As we hurried about to prepare for Christmas, a quiet Facebook notice showed up in my announcements. It was from a cast member from a show I did in 2015. The show was Harvey and there were eleven of us that shared the stage. On Sunday, one of us passed away.
Over the years I've been involved in several theatrical productions. Even if you work with the same people, each show is different--each cast its own personality. You work toward a goal of making the best show possible for the patrons and for yourself. And by doing so, you make strong friendships that last forever, because you worked, you sacrificed, you endured something together. When bad news hits, the memories of that shared experience return, and it becomes closing night, and you miss them all over again.
Diane Robbins was in the cast of Harvey. She and I had probably the least amount of stage time, but it didn't matter. Diane was a lovely person on stage and off. She always had a smile and for the life of me, I can't remember her saying anything that wasn't positive. Within days of the show closing at the beginning of July, 2015 Diane was in the hospital and the news was not good. Because the show had ended, we no longer saw each other, could no longer encourage and uplift each other in person. That was the hardest part. We received a notice in December 2015 that Diane was in remission--the best news possible.
In the three and a half years since, Diane many times commented on posts or pictures of mine. The last time I saw her was after a show I did this past summer. It was great to see her and give her a hug. On Sunday, we were given the news that she had passed away. The last thing she posted on Facebook was a simple meme, perhaps the most famous words ever written by Charles Dickens. "God bless us, everyone!" How appropriate.
I didn't know Diane as well as others, but I felt a emptiness when I heard the news. Tears have been shed and many more will fall because of her wonderful spirit. Goodnight Diane...the curtain has fallen for the last time and the world's a darker place. Sleep well.
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