Last night I attended the most beautiful exchange of love that I have witnessed in my life.  I have known these two men for 30 years and they have been a couple for 34 years.  I met Nick at Virginia Shakespeare Festival in 1983.  He was playing Sir Andrew Aguecheek and I was playing Maria in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.  It is the only production that has ever been staged where Maria and Sir Andrew were having an affair of the heart.  Unfortunate for Sir Toby Belch, but no one liked him very much.  I fell in love immediately with this big, wonderful man from Montana.  My heart broke a bit when I found out about Tim and I was a little bit jealous.  The summer was magical on so many levels.  We played on Virginia beach, we went dancing, we hemmed costumes, we worked on lines, we skinny dipped in a hotel pool (I think I am not making this up), we learned to juggle scarves, we went to a water park (leaving with scrapes and bruises), we played on boats, and we explored everything that could possibly be fun. We discovered that we liked to go onstage to warm up before a show.  It was just Nick and I and there were nights when we would sing and dance together - our favorite was "I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair".  Nick could spin me around and make me feel as light as air.  When I was with him my feet didn't seem to touch the ground.   He became my confidante and when it was clear that he was hooked on Tim, he became my dearest friend and brother.

We stayed connected after that summer and found ourselves once again acting together at Champlain Shakespeare Festival in Burlington, Vermont (1986).   I was planning my wedding at the end of that summer.  Of course Nick and Martin (the costumer) planned a surprise bachelorette party.  They brought me in on some pretense and I was totally surprised as the whole company started giving me presents (obscene underwear and toys).   Nick literally picked me up and held me upside down.  It was amazing.

That evening I laughed until I couldn't laugh any more and I wasn't sure that was possible, but I was aching from laughing.  It was the best party I have ever had in my honor - it was truly amazing on every level.  The Supremes turned up and I thought I was going to pass out from laughing.  I'm not exactly sure which part Nick played in the wedding (Vince thinks he was the Best Man), but what I remember is the brown paper towel he handed me when I started crying during his beautiful reading from Henry V.  I was actually sobbing and needed to blow my nose and I did on that hard brown paper towel from the school toilet and I was so thankful for it.  He made my heart swell that day as I looked into his eyes and realized what a friend I had made in Nick Olcott and how very blessed I was to have him in my life.  I told Nick that I married Vince because he was the closest to Nick that I was ever likely to meet, and if you look closely (not at the height) you will see the resemblance.

Nick and I went to the Edinburgh fringe and performed "Talley's Folly" which was so stressful and there was a moment that I was terrified that I had lost my friend over this folly - doesn't that sound ridiculous.  It does to me now, but I had made a poor choice to bring a friend over to direct and he was useless - that was the beginning of the problem.  The second issue was that my husband was the producer of the event and I felt responsible for its success.  Nick was fabulous and it was wonderful to play opposite him but all of these things were putting a damper on the fun aspect of doing the show in Scotland at this amazing event.  Finally after several days of trying to get people to see the show,  Nick made it clear that he was in Edinburgh and was going to enjoy Edinburgh despite how many people came to see our show.  I knew he was right, but the guilt was overwhelming.    It was a little turbulent but our relationship recovered.

My second son was named after Nick - there are so many things that he has influenced in my life and so many times that I have wanted his advice and hug.  I am hoping that in our retirement, we may find our way back onto the stage again to play.  I dream of that.

Back to last night.  Nick and Tim closed their union in the eyes of Maryland and last night was their celebration of that event.  They exchanged rings in front of 100 guests and I was privileged and truly honored to be in that room which was filled with so much love.  They have travelled the planet between the two of them and there were guests from all over the globe - all remarkable people who have been touched by these two men.  There was not a dry eye in the place when Tim told us how for over 30 years he has asked Nick to marry him on a daily basis and for over 30 years his heart raced when Nick said here and now.  It was an evening that I will cherish - thank goodness the state of Maryland (along with my voting son Kelston) did the right thing.