Hi! I actually knew David Sedaris back in the early 1970s as part of the community theatre community in Raleigh, NC. We weren’t friends, but we knew each other. I can’t ever recall having seen him in a production or working with him, but I’d see him as theatre parties and chat with him. I’d do that because I considered him to be a nice guy, but one who seemed shy. We were both introverts.

He wrote about those times in his book Naked. The chapter called The Drama Bug is about me and some of my friends and a director from back then. The people he talks about are mostly composites.

I did not know at that time that David wrote, or that he was gay. In Naked, he described the Raleigh community theatre community of that time as consisting mostly of outcasts—Jews, closeted gays and other outsiders. I checked the first box.

I haven’t seen or talked with him since those days except once. I saw him at a YMHA here in Philly, probably 20 years ago now. At the Q&A, I stood up and said “ I’m Ray Katz. We knew each other in Raleigh, NC in the 1970s. David paused for a second, gathering his thoughts. Then he asked how I was and if I had talked with various specifically named mutual acquaintances. He certainly remembered me, and REALLY remembered the louder more boisterous colorful characters of that crowd.

The hundred of people in the audience giggled as we had this “private” conversation in public. And, although I was never more than an acquaintance, many of my friends from back then knew David very well.

Anyhow, I thought you might like to hear all this.