My Real Memoir
Of all the times to convince myself I had no feelings. Everyone on Earth was reading the novel Love Story! The world was in love with falling in love, and what had I done? Broken-up with a beautiful girl because I didn’t feel anything. As penance, I forced myself to read Love Story, hoping it would reignite some spluttering spark in me. Nope, I felt nothing. Correction, I felt bad. Bad about feeling nothing. What was wrong with me? And then the movie version of Love Story came out. So I asked a cute girl named Mary to go with me. Maybe we’d fall in love under the warm glow of the projector beam.
The moment the title appeared, everyone, including Mary, began crying; people driving by outside cried. Everyone but me. Afterward, I apologized for not crying. “Why?” said Mary. “It wasn’t that good, I just like crying.” And then, when I leaned in to kiss her goodnight, she told me she was gay. Which was probably my fault. If only I’d cried…
There was just one option remaining: write my own love story, or rather resume writing it. Months earlier, I’d started working on a one-act musical about the (at that point) love of my life, my high school sweetheart Marty. In it, a foolish young man falls in love, then decides he’s no longer in love, and then realizes he really is still in love—just in time to watch the girl leave. Despite All Their Basic Inadequacies was about “the magic of first love” and, as Benjamin Disraeli put it, “our ignorance that it can ever end.”
We started rehearsing early in the new year. I was full of ideas—leaving my actors on-stage the entire time, moving them at the ends of scenes to the positions they’d occupy at the start of their next scenes, and suddenly “unfreezing” them just as those scenes began–but I was also short on experience. “I’m scared sh–less,” I told my pen pal Judy, “if I blow it, I could be washed up at 20!” We lost and gained actors and musicians constantly (I replaced myself as a musician at the last minute in order play an abandoned role).
The theatre was standing-room-only. Maybe because it was Valentine’s Day week, or because people wanted to witness “Mitch’s Folly” first-hand. At any rate, when the opening song ended, people applauded–loudly. And when funny lines were delivered, people laughed—loudly. And when Leigh (the Marty character) told Perish (the Mitch character) as she left that she’d always love him, but that it was “different now,” people cried—loudly. And then they stood and cheered–for fifteen minutes.
Suddenly, I felt something. A lot of something. No, I didn’t cry (although I got kind of choked-up when I read from The Once and Future King for my Oral Interp class). But boy did I feel something. Joy. The joy of making people laugh and cry and think. And when we performed the show for strangers at another college two weeks later, and they cried and laughed and stood and cheered, I felt something all over again. So it turned out…
I still had feelings after all.
My Real Memoir is a series. To read the next one, click here.
nothing like feeling again
I have to say, I’m a bit disappointed I never knew this about you a LONG time ago. I mean, we’ve known each other since 1983ish?Has this play been performed since? Have you adapted it into a screenplay?Please give our regards to your lovely wife. Always, abundant blessings,J
Joseph Yakovetic 4480 Powderhorn Place Drive Clermont, Florida 34711
mobile: 909.241.6088
SDG Soli Deo Gloria “To God Alone the Glory”
Hey Joe! No, I always considered my little one-act musical was too short and impractical–just 45 min. long but still requiring accomaniment (keboard, drums, guitar, bass) to do professionally. I have scaveneged parts from it, though, including the songs.
I’ll tell Trudy you said hi. Love to Samii.
Maybe consider expanding the show, like –
The Apple Tree is a series of three musical playlets with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Bock and Harnick with contributions from Jerome Coopersmith. Each act has its own storyline, but all three are tied together by a common theme (someone who believes that they want something, but once they get what they wanted they realize that it wasn’t what they wanted) and common references, such as references to the color brown. The first act is based on Mark Twain’s The Diaries of Adam and Eve; the second act is based on Frank R. Stockton’s “The Lady, or the Tiger?”; the third act is based on Jules Feiffer’s Passionella. The working title for the evening of three musicals was Come Back! Go Away! I Love You![2]
Joseph Yakovetic 4480 Powderhorn Place Drive Clermont, Florida 34711
mobile: 909.241.6088
SDG Soli Deo Gloria “To God Alone the Glory”
Interesting idea; I’ll give it some thought, Joe. Funny you should mention ‘The Apple Tree,’ though, because I actually did what you’re recommending in reverse. As my graduate thesis production in college, I extracted ‘The Diaries of Adam and Eve’ sequence from ‘The Apple Tree,’ added some additional material, and did it as a self-contained musical called ‘Adam & Eve.’
This is a fun and interesting read, Mitch. I will be following your posts more closely.
Delighted to hear that, Mary.
Sad stories with happy endings are the best. Your perseverance rewarded you well. 🙂
LOL! I love your memoir posts, Mitch.
Hope you and Trudy are doing well.
We are, and thank you, Mary!
Engaging, wonderful piece about the ups and downs of our youth, however spent. I miss it, but I don’t miss it.
I totally get that, Bob.
Yes!
Feelings are beautiful things to have. I’m glad they’d been restored or “activated” at just the right time.
Me too, trE.
You can’t rush love. 💕
“You can’t hurry love…no, you’ll just have to wait” love this for you, Mitch xx
Aww, thank you, dear Janet.
One of the best movie and song….
How lucky you were to see people respond to your work that way. As a writer, I can only imagine it. Reviews give me a glimpse, but it’s never quite enough.
That was a rare gift of encouragement, Susanne. I wouldn’t get that kind of response to something I wrote and directed again for years to come!
But you have the feel good memory and that’s something to cherish.
As I learn more about you, it’s your talent, open heart and ability to hit the right spot that amazes me. You have such a gift, and you’ve humbly taken it in and reach for deeper places within yourself. Not everyone has that ability. We all create the sum. God Bless.
It’s say’s I’m anonymous but it’s Melinda from Looking for the Light.
Well, you just made my day, Melinda. And God bless you too.
Love Story was a total piece of trash, but I’d pay good money to see Despite All Their Basic Inadequacies.
Aww, thanks, BoB.
What a great story! I wish I could see your play. What a powerful encouragement for you in motivating you in your life’s calling!
It certainly was, Katie, and thank you.
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