“That’s true in baseball, theater and comedy,” he says. “I generally listen when things come in threes.”

The adage has served him well for more than 20 years, as Swartz ’89, M.Div ’92, has engaged with the unlikely trio of theology, comedy and issues of faith. First with Lee Eshleman ’86 in Ted & Lee, and now with Ted & Company, he has written and produced more than a dozen plays, travelling extensively worldwide for performances.

And that’s why, when three similarly focused suggestions came to his drawing board, he took notice.

“91����Ƶ two years ago,” Swartz remembers, “I was asked to consider writing something about same-sex issues and sexuality in the context of the church, and I was busy at the time. But then six months later, on two other occasions, people asked the same question, and I took it a bit more seriously.”

This dialogue resulted in “,” a play that invites the audience to listen just as Swartz did to the diverse voices speaking about the controversial, challenging topic of same-sex relationships.

91����Ƶ will host a performance of the show, which is free and open to the public, Sunday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis, with doors opening at 6:45 p.m. A talkback session will follow.

Characters share variety of perspectives

The main character of “Listening For Grace” is Daryl, a widower who learns that his son is gay. During the 70-minute performance, Daryl shares the stories of five other characters, each of whom provide a different perspective on same-sex relationships and faith. One of those voices is that of his deceased wife, Grace.

“The audience is continuously listening throughout this play, for Grace as a character who speaks truth to the main character in a way he can’t hear otherwise,” Swartz says. “They are listening for Grace, but they are also listening to hear themselves in someone else’s story.”

In shaping the play as an extended dialogue, Swartz invites the audience to honor their own viewpoints and those of others, and then to re-engage in continued discussion with respect and empathy.

Campus community invited to conversation

Recent performances at Mennonite churches and other locations around the country have often sparked the scheduling of conversation circles and small-group discussion, “sometimes even a few days later to allow people to process it, depending on how the community or congregation wants to handle it,” Swartz says.

91����Ƶ is following this model, hosting a follow-up conversation for campus community members at the Discipleship Center on Monday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m.

Pastor , director of , says the play offers an opportunity for continued dialogue.

“I expect that most people will find their voice, or voices, represented by one or more of the characters in this play such that continued reflection and conversation with others might be prompted,” Burkholder said. “Ideally, this performance will offer a shared experience that encourages ongoing dialogue.”

Play, cast, have connections to campus

“Listening For Grace” has been performed at in Harrisonburg to a packed house of Swartz’s hometown fans.

Yet Swartz says he is delighted to be returning to 91����Ƶ and to Lehman Auditorium, the stage “where I learned to act” while studying theology at .

And it’s fitting that the play returns to campus, where Swartz debuted an early script at a closed reading in the fall of 2013. Since that time, the play morphed dramatically, most notably from an ensemble to a solo cast, and from recorded music to on-stage accompaniment.

Music at the Nov. 3 performance will be provided by pianist Phillip Martin ’13 and celloist Justin Yoder (when Justin is unavailable, 91����Ƶ student Chris Yoder contributes in this role).

Since then, Swartz has avoided directly addressing the death of his friend in his productions, though he has addressed some of his emotions. His newest production, though, “Laughter is Sacred Space,” tackles the issue head-on.

“What we’re hoping that this show will do is open up discussions about mental illness and suicide,” he said.

The topic of depression and suicide – the “unforgivable sin” – isn’t often discussed in the church, says Swartz, a devout Mennonite who initially studied to become a pastor. Ted graduated from in 1992.

But the production is also a sort of “gift” for audience members who felt they got to know Eshleman during his two decades of acting, Swartz said.

“What you’re doing is, you’re revealing yourself from the stage to people and, if you do it well, they feel like they know you,” he said.

Show Complements Book

The show, set for 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14 and 15 at , comprises three parts.

The first covers “what it means to grow up Mennonite,” acting and how the two converged in Swartz’s own life.

The second part examines how he and Eshleman built their company using a humorous, but respectful, approach to the “Biblical story.” In the third part, Swartz delves into the response to his friend’s death, the “anger, grief and guilt.”

The production is a rewrite of an earlier show Swartz had written in 2008. “Laughter is Sacred Space” will debut the same weekend as his book, “Laughter is Sacred Space: The Not-So-Typical Journey of a Mennonite Actor,” is set to be released.

The book, to be published by , the book publishing arm of , will largely complement the show, which Swartz said he hopes to tour for several years.

“The show absolutely stands on its own, but I think, as a companion to the book, it’s really going to make the book fun to read,” Director Ingrid De Sanctis said. “Once you see the show and you read the book, you’re going to go, `Oh, I remember that moment.’ Moments in the book will really come right off the page because you heard Ted’s voice and you saw him perform it.”

While the one-man show covers some pretty sensitive material, it is Swartz’s openness about the topic that makes it such a “moving” production, she said.

“I think anybody’s honest journey is compelling. And what Ted does in this show is he’s really honest about who he is,” said De Sanctis. “And he’s … really, really funny. But I think this is all about … his journey. And he kind of pulls you in …”

Courtesy Daily News Record, August 30, 2012

Soon they will benefit from new state-of-the-art digital media lab space, classrooms and galleries, thanks to a recently funded renovation to 91����Ƶ’s University Commons.

Associate professor Steven D. Johnson interacts with students in a digital media lab during class at 91����Ƶ. 91����Ƶ’s visual and communication arts major is one of the most popular programs offered. Students will soon benefit from updated state-of- the-art labs, part of a recently funded renovation of University Commons at 91����Ƶ. Photo by Matt Gillis

91����Ƶ’s board of trustees, alumni and friends have "stepped up" to provide $2.41 million in cash and pledges for Phase II of the University Commons, reports Kirk Shisler, vice president for advancement.

"It’s an amazing show of support in these uncertain economic times," he says.

Renovation highlights

The overall project includes renovation of the former gymnasium, built in 1957, into two upgraded theater performance spaces and classrooms. This includes a new Mainstage Theater as well as the Lee Eshleman Studio Theater, named in honor of the late artist and actor who was a 1986 graduate.

The popular student coffee house, Common Grounds, will also be expanded in the renovation.

More than 40 students were involved in the spring 2010 mainstage theater production of IOLANTHE by Gilbert & Sullivan and directed by Heidi Winters Vogel, associate professor of theater. 91����Ƶ’s theater department attracts students from across the university to participate in its high quality productions. Coupling updated facilities and technology to the energy of students and faculty will enhance learning and artistic possibilities at 91����Ƶ. Photo by Jon Styer

New studio art gallery

A new student art gallery will be named in honor of Margaret Martin Gehman, retired art faculty member.

Gehman taught and at 91����Ƶ from 1944 until her retirement in 1987. She serves regularly as a volunteer on campus and with other local organizations and has been a long-time strong financial supporter of the university.

She was the first recipient of the eponymous "91����Ƶ Philanthropist of the Year" award from the university in 2005.

Digital media labs key to program

"91����Ƶ offers an excellent digital media program taught by faculty who are experts in the field and is one of the few Christian colleges to offer a full photography major," notes , associate professor of visual and communication arts.

"With increased student demand for our programs, these upgraded labs will advance our goal of teaching students to communicate effectively, passionately and ethically in an increasingly diverse society."

The advanced media lab will be named in memory of former 91����Ƶ trustee and long-time supporter, Kenneth A. Longacre.

Theater core to campus life

91����Ƶ’s theater department attracts students from across the university to participate in its high quality productions. Students are regularly recognized at the Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival for their achievements.

Coupling updated facilities and technology to the energy of students and faculty will enhance learning and artistic possibilities at 91����Ƶ.

"91����Ƶ theater faculty, staff and students have been making amazing art happen in primitive conditions," states Heidi Winters Vogel, theater department chair.

"I am so excited to see what we can do with performance and production spaces that are designed for theater. Watch for it!"

Upcoming theater events in renovated spaces

The first theatrical production in the renovated Main Stage Theater is scheduled for March 2011.

The Lee Eshleman Studio Theater, named in honor of the late artist and actor who was a 1986 graduate, will house key theater events that occur throughout the year like:

• Gonzo Theate, a student-run improv troupe that performs throughout the academic year
• student-directed plays like Anon(ymous)

More info

Renovations began in early May, with completion anticipated in November.

• More about the project
• Phone contact: (540) 432-4200

]]> /now/news/2009/studio-theater-named-in-honor-of-lee-e-eshleman/ Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000 http://www.emu.edu/blog/news/?p=2086 91����Ƶ celebrates the life and work of Lee E. Eshleman, 1963-2007, by naming the University Commons studio theater in his honor. A small gallery at the theater entrance will showcase some of Lee’s art work and photos of him on stage.

Read more…

Often, upon encountering Lee Eshleman, I would bop up to him singing lines from the Bobbettes’ 1957 musical ditty, “Mr. Lee.”

For a long time, he didn’t believe this song existed. So, I finally dubbed a copy for him. He became a believer.

At one point, Lee drew a caricature of me wearing a tie with the point inserted in a record. As I spun it around, the disc played “Louie, Louie, Oh, no . . .”

We talked often about music in those pre-electronic mail days. I saved correspondence in which we went back and forth trying to see how many music groups we could identify with a color in their name, i.e., Moody Blues, Deep Purple, Lemon Pipers, et. al.

That was the inimitable Lee Eshleman of Harrisonburg, Va., a blithe spirit who profoundly influenced my life for nearly 20 years.

Now, Lee is gone at age 43. He lost a long struggle with depression and took his life on May 17 at his home. He left us too soon, and much too fiercely. The quiet is deafening, a loss that defies words.

Lee regularly gave himself in many ways as partner with Ted Swartz as the theatrical duo, Ted and Lee. They had become household names in the Mennonite Church and far beyond as many people came to experience the special treat that their on-stage presence and presentations afforded.

I last saw Ted and Lee together on stage in December 2006 with the incomparable Ingrid DeSanctis and their retelling of the Christmas story, “DoveTale.” I must have seen the play a half dozen times since its premiere; each time, it was a fresh nativity for me.

The on- and off-stage chemistry between Ted and Lee was remarkable. Even more, their material was fresh, imaginative, often slightly askew. They pushed the envelope, but never resorted to denigrating people or employing off-color humor. They had uncanny ability to make biblical characters seem so human, vulnerable and believable in full-length productions like “Fish-Eyes,”

The simple props were in place, lighting and sound were ready and a final run through had taken place earlier in the day for “Live at Jacob’s Ladder,” a musical written by and starring Ted Swartz and Lee Eshleman with composer Ken Medema.

But, the performances scheduled for May 18 and 19 at Eastern Mennonite High School didn’t go on.

Late in the afternoon on afternoon May 17, Lee Eshleman, 43, lost a long struggle with depression and took his life at his Harrisonburg home. He leaves his wife Reagan and children Nicolas, Sarah and Gabe, extended family members and countless friends and fan around the world.

“It feels like there’s a piece of me missing,” said Swartz. “When two appear on the public stage, it diffuses responsibility. There’s a shared attention. Something magical happened in those settings. I think how fortunate we were to have had each other.”

Humble Beginnings

The nearly 20-year-run of the dramatic duo Ted and Lee began inauspiciously enough at Spruce Lake Retreat in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Swartz, then a student in his early 30s at 91����Ƶ, had prepared a series of comedy sketches for a youth leaders gathering at the Franconia Mennonite Conference-sponsored camp.

He wrote the material for two persons, and at the last minute, his partner backed out.

Then 91����Ƶ president Joseph L. Lapp introduced him to Eshleman, a 1986 art graduate of the university who worked part time in the school’s print shop and did graphic design work for 91����Ƶ.

Eshleman agreed to accompany Swartz to Spruce Lake, where their performances met with enthusiastic response. “You guys must have worked together for a long time,” was a recurring comment afterwards. A friendship formed the fall of 1987 evolved into a dramatic partnership, “Ted and Lee Theaterworks.” They began doing comedy sketches that expanded to a full-length production, “The Armadillo Tour.”

Their repertoire broadened to center on works based on biblical characters and events, including “Fish-Eyes,” a dramatic portrayal of two of Christ’s disciples, Peter and Andrew, and “Creation Chronicles,” a fresh look at the book of Genesis.

‘Tender and Kind’

They teamed up with actress Ingrid DeSanctis to a Christmas show called “DoveTale,” presented hundreds of times over the last 10 years.

“Lee taught me to be funny, but beyond that he was so tender and kind, like a brother,” said DeSanctis, currently of Orlando, Fla., where she teaches the arts in a Latino community and is an adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida. “When Lee walked into a room, so much light followed. I was privileged to work on stage with him.”

Ted & Lee performed regularly at retreats and conferences for just about every denomination and were featured performers at national events including DC/LA (for students) and Youth Specialties’ National Youth Workers Conventions. They were scheduled to debut a new production at the biennial general assembly of Mennonite Church USA the first week of July in San Jose, Calif.

Church Roots

Although on the road for weeks at a time, Eshleman remained an active member of Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, where he and Swartz freely shared their creative gifts in worship settings and at the variety show at the church’s annual fall retreat.

On the church’s “Education Sunday” May 5 this year, the duo were part of a special music ensemble that incorporated the names of all 180 children in the congregation.

Although he admitted to some apprehension at doing improvisation, Eshleman was a master of the one-liner, pun and off-the-wall rejoinder. One Sunday at Community, just as he and Swartz were about to do a sketch to introduce the worship theme, the church’s public address system cut loose with screeching feedback. Eshleman looked around and said, “Jimi Hendrix is here.”

Family and Friends Mourn

Eshleman was born Aug. 28, 1963, in Richmond, Va., the son of J. Robert and Rosalie Hartman Eshleman of Midlothian, Va., who survive. Also surviving are a brother, Curtis Eshleman and wife Brigetta Nilsen Eshleman of Lynchburg, Va., a paternal grandmother, Arlene Eshleman of Indiana; and three nieces.

A waiting line out the door of Lindsay Funeral Home and down the sidewalk at a family visitation the evening of May 20 bore testimony to the many lives Eshleman touched. Some 800 mourners attended his memorial service held May 21 at 91����Ƶ. A private burial was held at Eastlawn Memorial Gardens in Harrisonburg earlier in the day.

“Lee loved wrapping laughter around magical moments of God’s grace and presence – he also loved ‘Squirrel Reunions’ and spews,” Swartz said at the memorial service. “He was gifted greatly, flawed greatly, he was greatly human, and he was greatly loved by God and by so many in the world.”

Click here to read more on the effects of suicide…

Contributions

Many people have asked what they can do to help Lee

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Reagan, children, parents, extended family, and the many friends impacted by this tragic loss.

Lee, along with Ted Swartz, a 1989 91����Ƶ graduate, helped thousands of people see the biblical stories in a new light through his work with the comedy duo Ted & Lee.

We all enjoyed much laughter together; now we surround Lee’s family, and their closest friends with our tears and shared grief.

— President Loren Swartzendruber

Service Details

Visitation will be Sunday, May 20, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Lindsey Funeral Home, 473 South Main St., Harrisonburg.

The memorial service will be Monday, May 21, at 2 p.m. in 91����Ƶ’s Lehman Auditorium. All are invited to a reception at the 91����Ƶ dining hall immediately following the memorial service to celebrate Lee’s life and work .

Private burial will precede the memorial service.

Contributions

Memorial contributions in Lee’s honor can be made to Our Community Place, a Harrisonburg community center where Lee and the children recently planted vegetables. Make checks payable to Our Community Place and mail c/o VMBM, 901 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg VA 22802