Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Many, but certainly not all, of you are aware that for 33 years I, with my wife Jan by my side, was the owner, manager, and producer of the Deck House Restaurant and Cabaret Theater, a largely summer seasonal enterprise, first in Bass Harbor and then in Southwest Harbor. That enterprise matched up well with my teaching career at MDIHS (Language Arts) and my early contributions to supporting Jan, a researcher for 46 years at JAX, in her efforts with Alstrom Syndrome International (ASI), a 501 (c) (3) charity established to treat and cure Alstrom Syndrome, a horrific and rare genetic disorder that impacts every cell, every organ, and every system in an affected individual’s body.
The restaurant was staffed with young and very talented singers, dancers, actors, mimes, story tellers and puppeteers, drawn initially from the talent pool here on Mt. Desert Island but later expanding to the whole country and, indeed, beyond to the world. Many will remember the early days with Laurie Beal, Susie Homer, Randy Reed, Susan Grindle, Lajla Stromholt, Barry Fernald, Jeff Newman, Michael Kelly, Robert Salsbury, Jackson Gilman, Andrew Periale, Justine Barcley, Marianne Miro and
many more. Today, a great many Players are or have appeared on Broadway, sung with the Metro- politan Opera, or toured the world sharing their gifts.
When Jan died this past September, a number of former Players (Laurie Beal, Annie Leonardi-Merchant, Jackie Bachman, Frank Bachman, Valerie LaPointe, Amy Gwinn-Becker, and Danny Williams) stepped up to the honor of performing at Jan’s memorial service held in the Amphitheater at Camp Beech Cliff. John Tercyak, a longtime friend and supporter, also performed and provided accompaniment. Those in attendance included many Alstrom patients and families, Jan’s colleagues from The Laboratory, our nuclear family members, and many, many friends and longtime admirers from the community-at-large.
As is common, many of the related branches of this large, all-inclusive family, could not attend, and one of my enterprising Players suggested the possibility of pursuing a Deck House reunion, for which Jan herself had advocated the past few years. Based on an enthusiastic response, the possibility and then the likelihood and then the reality of a Benefit Concert to honor Jan and to support ASI’s research efforts was born.
COME TO THE CABARET
– In Honor of Jan D. Marshall to Benefit Alstrom Syndrome Inter- national – will be performed Monday, July 3 at Camp Beech Cliff at 7:00 PM.
The concert will be preceded by some hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar beginning at 5:30 PM which also affords time to peruse and place bids on a number of silent auction items. Tickets to attend are $25.00. They are available in advance at
cometothecabaret.eventbrite.com or at the door. All proceeds will benefit Alstrom Syndrome research efforts!
4th Alstrom Syndrome International Family Conference – May, 2004 – Bar Harbor, Maine US
HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE! [Camp Beech Cliff, 264 Beech Hill Road, Mt. Desert, ME USA]
Thanks for the memories!
Rob Marshall and the Deck House Players
