James (Jim) Letchworth, Actor

James (Jim) Letchworth (Mr. Howler Ramirez) is delighted to be in this excellent cast.  He studied acting with Jean Sheldon and ACT, physical comedy and Commedia Dell’Arte with Carlo Mazzone.  He has performed a variety of roles throughout the Bay Area including murder mysteries on the Napa Valley Wine Train and Ebenezer Scrooge for the Dickens Christmas Fair.  He also performs old Spanish California music and dance with Los Arribeños de San Francisco and plays bluegrass banjo with Tidewater Flats.  With his wife, Marilyn, they perform and teach the slapstick of the Italian Commedia dell’Arte with Tutti Frutti Commedia Co.  His film work includes “Sirens of the 23rd Century” and “Sold Out”.

Three ways in which water has had a significant impact on my life:

Fog.  Living and growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area fog has been a part of my life.  It is both cold and beautiful.  My wardrobe for summer always includes a heavy leather jacket to ward off the cold. My favorite time to watch the fog in the afternoon as it rolls through the Golden Gate.  It is magical to drive across the bridge while watching it tumble down the Marin hillsides.  We tend to think of fog as a whole, but it really is comprised of billions of individual droplets.

A rough day swimming in the Pacific Ocean.  As a boy I had a particularly memorable day at the beach.  Our Scout Troop was camping on the beach and most everyone was in the water, playing in the waves.  My friends and I were out a ways in the water but found a sandbar so we could touch bottom.  As my friends headed back to shore, I lost the sandbar.  I was a good swimmer, so I wasn’t worried, but I was tired and getting battered by the waves which affected my sense of direction.  Eventually, I wasn’t sure which way the beach was.  I started calling out, but no one seemed to hear me over the pounding surf.  I seriously considered that my days may be numbered at eleven years old.  I was at peace with that but kept yelling.  Suddenly, my patrol leader, Pete McKay, was swimming towards me.  He asked, “Can you swim?”  I called out, “Yes” now that I knew which way to go and followed Pete back to shore.  As I sat by the bonfire, bundled up in extra towels near my scoutmaster, we talked philosophy and agreed that I was done swimming for the day.  The lessons for me were the power and unpredictability of Mother Nature and the benefit of friends.

Waterfalls and the benefits of giving something away.  In our family we have an example of a very fine man who acted in a very generous manner bringing joy to countless people.  My second great uncle, the older brother of my second great grandfather grew up in a Quaker family in western New York.  He worked tirelessly and became quite successful but sought refuge in a country home.  He was able to purchase a tract of land on the Genesee River which ran through a gorge with three spectacular waterfalls.  He was able to retire there at about 50 years of age.  He not only devoted himself to improvement of this land but to improving society at large, particular attention was given to impoverished children, epileptics and those confined to insane asylums and other charities throughout the state.  He never married and determined that upon his death he would deed his lands to the state for the enjoyment of the people.  In 1910 Letchworth State Park became the first state park in the entire country.  Today it is rated as #1 in popularity.

My family and I have had countless interactions with many, many citizens grateful for this man’s generosity.  The beneficiaries of his gift honor him and his memory and model their lives after him.

Spreading out like the thousands of tiny water droplets in the mist of the falls his gift has enriched countless lives and multiple generations.