Bric Barker

Bric Barker is one of my favorite people in all the world. I just haven't seen him in person in years, though we correspond via e-mail.

I first met Bric when he called me asking if I needed a music reviewer. Or a theater reviewer. It turned out that we couldn't use him as a theater reviewer because he was a performer. We could use him as a music reviewer and he did several reviews of Columbus Symphony Orchestra concerts.

He also wrote some stories for me, including interviews with guest artists at the now defunct Southeastern Music Festival. I remember him raving about a young cellist named Andres Diaz. Andres, of course, is the son of Manuel and Betty Anne Diaz. He's now considered to be one of the top cellists in the world.

Bric also started an Oscar party every year. After he left Columbus to start a job in South Florida, I continued the tradition. I kept it up for years. Then I got tired and quit. I may have to start up again.

In 1990, he started having meetings to start a new theater. He called it The Human Experience Theatre.

T.H.E. Theatre started at the Loft. The Loft back in those days, isn't what it is today. The only thing it presented was T.H.E.'s shows. Then owner Buddy Nelms started booking musicians. And it turned out to be such a success that Bric had to find another space. He found it right across the street.

He left, but left the theater in good hands. His good friend Stephen Sisson took over as artistic director and the theater continued its quality programming.

After Stephen left, things started to badly for T.H.E. A few years ago, it finally folded.

For those of you who weren't around then, you should have seen some those early productions. The signature piece was "Turn in Your Hymnal," which was written by Bric. He and Mike Daughtry starred.

Two of my favorite shows produced there were "T-Bone and Weasel" and "Angry Housewives."

Bric came back to Georgia and went back to college to get his master's degree.

Then he got this idea that he'd like to travel. To do that, he decided to teach English as a second language. He went to Korea, then Egypt, Lebanon and Korea again.

His young daughter, Persephone, went with him. It turned out that young Miss P. spent more time overseas than in the United States.

Bric just left for another teaching position, this time in Taiwan. Miss P. who just graduated from high school, married her high school sweetheart this summer and for the first time, Bric is alone.

But he says he's doing well and he loves the kids he's teaching.

I'm so glad he's doing well. And I'm glad he got to see Troy Heard produce "Turn in Your Hymnal" before he left for Taiwan.

Bric, your Warrior Mistress misses you!