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Laughter Is Sacred Space: The Not-So-Typical Journey Of A Mennonite Actor (2000)

by Ted Swartz(Favorite Author)

4.08 of 5 Votes: 5

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English

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review 1: As usual I received this book from GoodReads as part of a giveaway. Also as usual, despite the very kind and generous consideration of getting a free book, I give my candid opinions below.This book is the autobiographical romp of Ted Swartz, an actor for small-scale religious theatre as one of the duo "Ted and Lee" (Don't look for him on IMDB as you just won't find him). Ted takes us on a decades long journey through his life as a Mennonite actor but this reader notes that there's really not much of the Mennonite side of things represented. Sure it comes up when choosing his material but the issues, joys and rewards of life as a traveling actor that this book puts on display are doubtless universal no matter who your audience is. At about two-thirds of the way through, ... morethe book turns intensely personal as Ted deals with through the suicide of his long-time partner in the act.Swartz's writing in this novel is at times intimate and at times approaching the comical. Other reviewers have noted the novel's humor but I don't really see it. His take on things is sometimes off-beat but generally falls short of humorous. The last section of the book is achingly personal and one really feels for him; he represents his state of mind well as he deals with that terrible loss.With every book I read I try to draw some larger truth from it, some life lesson. This volume offers many. We see the author moving on after a grave loss, of a friend and work partner all in one. Half his life's work simply vanishes one day. Yet he carries on. To those who have experienced loss he is a great example. Alternatively, when you look at this title initially the words that jump out are "Mennonite Actor". I'll admit that when I hear the word Mennonite I consider those backwards-looking women in the grocery store with their heads covered. One can easily fall into the trap of believing that they have fortified themselves completely and live in a world separate from our own. Swartz' work here demonstrates the opposing reality; we really are much more the same than we ever would think. Ted's problems on the road traveling from town to town really aren't all that different from Guns and Roses (though doubtless his rider is a bit different).Pondering who to pass this book along to next, clearly there's a niche market for those that have heard of "Ted and Lee" but more than that I think it has a lot to say about loss. Religion isn't really the heart of Ted's story. Fundamentally he's dealing with this sudden Lee-shaped hole in his life. Anyone can benefit from that example.In summary, Ted Swartz has presented us with a wonderfully honest view of his life from the joys to the pains. I won't say that it's the most riveting thing I've ever read but it is filled with an honesty and a soul that you won't often find.
review 2: I expected something different based on the title. Not having ever heard of Ted Swartz, I was judging this book by its cover. A Mennonite chomping on a stogie is not something I see every day. I suppose I was thinking that he would be some sort of Sam Kinnison-- I'm religious but I'm not, in fact, I'm WAY not.I loved the Monty Python hook. I was much more interested in the book once I could hear Ted & Lee performing as John Cleese and Eric Idle. It was fascinating to watch how they turned a bawdy style like that into something cleaner and more wholesome. Through most of the book I was amused by the laughter angle of the story.The use of Lee's suicide (not a spoiler) as foreshadowing was seductive for me, to say the least. I couldn't imagine how a book with such a title could use a suicide to offset humor and even to accentuate it. While Ted was giving me a glimpse into an actor's backstage, I was frequently pleading with him to just get to the part about the death. I wanted to know more about it, to see how he lived through it, to see how he got back to the humor. And while this book held my attention all the way up to the end, I was looking for a different ending, a little more in the way of 'things are great now!' I felt like the journey needed more of an ending and what Ted gave me was, 'the journey never ends. I'm hoping it continues to improve and I'd like to thank..." It was not the tightly packaged Hollywood ending I expected (and which I would normally hate), but this was real life and I wanted Ted to be happier in the end than I think he was.All in all, this is a great book. It wanders a bit here and there, but that's life and that's why I entered the First Reads contest to get a copy of this book in the first place-- for a little real life drama. (Yeah, I won this in a First Reads Giveaway). It's a 5 star book, but the ending for me was 4 star because I wanted more laughter at the end. Sorry Ted, I feel for you and I truly appreciate this work of art. I wish you a five star ending in real life. less

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