It All Started On & Off The Stage
Before I get to my new project we need to hit the way back machine! I’ve always believed that life is circular. The work that we do when we’re young somehow surfaces later in life if it was meaningful and meant to be. For me Ecclesia is that work, and without even knowing I needed it back, Ecclesia has found a way to bring a new joy and purpose into my life.
Pre-Ecclesia I was a gawky teen and 20-something who dabbled in theatre (that’s me in Mrs. McThing circa 1986), a really intense me (early 90’s) at a family Christmas party and finally in 1997 working the bar at a golf course…which is where my story starts!
Back in 1997 I was an “older” college student at 27 who was completing my BA in English at Lake Erie College in Painesville, OH when Lenny Pinna literally walked into my life when he introduced himself as the newly hired Theater Director of the Royce Hall for the Fine and Performing Arts Center — which made my homecoming 26 years later even more poignant.
Coincidentally I was secretly yearning to get back to my theatre roots that were squarely planted in high school although I knew by then that the stage wasn’t my first love. My interests leaned more towards PR, design and marketing which to this day is my passion.
Ecclesia Theatre
Lenny was a creative force with a vision to start an eclectic community theatre company and his energy was contagious. He was magnetic — his pull transformed the space and more importantly the people into a vibrant booming community – people gathered, talked and were impacted by the work we all created in the Summer of 97′. People cared and created amazing art on stage and the community responded with equal enthusiasm, a small spark was leading to a full on solar event…however like Icarus, the solar flare burned too hot and our proverbial wings melted right off!
Lenny’s mission was to breathe new light and life into Lake Erie College theatre and the city of Painesville and he succeeded times 10. However as the financial burden that plagues small theatre to this day consumed our season we petered out in August but left with our heads held high – the 1998 Summer Season exited stage left.
That Summer of 97′ was a turning point in my life. I gained confidence, knowledge and a deep rooted love of theatre, art, film and performance that lives with me to this day. I also gained a life long friend.
The Ecclesia Theatre 1997 Summer Season included Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, The Whaling Wife by Bonnie Kohn Remsberg and Something Cloudy, Something Clear by Tennessee Williams.
Ironically we opened Oedipus Rex in Morley Music Hall on June 12 which is almost 26 years ago to the day!
I was fortunate enough to be Lenny’s Managing Director and we collaborated on every aspect of design and presentation. I even saved the flyer that I created with The Print Shop which was no small task! That line through ECCLESIA was drawn by hand.
During Oedipus Rex I also had the privilege of meeting and working with a 73-year-old Tedd Burr…
Lenny & Tedd – The Docu-Drama
This is the Tedd I knew. He was kind and funny and gracious and so talented and my 20-something self enjoyed working with him. Little did I know in 2001 that his life story would become a passion for me in 2023.
In the mid 1990’s Lenny became friends with Tedd Burr, who was an older androgynous actor in the Cleveland area and in 2000, Lenny made the docu-drama, Letters to Uranus; The hidden life of Tedd Burr, a film shot in one-take in real time, revealing for the first time, Tedd’s private struggle with gender identity confusion as a young person. The film was in the Cleveland International Film Festival and was selected for the New York Independent Film Festival.
The Film – Letters to Uranus; The hidden life of Tedd Burr
In 2002 the Letters to Uranus film poster serendipitously ended up on the British Comedy TV Series Absolutely Fabulous! (Ab Fab!) without Lenny even knowing about it. Season 4, Episode 7 “Gay”.
The Book & The Limited TV Series
During the dramatic film narrative, Tedd also revealed that between 1943 and 1945, he had a two-year letter writing correspondence with the famous author of the 1940 best-selling novel, Kings Row, Henry Bellamann. After Henry died, his widow, Katherine Bellamann sent back to the young Tedd all of the letters which her husband had saved. Their complete correspondence had sat in a box for fifty-five years until Tedd found the courage to open up about them to his friend, Lenny.
After reading Tedd and Henry’s letters, Lenny asked Tedd for permission to one day make a film or TV series about their 1940’s relationship. Tedd agreed and bequeathed the original letters to Lenny, who recently published those letters in the book A Face From Uranus; Correspondence between Tedd Burr and Henry Bellamann 1943 – 1945.
For several years, Lenny has been developing a six-part Limited TV Series based on the letters called In The Name of Jamie Wakefield. Jamie Wakefield a character in Bellamann’s novel, Kings Row is described as “too pretty to be a boy.” Jamie Wakefield did not appear in Warner Brothers’ film version of Kings Row, which starred a young Ronald Reagan. Jamie’s effeminacy and obvious homosexuality was not permitted by the Hays Code censoring board to be portrayed in the film.
Full Circle
Lenny and I remained good friends after Ecclesia ended. I stayed in Ohio, got married (that’s me Lenny and my husband John at our wedding in 2001) and started my YouTube channel in 2019. Lenny moved to the Bay Area and we stayed connected through friends and occasional communication. Our connection always stayed strong.
Then COVID hit and our lives were completely upended as was the rest of the world but that’s a story for another day.
2022
Back in December 2022 I got a late night call from Lenny which was both a surprise and a delight. Despite the years having got away from us we surprisingly (and not surprisingly) fell into our previous friendship.
We laughed, reminisced and caught up. It felt good and it led to a conversation about his Film, Book and TV series project about Tedd Burr. I know some of what he’d done but I got quickly caught up.
The old “magic” of working with Lenny on a project that I cared about was giving me new energy and ideas.
Poignant & Purposeful
I feel like Lenny coming back into my life is both poignant and purposeful. First and foremost I’m grateful for our friendship, good friends are hard to find and ones that have an almost 30 year history are even more rare.
Lenny has also given me the opportunity to be a digital creative again, I’m designing his social media posts and created a Tedd Tee for Pride. Designing is my secret passion and now that I started I can’t stop. I’m feeling more creative than ever and I’m passionate about getting Teddy’s story told.
2023
Lenny has spent the last 23 years of his life on this project and it’s more important now than ever – Lenny say’s it best —
“Given the current controversy about the transgender topic within our American culture, the story of Tedd’s youth, which arguably could not have been appreciated until now has only become more timely and more relevant.“
In April of 2023 I started working on Lenny’s project which led to him appearing on mine! As Queen of the Girl Geeks I often film alone so it was a delight to have Lenny guest star on my channel. We laughed so hard the day we filmed and created some amazing content and spread a message that matters to me. Sharing my work with Lenny felt like coming full circle.
I’m so immensely proud to be working with Lenny on Tedd Burr’s story. I am a proud ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and believe in equal rights for everyone.
Tedd was extremely courageous to tell his story and it’s one that needs to be told. I started this post with the same words I am going to end with – Ecclesia has found a way to bring a new joy and purpose into my life.
I hope this story brings you joy and you follow along to see what happens next. Follow Ecclesia Arts on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/EcclesiaArts
2024
Update on Ecclesia Arts.
Elton John by Slatkin & Co. Candles.
2025
Update on Ecclesia Arts.
In February of 2025 Lenny Pinna and I created a fun video for the Bath & Body Works X Disney Princess collection!
QUEEN OF THE GIRL GEEKS - Bonnie Diczhazy 
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