The 2012 Celtic Club’s St. Pat’s Play has been cancelled. The play’s writer, director, producer, and actress has passed away. Indeed, Regina Gately’s title of her theatrical endeavor for this year, “Say Goodbye,” appears to have become incredibly prophetic. How many aspiring actors/actresses did Regina’s plays include? They were too numerous to count. I, for one, was fortunate to have had a “one of a kind experience” when I acted and danced (for the first time in my life) in Ms. Gately’s 2011 mystery play, “Clarisse and the Colonel.”
Regina Gately, director of “Say Goodbye,” passed away on Feb. 1. (Photo provided)
Those closest to her (in the Irish club) have showered Regina Gately with much-deserved accolades, describing the life of an unselfish and inspiring woman.
Kathy Culotta, Celtic Club past vice-president, tells us this about her friend:
“Regina was a very generous person who loved to take mittens off the Christmas tree at St. Mary’s Church and fulfill children’s wishes. She was also very concerned about how many items the [Grafton Township] food pantry was missing and took frequent trips there. She had a very funny sense of humor and was a great actress as well.”
“She was one in a million,” she added.
Celtic Club’s President, Betty King, shared her thoughts:
“I was very blessed to know Regina and have the honor of spending some special times with her during her last few months. She was one of the strongest ladies I have ever met,”
King said. “She was so ready to face her death and was only concerned about other people and making things as easy as possible on them.”
Regina’s brother’s wife was also gravely ill during Regina’s difficult months.
“What a wonderful contribution to the Celtic Club, her St. Patrick’s Day Mystery Dinner Plays were,” King said. “They were always full of laughs and a total sell-out [performance] for eight years in a row.
“We all toasted her at our last Celtic meeting and said ‘Goodbye, Regina. We will miss you,’” King said.
Perhaps, our best insight into what made Ms. Gately such a unique individual comes to us from Sheila Gillis, past president of the Celts and present Social Chairman.
“Regina was definitely one of a kind,” Gillis explained. “She was a feisty-spirited, no-frills kind of person who was full of life and always had that little devilish twinkle in her eye.
“It took one visit to her house to feel what Regina had in her heart and soul. A nurse by trade, her creativity and love of the old tales of Ireland opened up a new love in her: writing. She not only wrote the plays, she directed them, and spent endless hours getting just the right costumes and props together,” Gillis said. “In fact, if you walked down into Regina’s basement, you would think you were in the back of a theater, as it was overflowing with costumes, wigs, and props.
“Many of us were lucky enough to be a part of her works of love,” Gillis added. “I suppose to really appreciate the essence of one of her plays, you’d have to experience the practices because the majority of people involved never acted before, and, believe me, sometimes we all laughed until we cried – or cried until we laughed. But somehow by the time St. Patrick’s night came along, the play made some sense, and we got up there on the stage, and act by act, it would somehow fall into place. The forgotten lines, the music not starting on time, or people appearing at the wrong time – all added to the fun.
“Hidden away in my closet…are some of Regina’s past plays, and as I skimmed through them, I was overwhelmed with memories of her wit and talent as she captured so many tales of old and put them into her own words,” Gillis said. “And within these treasures, I found an old e-mail that she sent out to the entire cast of ‘And the Pipes Will Play.’ I think the following quote, straight from Regina, will give you some insight to behind the scenes of her St. Pat’s plays and her wicked sense of humor.”
Regina wrote:
“Ladies, we can give you the microphones but you need to be able to put them on. Put them where they will function. They are called lapel mics because that is where they usually go and function well, but you must still project your voice. They are only an aid – not a miracle! Just look at the play as an opportunity to shoot the blarney to the audience and convince them what they are seeing is real. If you forget your lines, make something up. Everyone will help everyone else to fill in. Just keep the conversation moving, and when the act is finished, get off stage fast because Richard will be closing the curtain and if you don’t move, you’ll be sorry. Practice is frustrating but the night of the performance is always fun.”
And fun it was!
“I was so fortunate to be one of Regina’s many friends and to be able to visit Regina in the last couple of weeks before she died,” Gillis said. “Her house was quiet because her two beloved dogs were gone, and we couldn’t have a glass of Irish cream to toast to the play that wasn’t to be. And that had to break her heart, but she never complained. Her acceptance of death and the peace she felt was amazing and inspirational. Regina wasn’t looking for any miracles for herself.”
“If there is going to be a miracle, let it be for a child. I’ve lived my life, and I’ve done all that I’ve wanted to do,” Gately said.
Miss Gillis’ final statements about her friend are as follows: “Regina will be terribly missed by her family and friends, and St. Patrick’s Day will never be the same in Del Webb without her. The play that she had written, which will not go on without her at this time, was titled ‘Say Goodbye.’ And that she did, as she said goodbye to all of us on February 1, 2012.”
