It was ten years ago that Central Florida lost an entertainer who was both a force and a friend – Paul Wegman. In Issue 21.10, we published an article that was a tribute to Wegman’s life and legacy.
Several readers took to the comments section to post their own memories of Miss P. Read what they had to say after the jump:
“I can only add to this that I cried like a baby when I heard of his passing. I was a huge fan of his work — particularly as an actor and director — and was always so friendly to me (we even lived in the same building for a brief time). As P, he made Don Rickles look like a promising amateur and was a MASTER of timing. There are many people I know who have died, but Paul is up there with family in terms of how many of those no longer with us I routinely think about and miss. Orlando has a boatload of talent in the arts community that has made his absence easier to bear, but the town was never quite the same after August ’04.”
-Chas_m
“Thank you for the great tribute to the amazing Paul Wegman. I came to Orlando in 1984 and instantly fell for P’s individuality and tightrope humor, partially because when she reared her head back and let that full-throated laugh out, you felt the heart behind the wit. Meeting Paul proper years later told me that there wasn’t as much difference between the character and the man as I had imagined. The wit and passion for fun were there, and his heart was too big to be held by any stage. I’m really sorry that Paul never wrote the memoir he kept threatening to write – I think he said he wanted to call it “And There’s A Bathtub In The Kitchen”. Now that would be one hell of a read, just like Paul and P were one hell of a guy.”
-Stephen Grayce
“WOW – it’s hard to believe he’s been gone 10 years. I still remember his message to me in my Crucifer of Blood program – I wish I could build a theater have capture you to work in it! Crucifer and She Stoops – two shows that are very memorable for me from my time at Valencia!”
-James R McQuiggan
“Thank you to everyone for these great comments. I am proud that I was able to pay tribute to Paul in this small way. The fact that the article has been well-received — and often enthusiastically so — has been a relief, because I was afraid of disappointing Paul’s (and P’s) fans.”
-Scottie Campbell (author of the Watermark article on Paul)
