02/23/2025
It is with the heaviest of hearts that I write this post. I wanted to let all of the Workshops family and friends know that on Tuesday, February 11th 2025 our wonderful Jim Ross past away. We are heartbroken. He was so kind, generous, hilariously funny, and so supportive of his fellow students and friends. He was with the workshop since Harvey was alive. We shared so many fabulous and unforgettable times with Jim. There are so many incredible memories that we always treasure. His big boisterous laugh, his hilarious characters, his misuse of words and names on purpose in a scene, the Christmas party poem that we all looked forward to, and of course his Valentine’s Day poems. Every year we would have a Valentine’s Day poem contest that would always start “Roses are red violets are blue…”
And the students would write the rest of the rhyming poem. The winner would get their name put into one of the hearts on a pair of Valentine’s Day boxer shorts that hung on the wall. Jim’s name appeared on those shorts more than anyone else. So to honor him I would like to share one of my favorites that he wrote.
ROSES ARE RED
VIOLETS ARE BLUE
WITHOUT TIM OR KAREN
I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
I’M GOING TO WIN THIS CONTEST
WITH HOOTS AND SNORTS
CAUSE I WANT MY NAME, AGAIN,
ON THOSE HEART TRIMMED SHORTS!
I’M NOT A POOR SPORT
AND I DON’T MEAN TO SOUND SNOTTY,
BUT WITH TEN YEARS OF ENTRIES
I HAVEN’T EVEN WON A LOTTY!
AND IF THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN AFTER ALL THESE APPEALS-
I’LL CERTAINLY KNOW HOW SUSAN LUCCI FEELS!
I HOPE MY COMPLAINT WILL BE THIS YEARS LAST,
CAUSE IN ONE OF MICHAEL’S SHOWS-
I HOPE TO SOON BE CAST!
SO PLEASE, MICHAEL, PLEASE
PUT MY PICTURE IN THE LOBBY-
SO I DON’T HAVE TO ADMIT
THIS ACTING THING IS ONLY JUST A HOBBY.
RIP sweet Jim. We love you.