January 25th, 1986
(last day in Texas)
My last day in Texas before I moved to New York City was January 25th, 1986.

That was the day I said good-bye to the source of my mojo in Texas, the Great Pecan.

So if you're still with me, it's time to go back to my Texas theatre roots. My home town of Seguin, Texas must have had a population at that time of about 18,000 - 20,000. Small town.

I graduated college (Texas Lutheran College) in May of 1985 with a BA in English. The plan was to work as manager of one of our local video stores and save some cash, then move to New York. By November/December of '85 I still hadn't saved much cash, so I decided it was time to just do it. So with about $2500 I made the move to New York. I stayed for 1 week with a friend in White Plains before finding roomates for my first apartment in Hell's Kitchen.

 Seguin Great Pecan
May, 1985
The Last Play I Did in Texas.

Photos from the full-length, Tribute, by Bernard Slade produced by Circle Arts Theatre in New Braunfels, Texas (about 15 miles from Seguin). The director is not mentioned in the newspaper articles I still have in my scrapbook, but I'm pretty sure it must have been Elizabeth Elliot, who is the Artistic Director of Circle Arts.

Stephen Bittrich in Tribute
Above, actors, Daryl Fleming and Stephen Bittrich. Daryl was my Junior High School Speech and Drama Teacher, and this was a very special project for us to do together.
Above, actors, Daryl Fleming and Stephen Bittrich.
I think the above picture was from the Seguin Gazette in May of 1985.
April, 1985
Article from the college paper of Texas Lutheran College, The Lone Star Lutheran. As I recall we were feeling whimsical, but it may come across as cocky and flippant. Come to think of it, I probably was a little cocky and flippant about then.
April, 1985
Article from the The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise.