Rick Herrick>

508-693-8065

(herricklr@verizon.net)

I recently spent part of the afternoon with Fred Hancock at his home on Dudley avenue. You can’t be there long without noting the many paintings hanging on the walls. Most were painted by Fred. His specialty is watercolor, and his intriguing use of light jumps out at you.

Fred took up painting at Boston University where he received his BFA in theatre design in 1973. In those days, preliminary plans for set design were sketched. He completed his education at New York University with an MFA in theatre design in 1980.

Such an education has led to a distinguished career in lighting design and technical direction for industrial shows. Fred began his career with a Boston company that provided lighting for rock and roll groups such as the Eagles and Crosby, Stills and Nash. He has also worked as the lighting designer for both operas and musicals. More recently, he has served as the technical director for industrial shows with overall responsibility for lighting, sound, video and stage props.

But his real love is the theatre. “It’s a wonderful collaborative effort involving the writer, director, actors, and designers. Each one enhances the show. There are so many ways to approach a production. Once you arrive at a consensus about how to proceed, it’s a matter of execution,” he says, adding:

“Lighting is an important tool for storytelling. It goes way beyond denoting night and day. You put light on things to focus the audience’s attention. Lighting also helps to create moods. Subtle blues can be used to create romance. Taking light away generates suspense. The less you see of an object the scarier it becomes. Lighting can also be used to indicate the passage of time.”

Fred currently serves as the lighting designer for the Vineyard Playhouse. As I was leaving his house, I spotted a beautiful wooden bowl. Making wooden bowls is Fred’s latest passion; he sells them at Island craft shows. This multi-talented guy will have no problem retiring, I concluded as I mounted my bike for the ride home.

Neither will Anne Lemenager or Craig Dripps. Both are retiring this year from the high school after long and distinguished careers. Anne joined the high school faculty in the fall of 1981 as a physical education teacher. Over the past 29 years, she also has been athletic director and an assistant principal. Outside the classroom, she coached the varsity girls’ field hockey team for 20 years, girls’ softball and junior varsity basketball.

For Anne, her work at the high school was never a job; it was her life. She loved the kids, her colleagues and the spirit of the school. She explained to me with enthusiasm that she’s not going far. She will continue to film and produce varsity sports at the high school for MVTV.

Craig Dripps received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Denison University in 1969 and his master’s degree from Villanova University in 1980. He taught math at the Haverford School in Haverford, Pa., from 1972 to 1995. He joined the faculty at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School in the fall of 1995.

In his 15 years at the high school, Craig taught everything from beginning algebra to advanced placement calculus. In recent articles in both the Gazette and the Times, Craig’s students praised him for his dedication to teaching as a profession, his commitment to their success, and his wonderful sense of humor. In retirement, Craig will continue his successful work as an Island photographer, resume his interest in writing classical music, and continue his important volunteer work for the Martha’s Vineyard Museum and the East Chop Association.