All I really need to know about how to be and what to do and how to live I learned from Aaron Lewis. Wisdom was not written in schoolbooks, but was scattered amongst the nails and screws of the sets.As Recorded by Lea Hepler, August 1995

Start every day with a coffee break and a smile. A good party is worth a thousand people. Every now and then, clean up after yourself. Every now and then. Everyone is entitled to their own obsession. Actors are only there to stand in front of the scenery. Know your cue to exit stage right. Happiness comes before money. Love thy shot glass as thyself. If at first you don’t succeed, try again. If that doesn’t work, try a different way. If that doesn’t work, make someone else do it. Never lose your temper with someone who’s trying to help. A dog really can be man’s best friend. Laugh at least once every five minutes. Life is a box of chocolates, and what you do with the jellies is the true test of character. Always reward someone for a job well done. Fashion is a statement of who you are, and not of what’s in style. Youth is a state of mind and not an age. Find out what works and go with it. The last mocha coffee is always reserved for the tech director. Greet your boss with a smile. Take life with a grain of salt… And a slice of lemon and a shot of tequila. Keep yourself informed. Never put off your “paper” work. Prepare for the worst. Hope for the best. Dishes can be classified as “clean” if they’ve been washed in the last 30 days. With time, patience, and a good stiff drink, you can do practically anything. Love is a wonderful thing – but sometimes it’s just gotta go on the back burner. Always do your best, no matter what. The more complex the problem, the greater the need for the simplicity of a dirty joke. Always know where your tool is. A good story is worth telling a thousand times. Work with someone through a difficult situation and you’re friends for life. Everyone has their own job. Do yours and not someone else’s. Old dogs learn new tricks all the time. Offer help, and ask for help, when it is needed. Keep your head when problems overwhelm you, and everything will eventually work out. No one should ever forget their wild reckless days. You have to know how to talk to people. Cuss a stubbed toe but never a volunteer. You have to know how to talk to your equipment. Cuss the lights but be nice to the sink. Nothing is impossible. Some things are just more improbable without a good tech crew. When you have someone to talk to, all the work goes faster. Flush. Always pronounce names correctly. Be aware of the world around you—the sky, the birds, the grass. And watch out for dog mess. Righty tighty, lefty loosey. One learns more in one day at the theatre than in one year at school. Eat right. Live clean. Exercise. Die anyway. No one ever had any fun around saints. If you mess up, it’s your job to fix it. And finally, do what you love and love what you do. Artwork by Eric Stafford “Too many good memories to share, so, of course, I’ll try. Papa Pepe Hernandez, Senex, the oldest man (to name a few). Plus, he directed the first show to sell out all 504 seats at Newton-Conover Auditorium, “Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got the Will?” I remember him as a good friend, always willing to play Brooke to my Erica and a piano student who never practiced!” — John Coffey, June 10, 2015