Monday evening I performed only my second staged reading, this one of the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Harvey” with Hickory Community Theatre. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, it’s a delightful comedy, world-renowned by Jimmy Stewart’s performance as Elwood P. Dowd. I won’t go into any detail about the play, but ultimately the show reminds you of a kindness inherent in us all that we often shadow with self-indulgence and societal and cultural have-to-dos. It boils down to the golden rule, the human spirit, and the good-naturedness we should all be about. I was personally reminded of a particular man’s benevolence after the performance.

Prior to the show, I rode up on a curb on my way to the theater. I didn’t give it a second thought. Sure enough, after the reading, I noticed I had a flat tire. To top things off, it began to rain and the parking lot was far from well-lit. I thought everyone else had gone. As I was greasing up and getting wet in my khakis (trying to harness what little tire-changing skills I possess), a car pulled around, rescuing my eyes with its headlights. Out stepped Charles Jeffers.

It was late. I knew Jeff had his wife with him. I encouraged him to leave but he insisted they stay and give me a hand. For the next 15 minutes, while Suzy so patiently waited in the car, Jeff stood with me in the rain doing what he could to keep me company and help change my tire. He talked about the time he flattened a tire in Europe and I talked about my honeymoon. It dawned on me during our conversation that this was the second time in my life that Jeff lent a helping hand.

In June or July of ’99, my wife and I were in mid-move. Our roommate was not packed and had been staying somewhere unknown to us and we had to be out of our apartment that day. Our roommate had been doing a play under Jeff’s direction at the time so we thought he might have an idea of where we could reach her. He didn’t, but not only did he stay with me on the phone for 45 minutes, studying phone book maps of the area in an attempt to track her down off some ideas I had, but Jeff also offered to shelter her stuff in his home! I hardly knew the man, he hardly knew me yet he was willing to go to such an extreme for me and my wife. Did I mention he had a hand in allowing my wife and I to wed on stage in his theater? Unbelievable.

We don’t know one another very well. I worked under his direction once in Larry Shue’s “The Foreigner” and briefly helped stage manage “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Jeff is someone I respect and I hope to leave half the legacy he continues to leave behind as an artist and good samaritan. If you haven’t met Jeff, but you do, allow him to give you one of his cards. If you should want to call him – call him at this number. Don’t call him at that one. That’s the old one. (from Harvey)

Thanks, Jeff.

Jeff Hartman
Artistic Director

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September 28, 2000

Dear, Jeff!

You made me cry... with joy. What a lovely tribute to a lovely man... and you’re not too bad yourself! You have some awesome talents, among which are goodness and friendship.

Love,

Suzie

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September 28, 2000

Jeffrey,

When you can, pass the favor on. It will come back to you a blissful blanket. Thank you.

Our love,

Jeff (aka Charles)

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August 20, 2015

To Jeff about “Jeff”:

Looking for a Hickory Arts announcement just now, came across this tribute to Charles “Jeff” Jeffers and it made me cry — again. Lord, how we/I miss that man. Find myself saying, “Ohhhh, wish Jeff could’ve been here for this (opening of newest Lowe’s) — he loved shopping and eating and cooking and Boyd George.” He’d love the new store. And then there are the good moments in theatre I want to tell him about or questions I want to ask — and he’s gone. And Suzy’s gone! Cheez! And A-aron! And THERE’S NOBODY — nobody TO TAKE THEIR PLACES!

Jeff had a genius for casting (Note: His last show, "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”) and Suzy was my mentor — pointing out roles to look at for the upcoming season. One of the most stupid things I ever did was not take a Shakespeare course under her at LR! And she was witty, charming, disarming — even when she was very, very sick.

God Bless!

Norma