A Trip Down Memory Lane

When I attended the retirement celebration of Doc Shelton, it also turned into a college reunion of sorts. Most of our friends from the theater department in the mid to late 80s returned, as well as some staff.

Graduation Class of '88
Dave, Pete, Chris, Stephanie, Jay and Becky

Some of the returnees
Dave, Sunday, Leslie, Pete and Jay

What was perhaps the strangest part of it all is that none of us had been together as a group for 19 years. And most of us had never been back to the theater department in all of that time. So, when we found ourselves back in our old haunts as a group, it felt as if no time had passed. It was truly a weird experience.

I also had a wonderful time reminiscing with some old teachers. Gwen West, who was our costume and makeup teacher told me she got in trouble for commenting on my butt in class. That's funny! And Lisa Martin, who designed a great outfit for me in The Tempest told me that she still has the pattern for the jacket and it's officially called The Pete Bauer Jacket.

The "Pete Bauer" Jacket.

I also got to share memories with one of my teachers and eventual acting partner, Jim Wren, with whom we performed Broadway Bound at the Hippodrome directed by Carlos Assissi.

Dawn, Pete and Jim Wren.

Carlos gave me one of the best directions in history. When commenting on one of my many monologues he said "Pete, you know that monologue... well, it sucked." And that was it. No further info. I had to figure out what sucked about it and move on.

Mike McLane and Carlos.

There were also actors who worked with me on my short film Homesick, including Jay, Leslie, Sunday, Mike McLane and Ellen Lau. I also acted with Ellen in A Loss of Roses at the Gainesville Community Playhouse.

Pete and Ellen Lau.

I was also fortunate enough to work with Malcolm Gets in the play Tribute. Malcolm went on to win Tonys on Broadway and landed the role of Richard in Carolyn in the City. Malcolm also performed a song for Doc Shelton during his retirement party.

Pete, Missy and Malcolm.

Malcolm performing for Doc.

And there were many other friends, like Missy Weinstein and Jennifer Ray Miles, Joelle and Kirsten, Glenn Krasny, Matthew Marco, Carl McNulty, Stu Horowitz and Cady West. Mark Sexton, with whom I performed in The Dining Room was there and Kevin Rainsberger, who worked at the Hippodrome during my time there. There were old Winnjammer friends, like Mike Gioia and Manny Suarez.

Jen, Pete and Joelle

Kristen, Pete and Mark

Pete and Kevin.

Mike Gioia and Pete

Pete and Cady.

Also in attendance was Pete Bailoff, who was the screenwriter and producer I met in L.A. during my trip to California. He was excited to see me and we caught up on where things have gone since then.

Pete B, the writer/producer I met in LA
in Goin' Out to Cally.

Overall it was a tremendous time. I could not have asked for a more wonderful trip down memory lane. I'm still having flashbacks.

Doc Shelton

David "Doc" Shelton is one of those once in a lifetime teachers. His honesty is brutal, but accurate. His praise rare and therefore cherished. His expectations are high, yet achievable if you're willing to put in the work. He is unrelenting and wise and talented and funny.

This past week Doc officially retired as an acting teacher at the University of Florida after 30 years and many of us who were changed by this man came back to honor his influence in the theater and in our lives.

For me, Shelton provided an honest and encouraging influence. He was one of those really tough guys to please and, for whatever reason, you wanted to work hard enough to please him. To hear him say "Good job" was like winning an Oscar. Shelton was especially important to me because I was the first in my family to pursue acting so no one knew or understood the craft well enough to help me along, to push me. Shelton became that figure for me.

David "Doc" Shelton and Pete

Over my years at UF we spent hundreds and hundreds of hours at the Winnjammer bar where I learned more about life and theater than any class I ever took at UF. Even though he was my teacher and I was his student, I also felt as if he was my friend, my mentor and my greatest supporter. I was very fortunate to have been cast in two of his plays (Scenes and Revelation at UF and Brighton Beach Memoirs at the Hippodrome). And I was lucky enough to see him put his words into practice in a wonderful performance at UF in Curse of the Starving Class.

One of the enduring elements of a great teacher, of a powerful influence in your life is that their words have resonance, that they carry even more weight as time goes by. I cannot tell you how many times his words, his explanations, his expectations carried me over the past two decades. Now that my daughter is pursuing acting I find myself teaching her with the same words he taught me... and through teaching I have found myself finally understanding what Shelton was trying to teach me 20 years ago. I imagine how much better I would have been back then if I would have grasped the depth of his teachings as I do now. His words have resonated in me and now they resonate in my daughter.

Doc Sharing His Memories

After graduation, I was unsure of how much my friendship with Doc meant to him. After all, every four years he'd get a new bunch of students and I would just be someone in that class of '88. But, during his speech I knew I had at least a small piece in his heart as he quoted something I had said to him almost 20 years earlier. It meant a lot to me.

As was stated during his roast/awards ceremony, Doc Shelton was selfless. He gave his time, his concern, his influence and his friendship with no regard for what he got in return. And he did it for 30 years.

The University of Florida lost a rare jewel when "Doc" decided to retire. I am fortunate and blessed to have called him teacher, mentor and friend. His influence on me and my family will outlive both us.

And that's the sign of someone truly special.

Blessed at this Moment

This past Saturday I returned to my college to share in the retirement of a wonderful acting teacher. While there I got to see so many of my old college friends, most of whom I had not seen since college (I'll have more on that in a later post). I felt so lucky to have retained these friendships over the last two decades.

Then this Sunday I went to mass and, as I scanned the pews of the church, realized just how blessed we were. My wife and I started getting more involved in our church a few years ago and, because of this, we now have a large group of truly wonderful people that we can call friends... a faith community.

I looked from my pew to see my wife, singing in the Lifeteen band among her generous band mates, including the band leader, Cathy with her daughter Tiffany. Cathy's husband Greg in the pew in front of me, running the sound board. Their son Matt on the altar as one of the altar servers. My wife also sings in the band with Alexa and Terry who, along with the rest of their family, prayed for vocations with the Elijah Cup for a month straight.

I continued my watch, past my mother and father-in-laws sitting next to me and across the church where I could see most of the families involved in our Renew bible group that meets once a month... Nick and his family, Sara and Ted and their sons and Hugh's family. Nick I also see at the little league field with his family and I recently went to a DRays game with Sara and Ted.

I continue my gaze to spot all of the fellow homeschooling families and teens (over forty people in all) who have become a special part of our lives and who offer us genuine affectionate hugs after every mass. And then there are the Millers and Kelleys with whom we spend every Sunday night in an additional bible study and with whom we spend Tuesday mornings at mass with a priest, Father Mike, who has become very dear to us.

And I realized just how blessed we are... just how special this time in our lives really is... and how I shouldn't take it for granted. Things will change. People will move. Bible studies will end. Children will grow and bonds will dissipate. But right now, this moment, I looked across that church and felt like an integral part of this faith community. I felt blessed beyond my worth.

For however brief this lasts, I will cherish it and recognize it for what it is... something very rare and very special.