David Andrew Quinn 1957-2023
You ask me about stories.... Hmmmmm, where shall I begin with a man who was the best friend anyone could ever have. Surely you have dirt on him, he cannot be AWL that nice? Well when we met, we were 2 clueless freshman at DRURY College trying to navigate a new freedom, a new way of life. But along that journey we found our way and that was magical--it is called FUN! Just All-American type stuff with in-jokes and quips that would confound or make people laugh.
As I reminisce about my friend who I loved like a brother, I can only find solace in the fact that his sun shined on me oh so bright. He gave me strength and support to carry on in difficult times in my life. He was genuine in his concern for me as I was for him. Dave supported me in the productions at DRURY that us Troupers worked so hard on to get it right. We wanted to be the best; we were proud of our artistic journey. Some of us went on become an educator par excellence, caring and guiding students in their pursuit of a dream. Just as we were mentored at DRURY. Huge kudos to those professors, like Dr. Padberg, who gave us a leash to "do our thing" and learn from the good and bad. Some of us also worked in our profession at its highest level. there wasn't a day that I would go through the stage door at a Broadway Theater that I wished that you AWL could have been at my side. The DRURY Theater experience is what gave me an upper hand; yes I had talent, but I was clever like Dave to let my "sun shine" on those around me. Your talent gets you the interview, but personality keeps you working. Who wants to hang around a "Loser", as Dave and I would say. We liked being with powerful energy and above all those who love to have FUN.
Dave was so supportive of me as I worked in New York City. He visited me a few times; once with Kim, another with Madi and also for Melissa and my wedding. We would try to see shows together and I always suggested ones that I thought he might enjoy. I was so glad that he could see the standards set for a Broadway show. One day I brought him to a Design Studio to see "the process". He said he felt like it made him a better educator; I agree even from my perspective as and instructor and NYU. I was bringing Broadway to the classroom, while teaching on lower Broadway. I am sure Dave's students will always remember him for his fun and clever approach to imparting his knowledge in the classroom. He told me one time that a student stopped his lecture to ask him to go back to "should". Apparently the student was having a hard time keeping up. Dave said, "Should? What do you mean? Do you think this stuff is written down scripted!" My other fun story from the early days of teaching none majors in core credit classes, they would always ask us how to spell the word "Theater". My stock answer was write on the chalk board (no dry erase board at that time)-Thee-ATE-Or. And they wrote it down as so. Dave had his own derivation of this spelling but I cannot recall it but just as phonetically funny.
WE used to laugh and joke about things so much that those around us would not know what was fact or fiction. It was derived from watching Woody Allen Movies.
In fact the one thing that connected us was "Love and Death" a Woody Allen movie. He was reciting lines from that movie in our first Introduction to Drama class with Gail Spillman in the basement Studio of Pearson Hall. I threw them right back to him and that was it--the "keystone" combination began. As we walked to the Navy Building after class, which he knew where it was, we spied Van Epperson kneeling on the lawn tying his shoe lace. He asked us "where is the Navy Building?" WE looked at each other and laughed. WE told Van to follow us, almost like a scene out of Animal House, where Bluto, says "sure come on in!" Let the party begin, in the portals of a very odd space to house a college academic department. We were on our way to the first Stagecraft class with Lou Ramirez or "Cheech" as some of us called him. Even at that point in our friendship we had an inside joke, "where is the Navy building?" Do you know you could blind fold me and take me into that building and I would know where I was by the smell. It wasn't bad, it had a smell. But don't drink the water out of the water fountain. Dave said it had bugs in it.
Yes we had monikers for people and had fun with it. Like the guy in our dorm in Graduate School who looked like a Norman Rockwell model, WE called him, "the Norman Rockwell Poster Child". Then there was these 2 guys who thought they were such ladies men and a bit overweight due to "drinking heavily"; so we called them "Slim and Trim". It was and always will be our joke, no harm, just fun, something for us to laugh about while studying or working on a production.
Here is a very little unknown fact about "Dr. Quinn" (funny story about a student in his Grad Assistant Class of Intro to Theatre who thought he had a Phd)--he was a very talented baseball player at DRURY. He was an amazing power hitter and was an Allstar his Senior year. He could hit the ball anywhere and he could field like a Ozzie Smith. Damn good arm too. Our freshman year I played shortstop and he was second baseman--a real keystone combo for sure. We both loved to shag flies after dinner on the lawn of Sunderland field. We did the same in Graduate School; pre homework stress release and a bit of closing around.
What was really funny is this guy would hang up his dirty clothes in the closet. One time I asked him about it and he said, "it keeps them cleaner". H mmm, What wisdom, he said "at least they don't get wrinkled if you are running low on clothes to wear."
We used to laugh and laugh about the "2-towel theory". You have 2 towels and you use one a day while the other is drying out. Saves on laundry time. He even added that "bit" into Beyond Friendship script. By the way his towels were green, as was his bedspread.
Speaking of that play, he wrote loosely based on our lives in the dorm, okay there was some truthful moments. He wrote from his experience, his view, made me examine who I was back in the day. I directed it. He came for a residency as guest artist and we honed and crafted that script while in rehearsal--"a work in progress". I thought it would be a great experience for the students and I selfishly got time to spend with my buddy. One night we were doing a scene and it just didn't ring true. He had approached that scene as if it happened off stage and then we see the aftermath like in a Sophoclean tragedy--cue the eccyclema. I said to Dave after the rehearsal and the cast is gone, we need to see that scene on stage, it is a pivotal moment in the character's growth. If you knew Dave he could get a bit argumentative, I get it, I wouldn't want to revise my Scenic designs much but it has to happen in order to support the story-telling. So he went back to his suite in Findlay Student Center. That night he wrote a new scene which we then incorporated into the show. AND, it worked magically. "My Boy!" he was amazing, what a talented writer.
Okay why would you send your child to school with badly fitting pajamas? Dave had these pajamas that almost fell off his ass every night because they were either too big, old and stretched out or knowing him he was too cheap to buy new ones. Hmmmm new pajamas or a vanilla shake, which is more important. And who wears long sleeve pajamas dude!?! I had boxer shorts and a t-shirt, that was my "mtp" approved sleepwear. Which meant I could wear the t-shirt I had on during the day at night, thus creating less laundry. Another one of our rationalities in battling the laundry task in those horrible machines downstairs.
Dave at DRURY couldn't have weighed more that 150 pounds. Where as I was weighing in at 165-170. I was the middleweight to his featherweight. One of our fondest childhood memories was the afternoon special about "Fatty and Skinny" 2 japanese boys who were friends. We both loved and identified with that story.
I could go on and on here, I won't. His body of work and student outreach speaks volumes and has touched so many lives with optimism and hope. Something our modern world needs today. I will leave you with this one thing WE used to do at night after the lights were off and we were in our beds. I shared this with his daughter Madi--thought of it last night as I was going to bed. He would turn off the lights as his bed was next to the door and light switch, mine across the room next to the window. I would say, "good night Dave", he would say "good night Todd" then we would then go through the routine at the end of every Walton TV show. We would finally end with good night "John Boy". Many times we would throw in other names like class mates in school or theater participants, "Good Night Pacheco, good night Richard Roby, good night Bennett, good night Danny Lay, good night Dixie Lee Hyatt"--and on and on giggling like 2 school girls at a sleep over.
Dave Andrew Quinn I will look forward to seeing you in heaven and we can continue to have fun and discuss the merits of wearing our undershorts inside out on alternate days. Or is it better to go to breakfast early on Sunday Morning and then hang around and each Brunch. Or go back to the dorm and sleep for an hour. I have my alarm set for the crack of noon, Bro!
Until then I will miss you so very much, my friend.
I am Todd Potter and I approve of this message.
and remember
"Patches we are depending on you son"
Stay tuned for the adventures of "Barfo the Clown"
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