The Old Town Temecula Community Theater was just as former theater manager Bruce A. Beers always loved to see it.
Guests mingle during an intermission at A Tribute to Bruce A. Beers memorial that included a production of all of Beers' artistic favorites. (Kerri S. Mabee/SWRNN)
It was packed, designated with overflow seating, and filled with friends, families and patrons paying tribute to theater and to the man who dedicated his life to its stewardship.
Beers, who died recently after complications from surgery, may have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of praise for the longtime patron of the arts.
But, one thing is certain, he would have loved the show.
Artists and actors, musicians and dancers each took to the stage to showcase all of Beers’ favorites — a jazzy rendition of “What a Difference a Day Makes” sung by Sherry Williams backed by the All Star Big Band, a mesmerizing performance of “Movement One, La Lumiere Lointaine de Nuit” by Kara Wuchner and Kate Presita-Schaub on flute and Susan Myamonto on piano, and performances by Patti Drew of the Temecula Valley Players, and the BARE Dance Company and more.
Speakers ranged from the emotional to the humorous, including Beers’ brother Bob, who joked, “When Bruce left, he took with him the entire electrical grid for 1.4 million homes in San Diego.”
World renowned jazz vocalist Sherry Williams said that in his time as the first theater manager to grow Temecula’s fledgling arts community, Beers “created a safe haven for artists.”
And Beers’ wife Susan McLaughlin, who shared personal memories about Beers’ love of theater, sailing and his family, noted proudly that Beers had saved the lives of others through organ donation.
As guests mingled, they were asked to write love notes to Beers that will be compiled in a scrapbook by family and donations were accepted for a sculpture that is planned in honor of Beers for the theater’s outdoor courtyard.
Kerri S. Mabee can be reached at kerri.mabee@swrnn.com. Follow me on Twitter @kerrimabee.
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If more people were as generous as Bruce A Beers, we wouldn’t have over 50% of Americans waiting for organ transplants dying each year. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans bury or cremate 20,000 transplantable organs every year. There are now over 112,000 people on the National Transplant Waiting List.
There is a simple way to put a big dent in the organ shortage – give donated organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die.
Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren’t willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.
Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at http://www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition. LifeSharers has over 14,700 members, including 1765 members in California.
Please contact Dave Undis, Executive Director of LifeSharers, if your readers would like to learn more about our innovative approach to increasing the number of organ donors. He can arrange interviews with some of our local members if you’re interested. His email address is daveundis@lifesharers.org. His phone number is 615-351-8622.
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