Most of you who know about this blog right now don't know the person I'm going to tell you about, but I want you to hear about him anyway. His name is Colin Arrick. He died a few days ago.
Christmas of 2002 and 2003, I was in Cripple Creek, CO, performing the role Thomas Crocket (based on Bob Cratchett) in A Cripple Creek Christmas Carol. Colin played Young Gooch (based on the young Scrooge). I believe Colin was around 15-17 at this time. In the summer of 2003, I believe it was, Colin went to Stagedoor Manor, a "theatre training program" for kids, mostly teens, where I was working as a director and instructor. He took my swordfighting class.
A couple of days ago my friend Chris Armbrister called me and told me the news. He said, even though I don't believe any of us ever knew, that Colin was at risk of epileptic seizures, and that perhaps this was the cause.
Here's what I want you to know about Colin: he was a really good kid. He was very dependable, and was always fun. He was one of our go-to guys if something needed to be covered quickly. I remember when he covered for Chris Sorensen as the voice of Franco the monkey, he did a really good job. He was funny! When he took my swordfighting class, he was the only one I trusted with the weapons. I remember watching him play chess in a coffeeshop with a friend. I remember wondering if he was interested in / dating one of the teenage girls in the cast. I rembember we occasionally gave him a good-spirited hard time, and he gave it to us, too.
It's not right, but then that's not the way the world is. That's something we try to bring to the world. Colin should have gone on to . . . what? Go to college, pursue a dream, fall in love, become a dad, grow old. Maybe he would have become a leader or a teacher or a coach, he certainly had it in him. He was an excellent young man.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
"When life hands you lemons, fling them back as hard as possible." -- Ernst Malby
About Me
Links
- Bay Theatre
- Ford's Theatre
- Olney Theatre
- A Modest Suggestion
- Imagination Stage
- Shakespeare Theatre
- Cumberland Theatre
- Rep Stage
- Taylor Royall Casting
- Central Casting
- Carlyn Davis Casting
- Tecumseh!
- Red Branch Theatre
- Maryland Ensemble Theatre
- Life on the Wicked Stage Act 2
- Peter's MySpace page
- American Mensa
9 comments:
Peter, I just read your post about Colin Arrick. The loss of someone so young and so talented is doubly tragic. Please accept my condolences, and pass them along to the rest of Colin's friends.
I just found your article about my nephew Colin. I never knew that he had touched so many lives. I never knew that he was loved by so many until I attended his funeral on Monday, May 30th. His loss has affected our family a great deal and just to find an article written about him by searching "google" makes the loss a little more bearable. You will never know how much your words helped today, when we are back home from Colorado and trying to make sense of this. I plan to forward this on to his parents and brothers, if they don't already know about it.
Peter, thank you and your readers [Tina :)] so much for your kind comments about our son. Colin did indeed have epilepsy, and died instantly Friday morning 5-26-06 from a massive seizure. The coroner said it was like a bolt of lightning in his brain - fortunately, he was unconscious from the seizure itself and did not feel pain or linger waiting for help to arrive. Colin felt, from the onset, that he was not "normal" because he had to take medication, despite our argument that 99.9% of people are normal BECAUSE they take their medication! His choice was to go without it, which worked for 3 years, until the past few months. My husband, our other 3 sons and I would like to make a point to other readers who may be epileptic or know someone who is: taking your meds is SO important, even if you are 21 years old and invincible. Colin definitely made his mark in this world - always an actor's goal - but we are so sorry to see him off the stage so soon. Again, thank you for your great memories, I would love to hear more - I will be watching this spot!
Oh, and I forgot to tell you that Colin's oldest brother Matt takes credit for Colin's swordfighting abilities. Matt trained all his brothers and now his 6 year old son as Jedi Knights - so Colin had an advantage from the beginning!!
i wanted to say thank you for saying such nice things about Colin...He was my boyfriend...He really was an amazing guy and i did hope to share some of the things that you hoped for colin with him. I loved him with all my heart and i'm pretty sure he felt the same.. so something was fulfilled. I also had the pleasure of doing the christmas show with him and hearing his stories of you... and he did practice with his "weapons" alot.. meaning wraping paper tubes or his littl plastic light sabers..hehe...so i just wanted to say thank you one more time for writing this it is a wonderful thing knowing how many people he touched.. all over.. so thank you !
~Samantha
My name is Karen Brewer. I was Colins boss at Arby's in Tulsa. I just heard today about Colin. Colin was there with me the night I saw a soldier standing in front of me at Arby's telling me that my son had been killed in Iraq. My heart goes out to Colin's family and loved ones, but to his parents especially. I know the pain they are going through and will forever endure. Colin was a good person and I know he is resting in the arms of God now and at peace. God bless you all. Karen Brewer (herosmomk@aol.com)
Dear Peter. I am Colin's dad. We met when you were here in Cripple Creek for the shows. Until I read your site I was unaware that you had also been one of the instructors. I knew that he had been in the swordfighting class but am now even more tickled that you were his instructor. I am also glad that you have all your limbs intact. Thank you for the time you spent with him and the encouragement you handed to him. The celebration of his life we did on Monday was extraordinary. Even today, I am receiving words from others about how Colin touched their lives. I want all of you to know what an impact you made on his life. I can't tell you how many times he recounted a tale about so many people on his brief journey. As a parent I always worried about raising my children right. This past weekend I realized I wasn't perfect but I did something right with all my boys. Thank you again, Peter. You are proof positive that no matter who you are, you have an effect on someone's life around you.
Hi. I just read a notice in the Lyons, Nebraska newspaper about Colin. I instantly was reminded of the kid with the black eye in my first grade class who lived down the street. Even though I'm a little late knowing the news, I know some of the best memories of the Lyons-Decatur Class of 2003 were from the first years of elementary school. I know all of us who remember him have his family in our thoughts. I don't think any of us stayed in touch with him, but that doesn't mean we don't remember him.
Hi - this is Krys, Colin's mom. (I forgot my password so I'm "anonymous" today!) It's a gray rainy day here in Colorado and I'm feeling lonesome for Colin (as I do everyday) and decided to check out the website again just to see what is new. Rhea, I remember you!! I'm so glad to hear from you - I have been trying to remember some of the names of Colin's classmates in Lyons. Maybe you could remind me of them? I am so thankful for the folks who have written and continue to write, even now when the shock of his death has worn off for most of us. I miss him so much everyday, but I have a hard time crying. We have had 2 wonderful services for Colin - one here in Cripple Creek at the Butte Opera House that he loved so much, and one just last weekend in central Nebraska where his ashes were buried next to his stillborn baby brother Jonathan. Yeah, we've been down this mourning road before, and it was so awful the first time that I feel like I'm holding those emotions back so as not to relive that devastating place in my head again. Anyway, I'm really glad to see that Colin is still in the memories of so many
and Rhea, it is great to know that you cared enough to write. Looking forward to hearing from you again! krys
Post a Comment