(http://sherri NULL.machighway NULL.com/~heidiros/wp-content/uploads/DSC_5242-e1282325746218 NULL.jpg)
Meet Manny Treeson.
My heart does a little happy dance when I think of Manny. We’ve known each other a LONG time. I met him in 10th grade at auditions for The Crucible. We were both cast in the show and became fast friends. He lived just a few blocks from my house and we’d walk to and from rehearsals together. (In our senior year, I remember that we were in a musical together and danced all the way home).
Manny was (and is) a great cook. One of our first times just hanging out, he made me cream cheese brownies. They were scrumptious. And later, when we had a whole little gaggle of friends, we would always hang out at Manny’s house. He would make us all elaborate dinners. We felt so grown up. His parents were incredibly generous in that they always disappeared whenever we arrived. (The teenagers got to rule the house!)
We were all good kids. A bunch of us in our group of friends LOVED the theater and that’s where you’d find us every hour outside of regular classes. Manny and I did Street Scene together and The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. We did I Remember Mama and Carousel– to name a few. In senior year, we were both in Forensics together. (Is that what it was called?) We were in poetry and scene competitions. I remember winning once and romping down the aisle together.
Manny spent his summers working with his brother at Shakespeare in the Park (http://www NULL.publictheater NULL.org/) in Central Park. His brother had a great catering business that sold all the food for the shows. Those were also the days when you stood in line all day to get tickets to see the shows. Manny always got us tickets and we got to see some amazing theatre. I loved those NY summer nights of theatre and friends.
Manny went to American University and then Carnegie Mellon for graduate school. He studied Lighting Design. That’s what he’s doing now and he’s really GOOD. His first love is theatre but that’s not how you buy a house. The great thing is that Manny has gotten to shine in all kinds of other venues. He’s lit many a movie premiere, concerts, dance recitals, car shows– you name it. One of my favorite projects I know about is when he got to light Pearl Harbor — yes, Pearl Harbor itself– for the premiere of the movie. Cool.
When we first moved to Los Angeles in 2000, one of the first things we got to do was attend the premiere of Remember the Titans he lit at the Rose Bowl. That was a cool way to start our time in L.A. At that time as well, Manny was a part of the Ojai Playwrights Conference (http://www NULL.ojaiplays NULL.org/) and was doing excellent work getting new playwright’s heard.
His wife Cybele studied and spent many years playwrighting (you’ll hear about her soon) and she also has the Candyblog (http://www NULL.candyblog NULL.net/blog/) where she reviews candy five days a week. (It’s wildly successful and fun). Cybele has had to endure about 20 years of Manny and I laughing and talking about high school. We always apologize but we can’t help it. We had a good time in school.
Manny is kind and funny and really smart. He loves talking politics and knows how to debate. He loves Shakespeare too. Recently at dinner, Andrew and Manny had a good half hour of discussing how the monarchy is portrayed in Shakespeare. They were romping through the kings and queens in lively debate.
But really, when I think of Manny, I see this:
He’s in the kitchen– preparing a recipe he’s just found. He’s pouring us great wine in beautiful glasses. He’s thankful for his good friends near by. He’s light-hearted. He’s laughing. And he’s nourishing us all.
***
(Manny is in this picture (http://sherri NULL.machighway NULL.com/~heidiros/2010/friend-friday-meet-stacey-jacobs-and-kathy-duggan/) too. High School Prom! He’s on the far left in the red scarf.)
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