glad to have spent time with you at the Reunion. Let's keep in touch.
Judy

Posted on: Aug 21, 2016 at 1:09 PM

Thanks for the Bday wish. I remember you and the trombone. I played trumpet in the Jr High orchestra, but always had to have music sheet to play by. Therefore could not handle marching band as every time the formation changed direction I would lose my place. Had to fake playing the rest of march. Ha!

Posted on: Aug 18, 2016 at 8:56 AM

Hi Nancy Belle.
If anyone remembered me at all it would be by my middle name - Gary. I remember you from Miss Miller's class, the teacher who changed my life. You and the drama group did Dylan Thomas' "Under Milkwood." I was a big Bob Dylan fan back then and now still, and when I read Dylan got his last name from Dylan Thomas I was hooked. Your were great in that and I'm so sorry I didn't know and didn't follow your career. I only cared about flying back at WHS and I remember running into you once with another Waggenerite on campus at U of L. about the time I learned I my old eye injury would keep me out of the USAF and flying. I joined VISTA and was trained as a community organizer by Saul Alenski's folks. I got kicked out of OK, and Texas for being an "outside agitator." and decided to become a writer. I loved Shakespeare from the time when the Carriage House Players did "Shrew" for us on the Waggener Gym Floor. I heard that company later became the beginnings of Actor's Theatre. Anyway I thought, hey Shakes was an actor first, I'll give it a try. At FSU the only paths that opened for me were Mime and Children's theatre. I also studied mime, with Claude Kipnis at the University of Ill. Robin Williams had been in his troop but not when I was there. Goodness Gracious Mime was hot then, but I went to the Asolo Rep. in Sarasota, and got my 50 weeks in to get my AE card and starved in NYC mostly, toured in "Godspell" and did Equity dinner theatre but best of all got to tour Shrew as Pettruccio (shamelessly modeled after Marc Singer's Petruccio at your ACT). Next four years did a live daily live kid's show in the Jacksonville, FL market while doing the on-air wrap-a-rounds for the really bad horror movies on Saturday night. Got married to my wonderful MA and when Brendan was on the way realized I needed to get serious about making some $. I got in the DGA Trainee Program which took me back to LA., Worked as an AD for eight years in LA/Hawaii returned to FL when they build the sound stages at Universal and Disney. Wrote, produced and directed one children's feature starring the great Julie Harris, a one hour special, and something called "Night-club America" which went no-where at all. I always wanted to teach so I teach Acting, Film and Writing at our little college.
I was so glad to read about the wonderful things you've done. Sorry to go on so long, but I thought it was cool that in some ways we found similar paths. Oh, I'm gonna be a grandpa it looks like in late Jan.
All the best to you.

Oh, Chuck Wingo has gotten us to agree to go to the reunion, so he, his wife, and Mary Anne will be there. It would be great to see you if you can make it.

Gary Rogers
.

Posted on: Jul 26, 2016 at 8:31 PM

Are you Peck? If you are I guess I did not know you very well in High School, but I remember running into you at the Moratorium to End the War in Washington DC. Nov. 1969. It was a good thing to see you there and I hope I get a chance to see you at the reunion.

Posted on: Aug 08, 2016 at 7:28 PM

Posted on: May 19, 2016 at 9:41 PM

Hey Leslie! Long time no see. I am glad you have joined the website. I remember (or falsely remember?) visiting you in the boondocks of Kentucky early in your career. Like you, my wife and I are spending a good portion of our time caring for aging parents and other ill relatives. We are gaining valuable experience, but we are also learning each situation brings requirements for new knowledge and sensitivities. I am fortunate to have spent my career in health care, and we rely a lot on my sister, who has been an ICU, Frontier, workplace, Home Health and now Hospice RN. Even with all this background and support, we are learning, as they say, that growing old is not for sissies!

Posted on: Jun 17, 2016 at 10:15 AM