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Parker · 07-12-2013, 11:47 AM

Today, I light a candle for my friend, Mike Dobbins, Artistic Director of Heartland Theatre Company, who passed away a few days ago after a sudden illness.

He gave me my first professional stage managing gig back in 2005 when I staged managed that summer's 10 Minute Play Festival - The Attic Plays (I worked several other shows there, but that was the first). Working that show and with Mike taught me a lot about the business, about flexibility, and about how to prepare for everything while being ready for all of it to go haywire.

This year's 10 Minute Play Festival just finished a couple of weeks ago and, to be honest, while I wanted to go, I hadnt really planned on going - it's more than 2 hours round trip from here and 3/4 of a tank of gas - but something nudged me and nudged me and I went to see the show. I got to talk with Mike a little during intermission (what I call halftime lol) and then after the show we talked some more.

We laughed about how I still use that play festival as an anecdote when talking about interesting shows - how there was more than one instance when we didnt have enough people for a scene change, so I would climb up into the booth, start the music for the scene change, run down the ladder and back stage to help move around set pieces and then run back up into the booth before the music ran out.

During one of those pieces, they even needed me back stage for sounds - not sound cues, but actual sounds of feet stomping and people talking - so I ran down from the booth in between light cues to do all of that lol. We laughed as we remembered all of that.

We also chatted about his upcoming one-acts that he directed and about the possibility of working together again.

I feel very fortunate that someone somewhere saw fit to nudge me into going to see the show because not only did I enjoy myself, but I got to see Mike again and while neither of us would have thought to say goodbye (his passing was sudden), I am glad that I at least had the opportunity to shake his hand and share a laugh or 3 just one more time.

But I also feel sadness at the loss of such a wonderful man, a wonderful soul; and my heart goes out to Gail Dobbins who has lost a husband, a friend, and a partner in Heartland Theatre - she and her family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Oh Mike .... you will be missed, my friend. You will be sorely missed.

07-12-2013, 11:47 AM	#5
Parker Timed Out - Permanent How Do You Identify?: Butch. Lesbian. Dyke. Woman. Female. Preferred Pronoun?: She, of course! Relationship Status: Content Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Small Town Life Posts: 2,880 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 7,858 Thanked 11,727 Times in 2,429 Posts Rep Power: 0	Today, I light a candle for my friend, Mike Dobbins, Artistic Director of Heartland Theatre Company, who passed away a few days ago after a sudden illness. He gave me my first professional stage managing gig back in 2005 when I staged managed that summer's 10 Minute Play Festival - The Attic Plays (I worked several other shows there, but that was the first). Working that show and with Mike taught me a lot about the business, about flexibility, and about how to prepare for everything while being ready for all of it to go haywire. This year's 10 Minute Play Festival just finished a couple of weeks ago and, to be honest, while I wanted to go, I hadnt really planned on going - it's more than 2 hours round trip from here and 3/4 of a tank of gas - but something nudged me and nudged me and I went to see the show. I got to talk with Mike a little during intermission (what I call halftime lol) and then after the show we talked some more. We laughed about how I still use that play festival as an anecdote when talking about interesting shows - how there was more than one instance when we didnt have enough people for a scene change, so I would climb up into the booth, start the music for the scene change, run down the ladder and back stage to help move around set pieces and then run back up into the booth before the music ran out. During one of those pieces, they even needed me back stage for sounds - not sound cues, but actual sounds of feet stomping and people talking - so I ran down from the booth in between light cues to do all of that lol. We laughed as we remembered all of that. We also chatted about his upcoming one-acts that he directed and about the possibility of working together again. I feel very fortunate that someone somewhere saw fit to nudge me into going to see the show because not only did I enjoy myself, but I got to see Mike again and while neither of us would have thought to say goodbye (his passing was sudden), I am glad that I at least had the opportunity to shake his hand and share a laugh or 3 just one more time. But I also feel sadness at the loss of such a wonderful man, a wonderful soul; and my heart goes out to Gail Dobbins who has lost a husband, a friend, and a partner in Heartland Theatre - she and her family are in my thoughts and prayers. Oh Mike .... you will be missed, my friend. You will be sorely missed.