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Near the end of the run of 12th Night, Ed's last Shakespeare production, he stopped me in the lobby and said he wanted me to play Macbeth in 2022. Normally I would have jumped at such an opportunity. During rehearsals we'd had a dust up and I was, for the first time in 25 years, the focus of some of Ed's classic New York terms of endearments related to certain physical acts that were, well, not something I'd ever done or would enjoy doing. But Ed knew what to do to bring me back again. So I said yes with Ed directing it and we'd also decided to do Taming of the Shrew. Ed was finishing his annual Christmas show and said we'd hammer out the details when he closed. I saw him the Monday after he closed and three days later Ed was gone. 

 

It's difficult to write that much less believe Ed Claudio, a larger than life character that his beloved Shakespeare would have loved, is gone. 

 

We all deal with loss differently. Many of the students in his production of 12th Night decided we would put up his planned 2022 shows. So here we are with the Scottish play. 

 

This final class of Ed's students are all exceptional people and they were the perfect group to see Ed through what turned out to be his final chapter. On his last day, they stood outside his apartment holding candles in his honor. They loved him, cared for him, and most important of all, accepted every singular aspect of Ed with a smile, a shrug, and a laugh. They've worked hard to bring this play to life and I know Ed would be proud of each of them.