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.
June 6, 2019
Today’s person: Rami Margron!
I’d seen Rami around the theatre world of the Bay Area before, but the first time I specifically remember seeing her was outside the Mime Troupe building before an audition. We were taking a break, and I was on my way to the store, and I saw her walking on the other side of the street. So I shouted to her “ Are you coming to the auditions?” “Yes!” She answered, but I don’t think she did. As I remember she changed her mind for some reason. It so happened that this was another year that we were using Collective Members in all the roles, so it did not make any difference. But if we had seen her perhaps we would have made a different choice and worked with the fire made flesh of Rami.
A few years later I was at the TBA regional auditions, and during a break I ran into Rami on the stairs of the Marines Mermorial building. We started chatting, and literally spent our entire lunch break sitting next to each other, talking about our lives, our hopes, our art - and I kept thinking how lucky I was to have Rami all to myself for as long as the break allowed. That lunch could have gone for hours and each hour would have been a gift to me. So honest, so open, so caring and listening, so willing to share - it really was great. By his point I’d learned how magnificent she was from a distance, but just sitting with her talking, seeing the playful joy in her face, hearing the ease with which she opened her heart made me feel both cozy and wondering if I’d lost some of that wonder and excitement. It was like I was with some elemental jinn. It actually makes it kind of hard for me to talk to her still. I feel like I’m stealing her time from some amazing something.
Years later she and Cassidy asked me if I’d participate in The Shout, their true story telling series. This gave me another chance to know her a little better. And each time I’m around her, regardless of how awkward I am, I am just in awe of what an deeply human, brilliant artist, renaissance woman she is.