In Memory of Marian

I just found out this morning that one of my good friends, Marian passed away yesterday morning.

I knew that she was dealing with some health issues, but I had no idea (nor did anyone else) know that they were so serious.

Marian and I first met when I was doing the show 'FAME' in Dover, NH back in the Spring of 1992. I was a student at UNH and she was a living in the area and was always doing theater wherever she could. She and another friend of ours had an apartment close to the theatre, so their place was where we spent a lot of time both before and after shows, or just hanging around doing what 'kids' our age did. (I was 20, she was 25 or so)

We remained close througout my years at UNH, but once I graduated we lost contact for a bit. I knew where she was, and I knew that she was doing well - but we didn't talk regularly.

In the summer of 1999, I went to see her in a production of 'Bye, Bye Birdie' (she STOLE the show as Mae Peterson). She has no idea I was in the audience, and as she went to make her first entrance (the show was performed was outside, in a park) she walked right past me, saw me, stopped in her tracks, and mouthed 'OH MY GOD!!!!' then proceeded to make her entrance.

I hadn't seen her in MANY years at that point - so we spent decent amount of time playing 'catch up' over drinks after the show.

Since then, we've been in touch on again and off again - but thanks to Facebook, we reconnected and kept in touch quite often. We got together in the fall of 2009 for dinner and a show up in Portsmouth, and that's the last time I saw her.

We'd been in regular contact via FB messages, comments, etc...and it was on Tuesday night that I last heard from her. Funny enough, I posted the picture of the 'belly cast kit' (from yesterday's blog entry) on Facebook Tuesday night, and she was the first to comment on it.
 :-)

She was such a talented and funny woman, and every time we got together or talked, it was always so much fun.

I'll certainly think of her every time I go to Portsmouth, and the NH theatre 'scene' won't be the same without her.

xoxo Marian....we'll miss you!!!

Here are a couple of shots from the last show she did in March.....

This is one of my favorites....

It was taken in the 'cabin' we stayed in on a trip that we took to the Poconos back in the summer of 1992. In case you can't see it clearly, on the wall it says 'Picture is Missing'....hysterical.