Circular No 1044

 

Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

Caracas, 8 February of 2022. No. 1044

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Dear Friends,

With this issue we star a long exchange with many correspondent Oldboys

This part 1 is followed by the following

Part 2 issue 1048

Part 3 issue 1049

Part 4 issue 1050

Part 5 issue 1051

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On Sunday, January 23, 2022, GEORGE MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net> wrote:

Photo                Richard Clerk, Rafael Echeverria, J.Fernandez, Miss Myling Achong, Michael J. de Verteuil, Miss A. Rostant, Peter Tang, Don Mitchell, Allan Apo, Micheal Azar. Squatting Robert Azar.

Hey Don, St Joseph Ladies, and AS/MSB Brothers

Good Morning Brothers,

An invitation to each one of us to share our “artistic gifts” in the realm of the stages at AS/MSB, Broadway, West London, POS, Sydney Opera House, the other theaters around our world and/or our local community theaters. 

Some potential topics to share:

Do you remember of any plays that you saw at our school?...if yes, please share your memories/recollections…..I recall one around 1957 with Isaias Farcheg in it; do not remember its name.  Isaias Farcheg; RIP Nov 2021 from Covid

Did you act or were part of any production at our school?...not moi

Did you follow this passion to your university/college days?....not moi

Did you actually make it to the “big stage “somewhere (get the hint, West Side Story), sometime?

I did not but have the honour to know the son of a Cuban friend who has been successful on Broadway and other stages in the USA.

How about your family members/friends/acquaintances?

If you have their e-mail addresses, please share this note with some of the cast of:  A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS who are not included in this note:  Richard Clerk, Rafael Echeerria, J Fernandez, Mis Myling Achong, Mis A Rostant, Petre Tang, Don Mitchell, Allan Apo, Micheal Azar.

Squatting Robert Azar.  Sadly Robert Azar (RIP DEC 2020) is no longer with us.

Good Morning, St Joseph Trini Alumnae.  If possible, please share this note with one of your following potential classmates:  Miss Myling Achong, Miss A Rostant.

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Hey Don,

Responding to your comments of a few weeks ago when we were sharing our AS/MSB memories of pictures/movies on Saturday nights. 

You wrote:

“There are photos somewhere of the school play, A Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt. 

It was put on in the large hall above the Refectory, where Saturday films were also shown.  

For a very short period of time, probably in about the year 1962, I was a member of our school amateur theatrical society.  

I no longer remember what the society was called or who was the drama coach.

I do remember that I played the Duke of Norfolk, while MJB De Verteuil was Sir Thomas More.

If I remember, Baby Joe was The Common Man, while Pricilla Farfan was Margaret More.

A Chinese young lady was Alice More, but her name slips me.

I think Paul Zeven played Henry VIII.

I can no longer recall who played Thomas Cromwell or any of the other parts.

I don’t believe I was very convincing, as I was never asked to volunteer for another play.”

There has been some feedback:

This play was probably presented in 1963 or thereafter as I graduated in 1962.

This play was not presented in my time (1956-1962).

It appears that Priscilla Farfan did not take part in this production per your note below.

Below are some of your related recollections/sharings extracted from the Circulars.

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Another event that happened at the Mount, by Don Mitchell

Hi Ladislao,

I do remember the play.

It was "A Man for All Seasons" written by the British playwright Robert Bolt.

I do not remember all the roles or details.

The year must have been 1962 or 1963.

I believe that I played the part of the Duke of Norfolk, some sort of a judge at the trial of Moore, but it has been a long time and, though years later I saw the movie, I cannot remember for certain.

M. J. de Verteuil played Moore with gusto and conviction, and Robert Azar, I believe, played the cowardly Richard Rich. Michael, I believe, played his competitor as Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey.

I cannot recall who played Henry VIII or Roper, the son in law, or the other parts.

For me, the most memorable thing about the play was that two lovely young women, a Fanfan and a Myling, played Moore's wife and daughter.

I do not recall the school ever before having allowed girls to act in a school play.

The two ladies were so lovely, I recall, that each evening when practice finished, all the windows of the school were stuffed with young male faces peering out for a glimpse of them as they got into the cars that came to collect them.

They came from a convent in St Augustine to practice for several evenings after school.

It must have been a terrifying experience for the two of them, but they carried it off with style and panache.

I knew then and for all time that women were superior beings to men.

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The following was taken from Mount Inside April 1964:

DRAMATICS

Sometime in May the curtain will once again go up as the College presents “A Man For All Seasons”; under the direction of Brother Oswald.

The play is a study of the feud which rose between Sir Thomas More and King the Eight of England.

The part of King Henry, a rather crude young man; is fittingly taken by Paul Zeven, who we remember has acted in the last few plays.

The part of More is taken by M.J. de Verteuil and that of the “Common Man” by R. Azar who seems at home in this type character.

The Duke of Norfolk is played by D. Mitchell;

Cromwell by M. Azar;

William Roper, More´s son in law, by P.Tang;

Richard Rich by R. Clerk;

Cardinal Wolsey by J. Fernandez; and

Archbishop Crammer becomes an American in A. Apo.

The part of the Spanish Ambassador is portrayed by R. Echeverria and his attendant by N. Smith.

St. Joseph Convent has again provided for the female characters.

Alice, More´s wife, is played by A. Rostant;

The woman, by P. Warfe; and

Meg, More´s daughter by M. Achong.

Names left right for the second photo:  Robert Azar, Richard Clerk, Michael Azar, Don Mitchell, Allan Apo.

As you can see there is a discrepancy in the names that I have and the recount in Mount Inside.

King Henry or Paul Zeven,

N. Smith, the Ambassador´s attendant and Miss P. Warfe the other woman.

I would like to correct the name list.  Who remembers?

Also, it would be interesting to hear from the actors on this matter.

Anyone knows the whereabouts of any of the actors??

Please be extra careful and stay healthy, safe and sound,

George Mickiewicz (AS-MSB 1956-1962)

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Nigel Boos <nigelboos@gmail.com>

Fri, 24 Dec 2021

Mike,

Thank you for this sad bit of information. Gerard and I were distant cousins, but this is the first news I’ve had of his death.

May his soul and the sous of the faithful departed ret forever in peace.

Nigel

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On Dec 23, 2021, <alwaysmsh@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Nigel.

Sorry to hear.

I understand that Gerard Gioanetti also passed away on the 18^th from Liver Cancer.

We are certainly getting fewer and fewer.

Take care.

All the best to you and yours.

Mike.

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GEOFFREY GOLDING <geoffreygolding@rogers.com>

Thu, 9 Sept 2021

Hi Ladislao,

I am not in touch with Egan.

I see Nigel Boos from time to time.

He is about two hours from me.

He had some health issue about a year ago but haven't seen him since the pandemic early last year.

Spoke to Richard Galt a couple of time last year.

He lives in Naples, Florida but haven't seen him since Mount!

Geoff

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Michael Howard, alwaysmsh@gmail.com

Hi Michael

Good to hear that you have written to Don.

Yes, I am still sending out these tidy bity information 

As you can see it is No. 1031, we are over the thousand barrier.

How are you doing?

Can you give me any news like a CV from our time at the mount??

Also, I am going to make a class 1960 special edition.

We have lost 25% of our group, to better pastures.

Can you help?

Lost the emails of Nylon and Michael Herrera, hope that they are well.

God bless

Ladislao

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idmitch@anguillanet.com

Fri, 13 Aug 2021

Maggie and I are taking our lives into our hands in the riskiest way.

On Sunday I turn 75. 

Tomorrow, we set off on a one week cruise from St Maarten to Barbados, Curacao, and Aruba, before heading back to St Maarten.

If this Delta variant continues to surge, we may well find ourselves cut off from re-entering Anguilla when we return to St Maarten.

Yesterday, they announced ten new cases of Covid in Anguilla after weeks of being virus free.

Self-isolation and quarantine for several days for everyone entering Anguilla for the foreseeable future has resumed.

The next step may well be shutting down the ports again!

Foolhardy of us, I know.

But any risk is better than remaining at home and having to organise another 300-person birthday party.

We are too old for that.

Keep well,

Don

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EDITED by Ladislao Kertesz, kertesz11@yahoo.com, if you would like to subscribe for a whole year and be in the circular’s mailing list or if you would like to mention any old boy that you would like to include, write to me.

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Photos:

10LK9662FBCDEFAM, Cornel de Freites

63MD0010PLAYSEASONS, A man of all seasons

63MD0011PLAYSEASONS, A man of all seasons

10RD8782RDA, Roland D´abadie