Since far too often we only publicly say nice things about people when they are dead I’ve decided to randomly pick a Facebook friend every day and say something nice about them.
April 27, 2019
Today’s person: Tom Adams!
One of my first not-school plays was an SF Shakespeare production of Romeo and Juliet, and through a very weird set of circumstances I was playing Romeo. And, as you all know, the big fight - and my first stage sword fight - is against Tybalt. And as Tybalt was this fiery-eyed, rakishly handsome, Aryan-looking swordsman who seemed like he really, really would enjoy skewering anyone - especially me.
Turned out Alf was this really nice, bitingly sarcastic, fiercely political, gentle artist... who also really, really liked skewering things. The show sucked, but we somehow stayed in touch, and found out he also sang. So years later, while I was directing a Christmas Caroling choir and needed a bass, I asked Alf. And for the next several years, every Christmas season, I got to hang out with a smart swordsmaniac who could sing the hell out of “Carol of the Bells.”
I especially liked the devilish joy he got when he, the only and quite White guy in our choir, was inevitably approached by some innocent racist under the assumption that Alf was the Director. He’d listen to whoever it was, a sly smile on his face, then he’d get this twinkle in his eye, and point them to me.
That was his way of skewering them.