Man
for all seasons brings his unregretful musings on life and beauty to Alameda
Englishman.
Artist. Fisherman. Carny. Oh, and a huge Giants fan.
All
of these words describe Oakland
actor and author John Mercer, who’ll be sharing his collection of true tales in
his one-man show, Swearing in English, at the
Altarena Playhouse this month.
Don’t
let the title of the show fool you: This is not a showcase for bitter rants and
ravings punctuated by expletives. Mercer’s tender style and stories reflect a
genuine sense of wonder and reverence for the people and the world around
us. A child of the ‘60s now in his 60s, Mercer talks about life then and
now.
“I
still believe in love and peace and don’t apologize,” Mercer said. “I wasn’t a
hippie, I’m not nostalgic; I’m just engaged in a lifetime looking for love.”
This
“lifetime of looking” started early on when, after graduating from the
University of Manchester in England, his search for a more genuine self veered
him off the path leading to a career in law and onto another one, which led to
a small fishing village in the southwest of Scotland. This unexpected, profound
change in course, he knows, was a life-saving gift, giving him an opportunity
to see the bigger picture.
His
time surrounded by Scots – a people renowned for their skill at storytelling –
was time very well spent, an observation Mercer said even his dubious mother
had to admit after visiting him in Scotland and finding him strong, happy, and
thriving at “the fishing.”
Another
fateful change in course came in 1979 when he came to the Bay Area, fell in
love and decided to stay. Here, he
focused his energies on acting, eventually joining up with the Shotgun Players,
a community theatre group in Berkeley dedicated to artistic excellence, social relevance, and community engagement.
“Theatre
is everywhere. You just have to open your eyes,” Mercer said.
Mercer
is, by definition, a Renaissance man - acting since the age of 15, pursuing
higher education, tending sheep, and designing and making custom furniture - but
that somewhat lofty label makes him laugh out loud.
Taking
a P.T. Barnum approach to his art, Mercer said he’s not bothered by the
suggestion he is also bit of an ol’ fashioned carny. “I love it! I’d
still run away with the circus in a minute,” he said.
Although Mercer has told the true tall tales of his
life for years, it wasn’t until a friend convinced him to actually write the
stories down that Swearing in English took shape. Essays like John Travolta Goes Fishing and
Magic Carpet come to life on stage with this talented storyteller at the helm
navigating the sometimes tranquil, sometimes choppy waters.
When
asked what he’d like his audiences to take away from his one-man show, he
smiled. “Were they entertained?” he said.
A
common thread in all of Mercer’s works is the idea of the “absolute unity of
existence,” a philosophy he has studied extensively over the years and a belief
he strives to incorporate into everyday life. This astute sense of spirit has
clearly guided him through good times and bad, he said, including a recent
brush with a debilitating illness.
“Death
makes you dance,” he likes to say.
The
gentle beauty of Mercer’s stories is his keen ability, in his humorous and
honest way, to point out the commonality of our life experiences, knitting
everything and everyone together. It’s one thing to sit and read the book of
his memoirs yourself, but the true joy is in the hearing of his telling, and
making those connections.
“They
grow and branch off in all kinds of directions and you think, ‘Where is this guy
going?’” she said. “Then he weaves it all back together. It’s magic.”
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