Don Evans Saved My Life

Byeager Blackwell Seelig (Bernadette Yeager)
Head of Productions
Israeli Opera
Tel Aviv, Israel

Don Evans saved my life!  I remember our first encounter.  It was Princeton High School in the 60s and Don’s first year of teaching at the School.  These were also the days when the brothers use to pat the sisters on their behinds while walking down the hall.  Well, on this particular day, one of my school mates, name was Babe Boy, patted me on my behind.  I took my right hand and without looking grabbed his “you know what.” When I finally turned around, it was not Babe Boy that I was holding but the new teacher on the block, Don Evans.

Don recognized my potential right away…I was rather wild and brassy so he took me aside one day and said, hey, why don’t you come up to the Youth Center after school, I may have something that will interest you…at the time the only thing that kept my concentration after five minutes were the male species.  Well, I went to the Center thinking there might be some fine University brothers hanging around. Don immediately put a play in my hand and asked me to read the role of  (and now I am embarrassed as I do not remember the name of the play or the character, I think it was Tommy something) but it was the lead and I am listed as creating the role – the original…can someone remind me…it was so so many years ago.  But one thing happened for sure – I was hooked!!! Not so much in acting but in the process of theater.  My life turned around…I went on to Trenton State and graduated with high honors.

Since Trenton State I have always worked in theater – today, I am Head of Productions at the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, Israel.  I have lived here since 1987.  For the many people that I knew at TSC, I apologize for my disappearance act – I have no excuse but I would love to be in touch again and hope that you will let me back into the family.  Gloria Dickinson – are you at TSC?  I think of you often.

My love and gratitude for Don is very deep and in his death I share your grief and pain.

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