There was an incredibly bright light last night. Then a loud crack of lightning. It was as if the sun peeked out for a moment in the middle of the darkest storm. And this is how Bob Weber chose to say goodbye to us. I'm certain God was giving Bob a lesson on how to use the heavenly lighting board and Bob thought.... "just for fun I'm going to push this button." Bob was always a showman.
If you have been involved in theater in Central Illinois over the past 25 or so years you have met Bob. I'm certain you have met his incredible bride Jan as well. Gracious, loving, patient, kind, appreciative, devoted... there are many words that define Bob Weber. I'm certain Bob has a full closet or two filled with black pants and t-shirts, the official wardrobe of stage hands. He loved working backstage and helping to create amazing theater.
Bob loved theater. He loved working with men and women and boys and girls and dogs and cats. If you were an actor, he wanted to help you shine bright! He encouraged everyone. I'm certain he never had a bad day at the theater. And he had a way to take dramatic differences and creating art.
I am someone who was in the middle of a few overly dramatic moments in productions I have been involved with. There are times when I wanted to burn bridges to solve problems. And then...there would be Bob to bring me back to earth and help me see my stubbornness was not helping the team get to opening night.
Bob loved opening night. He loved rehearsal. He loved tech week. He loved closing night. He loved strike. He especially loved the cast and crew meals after strike. He loved spending time with actors, and volunteers and parents and staff personnel, and well, Bob loved people.
Bob was so amazingly patient. I am the poster child for "no skills required" when it comes to volunteering for community theater. I have spent the past 17 years as a pupil in the school of Bob Weber. I have learned how to use a table saw, a chop saw, a router from Bob. I have installed windows and doors. Hung libraries from ceilings. I have built rotating stages with Bob. Flew "The Beast" over a flaming pit. Helped Mary Poppins land at center stage, with his guidance. I have built small cities, small houses, and fancy cars under his tutelage. He loved the challenge of figuring out how to build something special.
He was patient especially with all of the volunteers. Before shows, he would mentor many on the art of hanging and focusing lights. Most shows required sets to be hung from the rafters and there was Bob teaching us all how to "fly" the set. Sometimes we had to take out the orchestra pit and sometimes we had to cover the pit up for more stage space. Lots of pieces of the puzzle all needing to be in the perfect place and Bob showing us the way with his road map.
Bob taught us all what upstage and downstage and stage right and stage left means. He taught us to respect the space we were "borrowing" for the week. He taught us to admire and encourage the actors, even if it wasn't their best night. He reminded us we were there for the audience. He taught us to love THEATER. Especially musical theater.
And today I can only think about the things I wish I would have/could have learned from Bob. Even though I have been involved with him for over 35 shows, I feel like I had so much more I could have learned. I always wanted to be a stage manager. I always wanted to program the light board. I should have asked Bob because he would have patiently taught me how to do it.
So I'm eager for the next thunderstorm. I'm confident Bob will be running the light board and it will be spectacular.
Thanks Bob Weber. It has been an honor to be your friend.
