In Memoriam: Richard Averbuch, Director of CAST
May 3, 2023
by Mark Seiber
BOLLI has a long and proud tradition of performing live theater. As one example, Scene-iors, an informal drama club started by Eileen Mitchell and Becky Meyers, evolved into a series of more formal study groups culminating every semester in full-length, one-act plays performed in the Turner Street Gathering Space. During fall semesters many members also participated in the CAST (Creative Acting, Storytelling and Theater Group) Special Interest Group, with a focus on short scenes.
Then, three and a half years ago Richard Averbuch burst upon the scene. A quiet and gentle man, Richard had a strong background in theater performance and education. In the fall of 2019, he assumed leadership of CAST and began to direct members in weekly exercises in performing scenes and improvisation. He also started an improvisation group outside of BOLLI which many CAST members subsequently joined. Members gathered with Richard at 60 Turner Street in March 2020 to prepare for a live performance of A.R. Gurney’s The Cocktail Hour. But a few days later, COVID hit, BOLLI went virtual, and CAST was on hiatus.
CAST regrouped that fall, and members decided to perform ten scenes from another Gurney play, The Dining Room, though this time with rehearsals and performances taking place on Zoom, a technology previously unknown to any of us (including Richard). Over the course of the semester, Richard became proficient in the new platform and gave us a master class in how to effectively perform on Zoom. Among his teachings: “Look straight ahead; wait for your fellow scene-mate to finish speaking before you start; listen actively and react with facial expressions and tone of voice; and focus on the key transitions within a scene.”
Members of CAST meet on Zoom.
While we initially planned to send recorded scenes to BOLLI members as email attachments, Richard determined that theater copyright laws made this practice legally uncertain. After overcoming a few technical issues, we ultimately delivered a successful and gratifying virtual live performance via Zoom. Since that time, Richard has led us through four additional semesters of performances from various plays – comedies, dramas, and everything in between.
Richard always spent time in the early weeks of rehearsal giving very detailed comments and suggestions. Along with our weekly Friday morning get-togethers, he would always make himself available for separate scene rehearsals during the week. In the last few weeks leading up to the dress rehearsal, he would fine-tune our scenes and somehow get more out of each of us than we knew we had to give.
As COVID gradually withdrew, Richard would always say how much he wanted to return to live performing. But caution led us to remain on Zoom, which at least had the advantage of allowing a few CAST members — and much of our audience — to participate who, due to continuing COVID restrictions, might otherwise not have been able to do so.
The last time many of us saw Richard in person was last August during a CAST party under a tent behind 60 Turner Street, where we read selections from our favorite plays. Richard was later able to resume the improvisation group in person, and we began the spring semester with a great set of scenes and much hope for future performances. Sadly, these weren’t to be. Richard was having trouble speaking and had to bow out near the end of March. We knew he was having health issues, but it was still a great shock and surprise to us all to learn of his death on April 25.
As a tribute to our treasured leader, here are paraphrased lyrics from the great tribute song, “Leader of the Band” by Dan Fogelberg, another wonderful artist taken from us much too soon.
“His gentle means of sculpting scenes — and actors — took us years to understand.”
“We are a living legacy to the leader of the CAST.”