Our fifth ’71 Zoom meeting was on Tuesday, October 20. This time you sat back and enjoyed performances from our professional and amateur performers. It was a welcome break from the stress of the times.  Gordie Clapp, Bob Eyre, Bruce MacNelly, and Denman Maroney hosted a program titled “Our ’71 Performers and their Back Stories.”  Gordie, Bob, Bruce, and Denman performed for us (what a treat!!) and discussed how they got into performing or playing and why they keep at it.

Our panelists:

Gordie Clapp has no intention of retiring. Actors never retire. Their parts just get smaller (their roles, Gordie would say). After graduation, he joined a children’s theatre and summer-stock group for a short time and then wandered the continent for 40 years. He returned to New England in 2014 and lives in Vermont when he is not on Broadway or at one of several regional theaters he has been frequenting. Gordie is best known for his role as Det. Greg Medavoy for 12 seasons on NYPD Blue, winning an Emmy in 1998. 

Bob Eyre retired in July 2019 after a 40-year career in urological surgery, both in academic and private settings. Bob studied the piano (from age 3) and several other instruments until he entered Williams. At Williams, he played tuba in the Berkshire Symphony, Vermont State Symphony, and Brass Ensemble ( which he conducted during Irwin Shainman’s sabbatical) and was involved in AMT musicals (with Gordie Clapp). He played very rarely for the next 45 years but has now taken it up again in retirement. While teaching a Winter Study at Williams this past January, he presented an all-Debussy special.

Bruce MacNelly is an architect on Martha’s Vineyard. He has been playing guitar, solo and in groups, since his time at Williams, and currently plays freely improvised music for a dance troupe on the Vineyard.

Denman Maroney has a web page at http://www.denmanmaroney.com