A Lesson To Live By

What I remember about Jessica Rothman was her determination to force a classroom filled with urban high school kids to get serious about the art of theater. She was the first one to encourage one of us to pursue acting as a career - so long as we went to college.

Some people quit the entertainment business after a few years, a decade even, for the hard learners. Once they realize they're never going to become the next Gwyneth or Twilight punk, they throw in the towel. J. Rothman has has managed to keep the credits rolling on her ever-budding career. For decades.

It was a fine Sunday evening, and, Portia and I were looking forward to the latest episode of HBO's, How To Make It In America. The show quickly became our most favorite must-see once we got the premise: two twenty-somethings in Manhattan, trying with all their might to hustle-and-dime their way to success, by whatever means necessary.

Fast forward to the end of the most emotional scene of the series. The two leads (who, coincidentally, happen to be hot as hell!) have lost their "product"- a shitload of t-shirts they paid for with every last cent they had (including rent), after their company truck was stolen - t-shirts in tow. After one of the leads decides that luck is not on their side, he finds himself down-and-out on the train, probably pondering his options. Just as I'm about to cry, who do I spot but the one and only, Jessica Rothman. She's sitting next to the lead, looking incredibly normal and unconcerned. She didn't have any lines and wasn't listed in the credits, but she was there. She was there! Persuing her passion with everything she has. The following week, Portia and I ordered the episode On Demand and freeze-framed Rothman's scene. We watched it no less than a dozen times. We laughed. We came close to crying. We sat in silence, trying to figure out how we could take this woman's life and turn it into a true story of inspiration, a tool used to inspire others, the way it had us.

Keep in mind - she didn't have a speaking part. She didn't say a word. But, she was there! For us, her mere presence in this critically acclaimed, motivating production was a pure testament of how far you can get when you put your passion first.

We recently got in contact with Mrs. Rothman. We told her all about ShesSoNewYork.com, then mustered up the courage to ask for an in-depth interview. Now that she's agreed, we - the students, are gathering all the information we can find on J. Rothman - the teacher. We are going to sit her down and ask her questions. And, if all goes according as planned, we'll be doing it on the very same high school stage she directed us! It's so full circle, we can barely catch our breath.

Our reason for choosing Mrs. Rothman as a woman who we should all aspire to be, has nothing to do with the fact that she was our teacher, or that she's often on big time TV shows. It's simply because, she's built her entire life on love and passion, and in return it has paid her back well. And also, if you try at something hard enough, the walls will break and eventually, you will make it.

We look forward to working on our J. Rothman piece and will definitely keep you updated. If you or someone likes you who is currently in heavy pursuit of you passion, please write to us! Share your story just by being HERE walkergordonproductions@gmail.com