It’s been the subject of the Retro Pic(s) of the Day before and it is again — summer theater at The Barn in Rumson.
It was a place for local talent to gather, hone theatrical skills, have a lot of summer fun and entertain the masses in Monmouth County to boot.
One of the shows produced in the summer of 1977, which thrust lots of arts-thirsty area teens into myriad rehearsals and onto a stage, was Bye Bye Birdie.
As told in our last piece on The Barn, many RFH students were in the cast of the show. And one area resident who played Albert Peterson — the English teacher, no less — broke his leg during rehearsals.
That was Jim Ortlieb, who was a familiar face on stage at The Barn Theater back in the day and now someone you’ve probably since seen in a Broadway show (most recently the Of Mice and Men revival with James Franco) and many a commercial, TV or movie role.
While Jimmy may have taken the old “break a leg” theater credo a little too seriously, it just may have been a timely career mend for him.
It was actually the time that he decided to pursue acting professionally.
“See the cast on my foot?” he said in a Barn Facebook post. “I broke my foot playing soccer the previous week, the loan for college didn’t come through and Lois offered me $50 a weekend (when we performed) to work there. I had a long conversation with friends Rick Gerhman and Rich Ludlum (actor and musical director) the night the show closed, Bye Bye Birdie, and decided that all of these were a sign that I should go into theatre.”
Jim was one of quite a few who made that choice at the place where it all started when it all started. (Though it may have been at a cast party at Rick’s that this conversation took hold. That’s what I recall, anyway.) He truly broke a leg at The Barn.
The show went on, Jim Ortlieb’s leg healed and his and others’ talents flourished — a number of RFH grads included.
The memories of that summer and just about any other time spent at The Barn have stuck, like the angelic rasp in proprietor Lois McDonald’s voice, with many.
Check out the photos from Birdie above. Recognize anyone from the R-FH area? Well, for one, there are two Elaines — yours truly Van Develde, of Fair Haven, and Kraft, of Rumson. Then, in the photo of the chorus, it looks like Sally Quinn center stage. And somewhere in there were RFHers Mark, Paul, Nan and Patrick Hughes, Billy Brisley, Libby Anderson, Steve Blackman and Kevin Carpenter. Who else? There are more.
Oh, and check out the little peek of Lois McDonald and the concession stand with The Barn t-shirt hanging in the background of Jim on his crutches.
Here’s to “summering” at The Barn!