Frank Caselli

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Tony Caselli

When I was about 13 or so, the year before I could Officially go bow-hunting with my dad, he took me up to hunting camp with him, to learn the ropes. I sat in the hunting blind with him, in the woods, no one around for what seemed to be miles. My instructions from Dad: “If you see a deer, quietly and slowly tap my hand, and just point.” We sat there for what seemed like forever, breathing quietly together and, suddenly, I saw gently coming around a nearby tree… A deer. With my father’s instructions firmly in my head, I leapt to my feet and pointed and shouted at the top of my voice “LOOK! A DEER! DAD!! A DEER!! GET IT! GET IT! THERE IT GOES!! GET IT!!”

When my dad managed to catch his breath, with tears streaming down his cheeks from laughing so hard, he got up from the ground and hugged me tight. “Okay. We’ll work on that later. Right now, though, there are no more deer around for a couple miles, so let’s head back to camp and see if your Grandpa has lunch ready.”

When I was in High School, almost ready to finish my junior year, my dad asked me “So. Any thoughts on college?” I looked at him, and hesitated. Here was my dad. A pipefitter for Ford Motor. He worked a hard, dirty job. A man’s job. He had started working at 16, to provide for his family when his dad died, and he hadn’t stopped. I took a deep breath and, prepared to be talked to about life choices and responsibility, said “I think I want to go to college for theatre.” He blinked, looked at me for a beat, and said “Do you think you can make a living at it?” I said “I really think I can.” He nodded, and said “Ok. Then your mother and I will help in any way we can.”

And that was that.

Last year, I got sick. I went into the hospital, into a coma. The week that happened, my mom and dad basically moved into the hospital room with me. No one knew if I would live. The whole hospital stay was almost 3 months long, I was unconscious for most of it.

Partway through, they told my Dad “You can go for a night, get a good night’s sleep somewhere and come back tomorrow. We’ll be here.” He said back to them “I leave when he does.”

And he did.

My dad, Frank Caselli, passed away yesterday. He was my friend, my hero, and my role model. I pray that I can be for my kids even a fraction of what he was for me. I will miss him more than I can say. I love you Dad.

An Odd Anniversary

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Tony Caselli

It was one year ago today that I collapsed at home, and my wife rushed me to the hospital. We didn’t know it at the time, but bacterial meningitis was attacking and swelling my brain, and the 19th of January started a hospital stay that wouldn’t end until almost 3 months later, on April 1st. I’ll be posting a couple more anniversaries like this, because it’s important to me that I don’t forget.

So. A year ago. It’s so odd. I sit here in my bedroom right now, typing this, and I vividly remember collapsing on the floor *right there*, just a few feet away, in the doorway to our bedroom bathroom. Scared the hell out of our teenagers. What a difference a year makes.

So much stuff to celebrate today. I’m feeling MUCH better than I was then. I’m back to work now, spending a lot of quality family time, working on several projects I love.

In a couple of weeks, in fact, we open The Best Brothers at Williamston Theatre, which I’m in! I haven’t talked about it here, but it’s a fabulous script, and I’m thrilled to be in it with my pal John Lepard, being directed by the wonderful Lynn Lammers. Because of my health I was a little unsure of taking it on, but I’ve been blessed with a good recovery (among other things!), and the process has been terrific.

Here are some pictures from yesterday at rehearsal:

Today was a great day to celebrate being alive! I got to go out to breakfast with my wife and kids, did some script work to prep for rehearsal tomorrow, recorded a podcast, and relaxed. A fantastic day.

So, on an odd anniversary, let me take a minute to say a couple of things: First, thanks for reading this. Second, take a minute to think about a handful of things you’re thankful for. Some of those, I expect, will be the people in your life. Remember to tell them. Don’t wait. Tell them.

And celebrate everything!

Because You Can

Posted on December 28, 2014 by Tony Caselli

I love this picture. It just reminds me of the amazing-ness of the world, and the people in it. It’s also a great reminder, a gentle prod, saying “What did you do today? Who did you help? What did you create?” God knows, those reminders are useful. They are for me, anyway. The last couple of months have been busy – new season at the theatre, the holidays, teenaged kids and their crazy schedules, and still a lot of doctor appointments and trying to get more in shape and healthy and re-defining “normal” after the Comapalooza of a year we had around here.

As busy as everything’s been, I still find myself wondering if I’m doing enough. I mean, the schedule says so, but the question is “Is it enough of the RIGHT stuff?” There’s no question – after this year, I really am looking at life differently. This is a second chance. Right now, every day is a bonus. A mulligan. What will that lead to? I don’t know yet. But I’m looking forward to discovering more of the answer!

What if…

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Tony Caselli

Giving Thanks…So Many Thanks

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Tony Caselli

Today, I got to celebrate Thanksgiving with family. I got to chat on the phone and text or email with more family, and a ton of friends.

Right now, as the night winds down, we are relaxing at home. We had a great dinner at my in-laws, then the four of us came back here and watched a movie. Now Jeanne is at the table, working on a beautiful wooden jigsaw puzzle she got as a gift. Max is playing a game online with some of his buddies from school, laughing and yelling as they talk to each other over their headsets. Maggie had a workout and is just about to fall asleep…and I am thinking about how thankful I am to have had today.

Lord, I’m thankful to have been here for this day. I’m thankful for my wife and children, my parents and brother and sister, nephews, nieces, aunts and uncles. I’m thankful for all my in-laws, all of my amazing co-workers, my incredible friends, the wonderful “Team Tony”, and the skilled, dedicated, compassionate doctors and nurses and health-care professionals of St. Joe’s Hospital who very literally saved my life.

I’m thankful for a career I love, and the theatre I get to help run, and the people who support it. I’m thankful for the giant pile of leaves that we should’ve gotten to by now, but didn’t, and thankful for the wonderful way they smell and crunch and blow in the wind and I know that in the Spring they’ll be a mess to clean up…and I’m even thankful for that.

This list could go on until my fingers wear out from typing. Baseball, podcasting for Golden Spiral Media with my pal Joe, Prince’s new albums, directing one of my best friends in a beautiful play this week, my new coat, the pot of coffee my fabulous wife leaves for me every morning, the little jokes that only she and I will get, seeing my kids knock everyone’s socks off in their school play and being the proudest father to walk the planet.

Life. I am so thankful for life. And for the second chance at it. And for the clarity that there is joy to be found everywhere, and reasons to celebrate everything if you allow yourself to recognize and embrace them.

Thanks, Universe…for helping me remember that every day is worthy of giving thanks.

November 1st. Another Day To Celebrate The Amazingness of People!

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Tony Caselli

I can’t believe it’s November already! This month has flown by, and I’ve only posted a couple of times. Where did October go?

This evening my lovely wife Jeanne and I had a wonderful night relaxing and playing cards with friends, and I realized that it was the first of the month, which means it’s officially been 7 months since I was released from the hospital. It’s still amazing to me how it can feel like all of that hospital business happened a hundred years ago, and at the same time feel like it was just yesterday. Such a weird thing!

Such a great month, October was. I feel like I’m getting my strength back, but following doctor’s orders and trying to not push too hard or do too much. Today, in fact, was one of the hardest physically that I’ve had. The amazing Pastor Joe showed up in our yard this morning, leaf blower and rake in tow. “I noticed driving by yesterday that you guys had a lotta leaves, and you’ve had a tough year, I thought I’d help out. I needed something to do today anyway.”

Well, our acre lot has over 20 giant old trees, and “a lotta leaves” is an understatement. Jeanne and I had just been discussing how to approach them this year, because I know I don’t have the strength yet to do two weekends of raking and tarping and dragging and burning yet. Once again, though, we’re reminded of how amazingly kind and generous the people in our lives are. I couldn’t let Pastor Joe work out there by himself, though, so I grabbed my gear and joined him. That 2-hours-plus of leaf work was the best workout I’ve had in months! Still, I was no match for Pastor Joe. When I finally just couldn’t hold the leaf up blower any more, I hugged and thanked Joe, and went inside to collapse into a nap.

He got SO much more done, and we’re so thankful. Jeanne sent him home later with lunch and a fresh baked apple-crisp. Now, as I’m in bed typing, about to fall asleep, I’m thinking of the kids sleeping in their beds, a beautiful Fall day, the simple wonderfulness of a day of yard work given by a selfless soul, and a gentle evening catching up with friends.

The Universe gave us some challenges this year. I’m so grateful, though, for getting through them… and that getting through them helped strengthen our ability to recognize the magic in days like today!

Silver Lining Number EleventySeventeen-B

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Tony Caselli

This whole being in a coma, coming out of a coma and being prescribed a LOT of regularly taken medicine has REALLY improved my ability to swallow a whole handful of pills at once!

Hmmmm. Yeah…now that I’m thinking that through, it sounds less good…

Ah, well. Celebrate Everything, right?!

Today….and getting here

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Tony Caselli

Today is my 6 month anniversary of being out of the hospital.

It was also the first day I went completely without a cane to help me walk since getting out of the hospital.

This weekend I got to go to NYC. Along with Emily Sutton-Smith, I was there representing Williamston Theatre. We, with 11 other companies from all over the country, were awarded National Theatre Company Grants by the American Theatre Wing, and the award ceremony was Monday night. It was pretty darned awesome. Humbling, amazing and inspiring. Being there with the other theatre artists, talking and sharing and getting to know each other, was a wonderful experience – one that I think will lead to friendships and opportunities for years to come.

While we were there, it was amazing to think of how we got there. The way my year has gone, if you’d told me 6 months ago that I would be walking around New York, I’m not sure I would’ve believed you. To go from hospital bed to onstage accepting that award is still a little hard to believe. But it’s more than that: it’s a journey of 10 years. I recently celebrated another milestone: 10 years ago last month I said goodbye to my full-time job at one theatre and started work with 3 good friends to create our own theatre. One that we hoped would become our home. And here we are. This week is Opening Night of Season 9, and American Theatre Wing honored us as one of the most promising companies in the country. That’s a pretty neat thing. I think, though, the best part was that Em and I weren’t there alone. Over the years we’ve worked with some established NYC professionals, as well as many students who went on to NYC to continue their careers. Several of them joined us on Monday to celebrate, as a family, as our theatre took a nice step forward…and THAT was awesome. To know how much our family has grown, to be a part of something that’s become much bigger than the four of us sitting around a coffee shop dreaming dreams.

So, today. Here we are. I have to say, I don’t know 10 years ago, or 6 months ago, that I could’ve predicted what today would be.

I’m awfully grateful for what it is, though.