An Original

BY TAYLOR SHANN, TUFTS UNIVERSITY, 2000-2004
Two stories stand out in my memory.

One was at the Spaghetti Night dinner my freshman year, where I and all the other freshman had done our best to look nice (and instead looking like deer-in-the-headlight 7th graders at the middle school dance) and Tony showed up in a forest green, Dick Tracy-era suit. He asked me how I was and I said I was a bit out of it- everyone going around and making small talk and dressed up and serious- and he smiled
and said "Well that's the whole game, isn't it? Don't take any of it too seriously. I don't." And he walked away.

The other was after the Romeo and Juliet cast list went up, and he found me sitting around Aidekman, and he was miffed, asking why I hadn't auditioned. I told him that I was directing the Freshman Show, and that meant I couldn't do his show- in fact, I was holding auditions in about 5 minutes. Not skipping a beat, he said, "Well of
course you couldn't audition. And what are you doing here? Never be late to your OWN auditions!"

He was an original. He was never be afraid to tell any actor, no matter the circumstances, if they were "milking it." He told me that more than once. I will miss him.