Pat Madsen was an amazingly gifted educator, and long immersed in theatre, it was a gift to be in her line of vision, although, at that time in my life.. I’d no idea what I wanted to do.. And so, even though our final for the course was to be a completed 1 Act play.. I lagged on the homework. Until the fateful day when Pat, looking down the long table at which the class was held, saw me scribbling away at her having asked us to be prepared to read out the “pivotal monologue” of our main character; she added to the alert, directly to me.. “Mr. Minter, you’ve had plenty of time to have this assignment done. When we come to you, you’ll just have to read what you’ve got.”

The reading came down the line of classmates, to me, and I read what I’d written. There was what seemed like an eternity of silence. And quite in her own tempo, Pat said down the table – “If you have to put yourself under that kind of pressure to do what you do, then keep doing it.”

..and.. what I heard was, ‘you got away with it’.

In the first playwriting class I ever had, which was in my 2nd year at college.. unbeknownst to me, my culminating work was submitted: to the Intercollegiate Play Writing Competition. And won first prize. It was submitted by Pat. And ‘First Prize’: a full production, and the opportunity to follow what that work trail experience was.

..my journey though… had a bit of an ‘aside’ at that point.

My first life was in restaurants, then directly into the ranks of management in hospitality, at Hyatt Hotels, Sheraton Hotel, and Four Season Hotel..

It was a side-track that gave me all kinds of insight and awareness of -people; in ‘real’ conversation - as opposed to ‘social’ communicating; honesty, as opposed to facile side stepping, when a seated guest was pitted between a colleague.. or a partner.. or, an evening’s pleasure, of any kind.

..thing is, when you’re a waiter – no one pays attention to you; as it’s your job to know who’s in charge at the meal, and facilitate their reign there, neatly aware of the others in the group, but always, always, focused on that one person. And in doing that, you feel and hear and witness, all the vagaries, half-truths, greys, and impunity, of people.. speaking words, as meaty as a meal in itself..

Fish to water, I was thrilled. And was learning something about dialogue; although, I didn’t know I was learning anything- but a complete ease of manner, observation, and adroitness in anticipating needs.

This was also a period when there wasn’t a dearth of people of color in upper hotel management, and suddenly, at the right place, at the right time, I was swiftly embraced, full hug, in the timely need for ‘upward’ diversity.

That was a ten year side-step.. -oddly, when I really account for myself, things happen in ten year stretches..

..-so ten years; hotels.

At the close of which, I was in DC, facing my next correct career move anticipated as loping up into Corporate.. -and a timely shiver hit me.. as an encroaching internal debate of unease.. as I allowed myself to feel what I hadn’t fully noticed.. Time, passing. And that I might have ‘missed the boat’ of my life; I could do hotels in my sleep.. but what I was suddenly aware that I wasn’t so certain about, was whether or not the play ..that play.. -was a fluke, or-..

Once realising that, there was nothing else to do. I left hotels; sold everything I had; and leapt into another 10 year journey, in London..