How I got hooked on theatre: Eric Schaeffer

I grew up in a small town in the middle of Amish Country in Pennsylvania. There wasn’t much to do other than ride your bike, go to the pool or count cows.  So we had a first grade teacher named Mr. Reid Lessig – who just loved the theatre.  He would put on plays in our community park for two nights every summer.  

We did South Pacific and had a floating island on the park pond.  For Calamity Jane, we had a real donkey that Calamity made her first entrance on (although the donkey got more applause than she did.)  And then one Saturday morning, Reid called my house and told my parents he was taking a few kids to New York City to see a Broadway matinee and we’d be home that night.  I was only 15 but I was very excited to go to NYC for the first time.  We all piled in his van and headed to NYC which was only two hours away.  

I remember the first show he took us to was West Side Story starring Debbie Allen.  I had seen the movie but never the stage show.  I still can see the ribbons falling as the music began for the “Dance at the Gym.”  It was electric.  It was this feeling of joy and excitement. It was like nothing I ever witnessed.  Suddenly everyone came charging, the ribbons flew out and we were magically transported to the gym.  Pure theatre magic. 

Moments like that leave a lasting impression on you and fill your love of the theatre.   So West Side Story would have to be the show but Reid Lessig made an impression on me as I was growing up. And we made many a return trip to see more shows from Barnum to On the Twentieth Century. 

It sure was a better time than counting cows!

For this “How I Got Hooked” series, we are asking people who have dedicated their lives to theatre to tell us, in their own words, what performance or person first kindled their passion.  If you would like to be part of this series, email us.

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