About the director
1980's .............................................................. 2005
My name is Vince Rideout - or Vin, or Vinny -- all links connect. I'm a graduate of Gordon College, Wenham, MA (BA, 1977, Bible/theology) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA (M.Div., 1979). Both are evangelical schools, so (big surprise here) I'm an evangelical (born-again) Christian. Having sworn off theological speculation and pop theology years ago, by the grace of God I'm trying to be a really kind and caring person. I need His love and forgiveness, and I'm learning to grant it too. From personal prayer to the Great Commission, the Christian life - what an adventure!
I was a youth pastor for eight years, worked for a publisher, sold Christian T-shirts, and toured and taught in Japan, spending much of the late '90's there. I spent the summer of '97 touring Europe on a Eurail pass like a college kid. And, oh yes, for 18 years I directed "The Team." Now, ten years and ten thousand experiences later, as Frank Costanza said on "Seinfeld," "I'm back, baby!"
Worcester Airport - my father was a pilot ** chicks really dug the tube ** 1999 ** 2003 - still a kid at heart
[1993's "Briar Crest Days" was our ministry's final production. Set in 1979, it followed the adventures and misadventures of four girls during and beyond their time at an exclusive girls' school. This excerpt is Katie's Act II opening monologue.]
KATIE: [offstage mike] In the summer of '79, after graduating from Briar Crest, the four of us got a place together, and worked in Hyannis. Stephanie went out with 22 different guys that summer. One night she took some bad drugs, and we had to take her to the hospital. I sat up with her all night. Brooke started getting into what we now call the New Age -- mostly meditation and Tarot cards. When she lost her virginity our first week there, it made me the butt of jokes for the next three months. Brooke and Tina worked at this trendy clothing store for a woman named Elyse, who was 24, and bought us all the booze and drugs we wanted. We needed her because, by a cruel quirk of fate, we were all still 17, and the drinking age was 18 then. I was the oldest, and I didn't turn 18 until September.
It would be fair to say we overdid the partying that summer, especially Tina. Brooke, Stephanie, and I were all headed off to college in September, but Tina couldn't see her future ... I guess that's why it happened.