By Rob Peck, Festival Workshops Coordinator

 

I begin with huge appreciation and heartfelt thanks to Holly Martinez, my right hand

woman at the festival without whom the workshops would never have been so well attended. It was Holly who stayed up late writing the next day's offerings on posterboard, meticulously highlighting last-minute room or instructor changes, and making additions and deletions.

 

From her first phone call from Florida when she "just checked in" to see if I "could use a little help" until the last day of the festival, Holly proved a thoughtful and patient listener, lowering my anxiety level to a mild panic. Overall, Holly had the most consistent "can do" positive attitude of anyone I've ever been around.

 

I also offer gratitude to Dave Finnigan who, from the time around 1979 when I first heard of the IJA, has long played a pivotal role in making the workshops an integral and inspirational part of our annual festival. From the beginning, Dave applied considerable energy and vision to increasing the number of offerings and up­grading the quality of the instruction.

 

Likewise, only now do I truly understand the enormous expenditure of time, thought and caring Mike Vondruska has been quietly pouring into this position. Mike almost single­handedly consolidated and systematized previous procedures for workshop leader selection, contact, scheduling, intros, copying of printed handouts, evaluation forms, etc. Mike made it his business to organize it all!

 

To say that he took me under his wing is an understatement. The man practically hatched me! If it weren't for his clear instructions, sam­ple schedule grids, prototype evaluations, etc., 1995 workshops would have been a crap shoot even Las Vegas would have found daunting!

 

Likewise I am indebted to the many kindred spirits who pitched in and volunteered their good ideas, ran errands, and spared me from having to spend four hours a day behind the workshop table. There were enough of us so that nobody had to cover any 'spreads' longer than an hour. I'm particularly pleased and grateful that several 'big name" jugglers like Brian Patz, Eric Wenokor,Jeff Napier (and others I'm forgetting) cared enough to serve in such an unsplashy capacity.

 

Naturally I offer a big Vegas-style standing "O" to all workshop leaders. In my first year on the job as coordinator I hit the jackpot in scheduling folks who suggested interesting topics, showed up on time and often had a printed handout. I'm especially grateful to those like Terry Kimpling, Stuart Celarier, Bill Coad, Dave Finnigan, Kit Summers, Ken Sprano, Jahnathan Whitfield, Myron Wilcox, Jill Westover and Mike Vondruska who agreed to teach the same workshop twice. Then there's Todd Strong, who upped the ante and did dice-stacking three times!

 

Kudos to all the folks like Dick Franco, Tony Duncan, Sam Kilbourn, Mark Allen and Wendy Harms who noted the need for either a first or a follow-up workshop and were flexible, gen­erous and resourceful in providing one.

 

Thanks also to the "pros" like Michael Goudeau, Ngaio Bealum, Dan Bennett and Dan Menendez who pitched in to make the comedy writing workshop fly. Honorable mention as well to Henrik Bothe, Ken Sprano, Eric Cumberland and the team of Steve Aldrich and Mike Sullivan who stepped for­ward in the clutch to pinch hit for M.I.A. workshop leaders. Last but not least, hats off to Alexis Lee for taking the initiative to pull to­gether a women's forum.

 

Likewise I feel lucky that so many IJA'ers stepped forward to lead interesting workshops in everything from "Dice Stacking" to "Casino Survival" and "Currency Folding." (Coincidence? Nah!) Specifically I'd like to welcome and encourage repeat offerings from first-timers Chris Julian, John "Unicyclone" Foss, Bruce "Boppo" Tiemann, Paul Klimek, Corinne Ozolins, John Phipps, Linda Peck, and the seemingly indefatigable and buoyant Donald Grant. Similarly my sincere appreciation to returnees such as the Butterfly Man (a.k.a. Robert Nelson) Frankie "Nasal Floss" Olivier, Eric Wenokor, Arthur Lewbel, Mike John, Don Olney and Dale Oliver. Finally I want to be sure to recognize and applaud Bill Giduz, Dan Holzman, Martin Frost and others who have been graciously devoting their time and expertise year after year.

 

Alas, the tangible rewards service seem to be decreasing in a manner directly disproportionate to the services rendered. To wit, the official thank you has gone from a $25 honorarium several years ago to a golf shirt last year to a baseball cap this year! Hey, if we're lucky maybe next year we'll get an official lJA key chain!

 

Ah, well! Hats off to you all! I hope very much you'll continue to share your ideas and feedback with me, and your talents with jugglers and would-be jugglers everywhere.