By Gary Paruszkiewicz
“Belles on their Toes” . . . “Inherit the wind” . . . “You can’t take it with you” . . . “1984” . . . “The Devils” . . . Great stage plays for high school productions in the 1960’s. I swore I had found my calling, and it was on the stage. I had major roles in about 11 productions through all 4 years, and planned to make acting my career. Life had other plans though, and I turned left instead of right, and walked away for over 50 years
.
In 1972 I married the love of my life – we have a wonderful successful son. We moved from Detroit to Kankakee. I was a successful Certified Executive Chef (known as “Chef Garibaldi” back in the 80’s), restaurant manager, and cooking school instructor.
I was stricken with Multiple Sclerosis in 1991 and took yet another turn on the road of life – I went back to school. I studied psychology and focused on stress management and eventually graduated from Governors State University. I was an Adjunct Professor of Psychology for GSU. Next, I developed a form of Tai Chi and Qigong to complement my own physical therapy. I found a healing path and wrote a book. I’ve been teaching Tai Chi and Stress Management programs for about 25 years. I have been a director of park district wellness programs, and have served on several boards of directors for regional and national organizations. I volunteer each week at Presence St Mary’s Hospital. All in all, not a bad life! Happy and successful, that’s me.
Through all the times of being a husband, father, Chef, professor, and Tai Chi teacher, I found myself often channeling Riff Lorton*, Tony Wyzek*, an Ibsen character, a Francis Coppola character, or a David Chase character and more often than not, whistling, singing, or humming “(Play it cool), Boy” or the “Jets song”, or “Maria”. (I once did almost the entire West Side Story with my prep cooks and line chefs at Mother McGees, while we were getting set up for a busy Saturday night!)
I loved the movie West Side Story (who didn’t in ’61?) from the first time I saw it as an eleven year old boy. West Side Story was the very first record album I owned. Growing up in an ethnocentric neighborhood in Detroit, I relate to the mythos of West Side Story. And, with the “us versus them” tribal mentality and problems of bullying, racism, bigotry, gun violence, street gangs, police brutality, and political centrism we are in the midst of today, the story is as relevant now as it ever was.
When I read a few years back about some forward thinking community theater company staging West Side Story outside of a downtown building somewhere I was absolutely thrilled. I thought that was perfect: the most appropriate place to produce that play!
Fast forward a number of years, and here we have Acting Out Theater Co., a group of talented, ambitious, hardworking, progressive people planning to produce West Side Story – outside – right here in Kankakee!!! When I first heard about it I wanted to immediately buy tickets, even though it was going to happen almost a year later. Then, my wife suggested that I “go for it” and audition. (Yah, no more singing and dancing now that I’m on the downward slide toward 70, but there had to be something I could do). Auditioning for the part of Doc was completely surreal for me. As I said earlier, it’s been over 50 years since I did a play! I came home (after the hours long call-back session) completely exhausted, but I haven’t stopped smiling since! I paid attention to all the auditions for the singing and dancing roles with absolute delight. I was then, and am still, blown away by the talent we have here in our area, and by the planning and organizing and professionalism I’ve seen with this company and with the young people acting, directing, and supporting the production.
I can’t wait to be immersed in rehearsals and production, and I am anxious for July – I want to see it as much as I want to be in it!!!
(I was REALLY into it . . . *How many people know Tony and Riff’s last names?)
