For many years, Jimmy and I studied acting with a brilliant woman named Susan Peretz. Susan was an amazing actress and teacher, and became a mentor to both of us. We actually met in a class with Susan, and we spent many, many years in her classes and in productions at her theater. Her theater really was a home for us both, and the friends we made there will be with us forever.
During my time studying with Susan, I worked on countless scenes. That's the way acting classes work - you find a partner in class, choose a scene from a play or film and work on it during class. The teacher watches your work and critiques you and helps you discover what you need to work on for your work to grow. Scene work is done on a bare stage, using minimal furniture and props. You could bring props from home, but Susan always kept a prop closet, full of a variety of junk, accumulated from random sources over the years.
As time went by, I developed a silly inside joke, known only to me. In this aforementioned prop closet, were two paintings...
Both paintings were signed in the lower left-hand corner...
...Miriam Blumberg. I had no idea who the hell Miriam Blumberg was, but I soon started thinking of them as "The Blumbergs", and insisted on having one in every scene I ever worked on. A Blumberg hung in Maggie and Brick's bedroom, George and Martha's living room, Sister Aloysius' office - you get the idea. Having a Blumberg on the wall made me feel grounded and gave me a wonderful "sense of place", as we method actors call it.
In 2004, Susan died of breast cancer. It rocked our little group of actors, and sadly, ended our time together at the theater. She was the heart and soul of the place, and we just couldn't go on without her.
When it came time to close the theater, her roommate, who was clearing the place out, called me and asked me if there was anything from the theater that I'd like to keep as a remembrance. Immediately, I asked for The Blumbergs. He, of course, had no idea what I was talking about, but when I explained my attachment to these two paintings, he gladly gave them to me. They have hung on the wall of our house ever since.
A couple of months after I received The Blumbergs, we threw a big blowout Christmas party. About halfway through the party, I was approached by my friend Craig, and his siblings, Bruce and Lynn. I've talked about their big, crazy Hollywood family before - HERE I tell about their traditional family dinners at Lawry's Prime Rib, and HERE is my salute to their late dad, who was best known as the voice of The Robot on Lost in Space.
"Gretchen?" said a puzzled-looking Craig "You know we love you, but we're a little confused. Why on earth do you have two of our Grandma Miriam's paintings on your wall?"
HA!
Turns out, old Grandma Miriam (Blumberg was their mom's maiden name - who knew?) had at some point in the '70's decided to take up "art". She had taken a class, and ended up a rather prolific "artist". She had developed a passion as only an aging, wealthy, Jewish housewife in the suburbs could. When Grandma Miriam died, she left behind HUNDREDS of these very mediocre paintings. No one knew what to do with them! Their mom refused to just throw them away, they were painted by her mother, after all, so she started giving them away to whoever would take them.
After a bit of detective work, we figured out that Craig's sister, Lynn, had donated a few of the paintings to the prop room at The Actor's Studio, and they must have eventually made their way to Susan's theater!
For years now, Craig has been trying to get me to take yet MORE Blumbergs, it seems they still have a storage facility in North Hollywood full of them. But, alas, I have begged off. I've tried to explain that my attachment is to my history with the paintings more than the actual quality of the paintings, but he doesn't seem to understand.
I do, however, love my Blumbergs. They're bright and have a certain lovable folkartsy quality. I've been saying for years that I was going to start a collection of "old woman art". Aunt Grace has a sort of dreary painting done by her late bosses wife, Eugenia Ramsey. I've mentioned how much I long for it, but I think she thinks I'm joking. But I think a Ramsey would look lovely hung between my Blumbergs.
Anybody have any Grandma art in the back of a closet that they want to find a home for?
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Lots of fabulous "Pictures" spins this week!
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE visit all of them!
SuziCate at The Water Witch's Daughter
Peg at Square Peg in a Round Hole
Kendra at Life in the slow lane
Nain at View From Down Here - NEW on FRIDAY!
VandyJ at The Testosterone Three and Me - New On FRIDAY!!
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Next week on The Spin Cycle...
Things I Hate
I've been in a rotten and contrary mood all week. Grumpy, grumpy, grumpy. So...inspired by THIS post by my friend, Elizabeth, we're going nasty this week.
That's right, here's your chance to VENT. What makes you mad? What drives you crazy? Your kids? Your boss? Your spouse? That idiot in the Express Lane at the grocery store with 21 items?
Just let it spew. Consider it free therapy.
Vent it, share it, link it. Questions? CLICK ON THE TAB UP THERE! STOP BOTHERING ME, I'M GRUMPY!
Share your spin!
Highlight the code.
Copy to your HTML.
Et voila! Linked!
