3 minute read
It’s Now New York, New York for Tom Sweitzer
It’s Now New York, New York for Tom Sweitzer
Sitting in his comfortable Middleburg home, Tom Sweitzer reflects upon his life’s remarkable journey. From a being a runaway at the tender age of eight, finding solace in music and a church across the street from his childhood home in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to preparing for his off-Broadway debut performance this fall, Tom shared how a blend of adversity, creativity, and resilience shaped his life.
His childhood escape, albeit to a neighboring church, wearing pajamas, nonetheless, turned out to be transformative. “There was a church with a Sunday School teacher named Erdean,” he said. “She was singing and playing piano. She showed me the keys, and forty years later, I haven’t looked back.”
Today, as he prepares to perform the off-Broadway show he also wrote at The Signature Theater on 42nd St in New York City, his narrative paints a vivid story of resilience. His one-man show, “20 Seconds,” runs from Sept. 10 through Oct. 22. It’s an intimate portrayal of his life in which he plays fourteen distinct characters.
A trip to the Big Apple as a young teenager to watch Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera” sparked a fire in him. “The thrill of the organ and when the chandelier lifted off the stage, I knew I wanted to perform,” he recalled.
Tom came to Middleburg to work as a drama teacher at The Hill School, also producing a number of student productions. Ten years ago, he founded “A Place to Be” along with his long-time friend and colleague Kim Tapper, using music therapy to help transform countless lives from their facility in the village.
His own play resonates with Phantom’s themes of love, passion, and struggle, and also aspires to relate more universally. Tom takes on the challenging roles of both his parents, bringing to life the struggle of living with his father, whose abuse left a profound impact on the family, and his emotionally neglected mother.
“The story is about my life,” he said. “It is so close to me. I play my parents. My father was a paranoid schizophrenic who truly abused both my mother and me. He was sick. He attempted suicide a number of times. He killed some of my pets. And my mother was an overweight Italian woman who consequently struggled with her own self.
“They were tortured people but also loving in their own way. This is full circle yes, and the epitome and everything that I have worked for, learned and believed in. I am an actor, a storyteller, and I have a message. By the end of the show, you see that it’s possible to forgive and it must begin with love.”
After twenty years of therapy, Tom said he’s reached a place of understanding, viewing his parents as flawed human beings doing their best. In his performance, he narrates their complex, tortured lives, and how, through understanding and forgiveness, healing is possible.
The raw authenticity of his storytelling aims to reach out to those grappling with their own trials. “It took me years to be my complete self in front of people,” he said. “I am gay. That’s what this is about.”
Sweitzer’s passion project comes to fruition through the overwhelming support from the Middleburg community. He credits their encouragement for turning his dream into a reality. Once a struggling youngster in Altoona, today he’s preparing to mesmerize New York City audiences with his remarkable life’s tale.
