A small gallery at the theater entrance will showcase some of Lee’s art work and photos of him on stage.

Lee was the last student to graduate with a degree from EMU’s art program in 1986. After graduating, he worked in the school print shop and as a graphic designer for EMU.

Former EMU art professor Jerry Lapp, MFA, recalls discussing the “knowing line” concept with Lee.

“A ‘knowing line’ was what Lee was good at,” Jerry recalls. “He captured particulars and peculiarities in animals, humans or objects rendered, that caused one to stop and gaze, ponder, chuckle. The ‘knowing line’ Lee rendered created a two-dimensional reality which we, as viewer, could so easily imagine into our own realities, outer or inner.”

“Lee got at the invisible realities which are a part of our existence and brought them forth. Suddenly, we would be sitting as part of the audience, exposed to our self-thinking, having to admit to our silliness, smallness or, largess.”

Lee also began his stage career at EMU.

“Lee wasn’t afraid to take his fear and pain on stage with him,” says Barbra Graber, MFA, former EMU theater professor and department chair. “But he also wasn’t afraid to let that Divine Comedian morph the pain into something else, something magnificent, poignant, deeply truthful, and so very funny.”

Graber worked with Lee as a theater student, later as an EMU graphic designer (he produced all the theater posters and programs) and as an actor in Theater AKIMBO from 1991-1998. Theater AKIMBO was founded by Graber and Ted Swartz as a community-based professional theater company under the auspices of EMU’s theater program.

Ted & Lee TheaterWorks

In the fall of 1987, after graduating from EMU and working on campus as a designer and printer, Lee teamed up with Ted Swartz, Eastern Mennonite Seminary graduate, for a humorous sketch at a church camp. That chance teaming became the springboard for a 20-year partnership – Ted & Lee TheaterWorks .

Lee’s humor, wit and passionate faith were shared with thousands through the work of Ted and Lee, while he continued his journey as an artist, sharing creative inspirational drawings with friends, the church and for the business. Lee captivated audiences with his hilarious renditions of everyone from the Archangel Gabriel to Julia Child.

“It’s hard to say how much Lee meant to me,” reflected Swartz in November 2009. “He was my comedic and theatrical soul mate as well as a great friend. We grew as artists together and Lee taught me much about humor, about word choice, about clarity of objective. But he also made me laugh more than anyone before or since. It was a great gift, not a flippant or incidental thing, the ability to make another laugh, but rather an ultimate gift. He was also not shy about tackling and wrestling to the ground his own pain and struggle giving his work depth and color.”

“The on- and off-stage chemistry between Ted and Lee was remarkable,” remembers friend and long-time colleague Jim Bishop , EMU public information officer. “Even more, their material was fresh, imaginative, often slightly askew. They pushed the envelope, but never resorted to denigrating people or employing off-color humor.”

EMU , and other major renovations to the University Commons, during a March 26, 2011 event.

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Often, upon encountering Lee Eshleman, I would bop up to him singing lines from the Bobbettes’ 1957 musical ditty, “Mr. Lee.”

For a long time, he didn’t believe this song existed. So, I finally dubbed a copy for him. He became a believer.

At one point, Lee drew a caricature of me wearing a tie with the point inserted in a record. As I spun it around, the disc played “Louie, Louie, Oh, no . . .”

We talked often about music in those pre-electronic mail days. I saved correspondence in which we went back and forth trying to see how many music groups we could identify with a color in their name, i.e., Moody Blues, Deep Purple, Lemon Pipers, et. al.

That was the inimitable Lee Eshleman of Harrisonburg, Va., a blithe spirit who profoundly influenced my life for nearly 20 years.

Now, Lee is gone at age 43. He lost a long struggle with depression and took his life on May 17 at his home. He left us too soon, and much too fiercely. The quiet is deafening, a loss that defies words.

Lee regularly gave himself in many ways as partner with Ted Swartz as the theatrical duo, Ted and Lee. They had become household names in the Mennonite Church and far beyond as many people came to experience the special treat that their on-stage presence and presentations afforded.

I last saw Ted and Lee together on stage in December 2006 with the incomparable Ingrid DeSanctis and their retelling of the Christmas story, “DoveTale.” I must have seen the play a half dozen times since its premiere; each time, it was a fresh nativity for me.

The on- and off-stage chemistry between Ted and Lee was remarkable. Even more, their material was fresh, imaginative, often slightly askew. They pushed the envelope, but never resorted to denigrating people or employing off-color humor. They had uncanny ability to make biblical characters seem so human, vulnerable and believable in full-length productions like “Fish-Eyes,”

The simple props were in place, lighting and sound were ready and a final run through had taken place earlier in the day for “Live at Jacob’s Ladder,” a musical written by and starring Ted Swartz and Lee Eshleman with composer Ken Medema.

But, the performances scheduled for May 18 and 19 at Eastern Mennonite High School didn’t go on.

Late in the afternoon on afternoon May 17, Lee Eshleman, 43, lost a long struggle with depression and took his life at his Harrisonburg home. He leaves his wife Reagan and children Nicolas, Sarah and Gabe, extended family members and countless friends and fan around the world.

“It feels like there’s a piece of me missing,” said Swartz. “When two appear on the public stage, it diffuses responsibility. There’s a shared attention. Something magical happened in those settings. I think how fortunate we were to have had each other.”

Humble Beginnings

The nearly 20-year-run of the dramatic duo Ted and Lee began inauspiciously enough at Spruce Lake Retreat in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Swartz, then a student in his early 30s at ��ݮ����, had prepared a series of comedy sketches for a youth leaders gathering at the Franconia Mennonite Conference-sponsored camp.

He wrote the material for two persons, and at the last minute, his partner backed out.

Then EMU president Joseph L. Lapp introduced him to Eshleman, a 1986 art graduate of the university who worked part time in the school’s print shop and did graphic design work for EMU.

Eshleman agreed to accompany Swartz to Spruce Lake, where their performances met with enthusiastic response. “You guys must have worked together for a long time,” was a recurring comment afterwards. A friendship formed the fall of 1987 evolved into a dramatic partnership, “Ted and Lee Theaterworks.” They began doing comedy sketches that expanded to a full-length production, “The Armadillo Tour.”

Their repertoire broadened to center on works based on biblical characters and events, including “Fish-Eyes,” a dramatic portrayal of two of Christ’s disciples, Peter and Andrew, and “Creation Chronicles,” a fresh look at the book of Genesis.

‘Tender and Kind’

They teamed up with actress Ingrid DeSanctis to a Christmas show called “DoveTale,” presented hundreds of times over the last 10 years.

“Lee taught me to be funny, but beyond that he was so tender and kind, like a brother,” said DeSanctis, currently of Orlando, Fla., where she teaches the arts in a Latino community and is an adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida. “When Lee walked into a room, so much light followed. I was privileged to work on stage with him.”

Ted & Lee performed regularly at retreats and conferences for just about every denomination and were featured performers at national events including DC/LA (for students) and Youth Specialties’ National Youth Workers Conventions. They were scheduled to debut a new production at the biennial general assembly of Mennonite Church USA the first week of July in San Jose, Calif.

Church Roots

Although on the road for weeks at a time, Eshleman remained an active member of Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, where he and Swartz freely shared their creative gifts in worship settings and at the variety show at the church’s annual fall retreat.

On the church’s “Education Sunday” May 5 this year, the duo were part of a special music ensemble that incorporated the names of all 180 children in the congregation.

Although he admitted to some apprehension at doing improvisation, Eshleman was a master of the one-liner, pun and off-the-wall rejoinder. One Sunday at Community, just as he and Swartz were about to do a sketch to introduce the worship theme, the church’s public address system cut loose with screeching feedback. Eshleman looked around and said, “Jimi Hendrix is here.”

Family and Friends Mourn

Eshleman was born Aug. 28, 1963, in Richmond, Va., the son of J. Robert and Rosalie Hartman Eshleman of Midlothian, Va., who survive. Also surviving are a brother, Curtis Eshleman and wife Brigetta Nilsen Eshleman of Lynchburg, Va., a paternal grandmother, Arlene Eshleman of Indiana; and three nieces.

A waiting line out the door of Lindsay Funeral Home and down the sidewalk at a family visitation the evening of May 20 bore testimony to the many lives Eshleman touched. Some 800 mourners attended his memorial service held May 21 at ��ݮ����. A private burial was held at Eastlawn Memorial Gardens in Harrisonburg earlier in the day.

“Lee loved wrapping laughter around magical moments of God’s grace and presence – he also loved ‘Squirrel Reunions’ and spews,” Swartz said at the memorial service. “He was gifted greatly, flawed greatly, he was greatly human, and he was greatly loved by God and by so many in the world.”

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Contributions

Many people have asked what they can do to help Lee

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Reagan, children, parents, extended family, and the many friends impacted by this tragic loss.

Lee, along with Ted Swartz, a 1989 EMU graduate, helped thousands of people see the biblical stories in a new light through his work with the comedy duo Ted & Lee.

We all enjoyed much laughter together; now we surround Lee’s family, and their closest friends with our tears and shared grief.

— President Loren Swartzendruber

Service Details

Visitation will be Sunday, May 20, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Lindsey Funeral Home, 473 South Main St., Harrisonburg.

The memorial service will be Monday, May 21, at 2 p.m. in EMU’s Lehman Auditorium. All are invited to a reception at the EMU dining hall immediately following the memorial service to celebrate Lee’s life and work .

Private burial will precede the memorial service.

Contributions

Memorial contributions in Lee’s honor can be made to Our Community Place, a Harrisonburg community center where Lee and the children recently planted vegetables. Make checks payable to Our Community Place and mail c/o VMBM, 901 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg VA 22802

Acoustic music festival "" will make its debut in Harrisonburg Nov. 4-6, bringing visual artists, musicians and fans together from across the eastern United States.

This event will offer delightful performances for all ages at venues around the city – from downtown Harrisonburg to Eastern Mennonite High School to local churches.

Most performers have some connection to the Shenandoah Valley, and what brings them together is the experience of roots or membership in the Mennonite Church. A variety of genres are represented, but the common thread is "folk music" written about themes of faith, love and hardships of the everyday life of regular people. Many hymns began as folk songs or take their melodies from older folk tunes.

Using the theme, "Tis a Gift," organizers have encouraged performers to create new music for the festival as well as interpret traditional music. Mennofolk represents a homecoming for many artists.

Featured Artists

J.D. Martin (aka Jerry Derstine)

Headliner Jerry Derstine (stage named JD Martin) grew up near Harrisonburg. At a young age, he wrote several songs which have become well loved among Mennonites, one of thenm included in the latest hymnal for Mennonite and Brethren churches. However, Jerry spent most of his career living and writing music in Nashville and Los Angeles. There he hit the big time, writing songs for Wynnona Judd, Reba McEntire, and Peter Cetera, and had a number of top ten hits to his name.

Now, Jerry returns to his roots, bringing with him recent songs that reach a new level of spirit and hope meant to inspire people towards themes of the heart. He is accompanied by his wife Jan Garrett, a renowned singer-songwriter in her own right, who performs "music for soul retrieval." Garrett will also lead a women’s singing workshop entitled "Finding Your Authentic Voice."

Locals who were in high school or college in the 1970’s may remember a popular Christian band called "Daybreak," which toured in this area. This year, Mennofolk will feature a reunion of the Daybreak band members, some of whom had lost touch with each other but are now coming together for this encore performance.

Reunion Vocal Band

"Reunion Vocal Band" also brings old friends to the stage. For over 20 years this eclectic group has been meeting to perform from all corners of the country. They will play at Mennofolk as their reunion concert of this year, blending folk, spiritual and jazz influences with good old rock and roll.

Appalachian music will take the stage at Mennofolk through Liz McGeachy and Tim Marema’s haunting harmonies, The New Johnson’s fiddle tunes and Alex Albright’s Appalachian Blues. Phil Ruth, a Mennonite historian and dulcimer player from Pennsylvania, claims that the mountain dulcimer may have originated in the Shenandoah Valley, a mix of early Swiss/German and Irish instruments. Dave Landes develops the dulcimer theme further with hymns and folk songs played on a hammered dulcimer, one of many instruments he regularly plays at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton.

Bluegrass fans will be well-satisfied with the sound of local bluegrass/gospel group, "Daphna Creek." "The Goldmine Pickers," a young up-and-coming band from Goshen, Ind., features Jay Lapp, originally of Harrisonburg, and blends newgrass and jazz with a traditional bluegrass idiom. Songwriter Dave Nealon plays bluegrass style and includes banjo and guitar in his set of originals.

Mennofolk will also include "Trent Wagler and the Steel Wheels," with original and American roots music material. Wagler recently made his CD release debut at Court Square Theater.

Musical Styles

Mennonites are known for their tradition of a capella singing, an influential foundation apparent in the harmony focus of many Mennofolk acts. At the festival, this tradition will be explored with performances by "Finely Tuned," "Cantore" and "Sons of the Day." Ruth Stoltzfus Jost will tell the moving story of her family history during the Civil War through a song she sings without accompaniment.

On Sunday, Mennofolk will conclude with the "Festival of Praise" at Park View Mennonite Church, a celebration through men’s choral singing.

Singer-Songwriter styles at Mennofolk range from rock to pop to roots music and include themes of peace, faith and the complexity and beauty of everyday life. Original material will be presented by Chris Kniss, Andru Bemis, Konrad Wert, Brad Yoder, , Heather Kropf, Gina Holsopple and Jonathan Reuel. Saturday night’s Songwriter’s Circle gives a chance to hear a smorgasbord of contemporary music being produced by Mennonite writers.

Visual arts are a special part of Mennofolk Harrisonburg. Oasis Gallery is presenting a show by , and Gusler has coordinated local artists for a show at Eastern Mennonite High School. Art will be for sale, and Artisan’s Hope will create an off-site sale of fairly-traded gifts by artisans from around the world.

Schedule

Mennofolk begins Friday night with concerts downtown at The Children’s Museum, Court Square Theater, Oasis, St Stephens Church, The Little Grill, Luigi’s and the Daily Grind. Saturday during Mennofolk at Eastern Mennonite High School, food will be sold from The Little Grill Collective and music will run from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sets will be divided into three stages. A concert/jam session continues after 11 p.m. at Common Grounds Coffeehouse at ��ݮ���� featuring the Goldmine Pickers.

Sunday, participants are invited to local churches to hear their favorite Mennofolk musicians play. Sunday afternoon brings "The Bob Show," a Ted and Lee comedy, to the Court Square Theater, Jan Garrett’s women’s singing workshop at Cups to Go, and the Festival of Praise at Parkview Mennonite Church.

A complete schedule and admission prices can be found at: .

Local organizations and business sponsoring Mennofolk are Garrison Press, The Little Grill, Artisan’s Hope, Harrisonburg Downtown Rennaisance, Court Square Theater, ��ݮ����’s, Common Grounds Coffeehouse, , Virginia Mennonite Conference, Shalom Congregation, Park View Mennonite Church and the Arts Council of the Valley.

Organizers plan to make Mennofolk a yearly event. To volunteer or make a donation (both provide free admission to the festival) check the Mennofolk website or call Trent Wagler at 540-438-1842.