I didn’t have a lot of defining moments in college. Probably my fault. One defining moment I did have, however, was seeing Curt Cloninger perform. Curt is an actor and a storyteller and extremely talented. I remember at the time thinking he reminded me of Robin Williams somewhat. Both times I got to see him perform he did a piece about people who encountered Jesus while he was alive. It moved me to no end - and I’m not always the first guy to be moved by stuff like that.
I actually had the privilege of picking Mr. Cloninger up at the airport when he performed at my college and taking him to dinner - which lead to me doing something stupid and awkward that I still get embarrassed about today when I think about it.
I hadn’t thought about Mr. Cloninger’s performances in years - but today, looking online for a video piece for a weekend service, I found his site - and I realized what a powerful influence his work had been on me. Any acting or dramatic writing I’ve done over the past fifteen years no doubt has a touch of Mr. Cloninger in it - perceivable or not.
