Derrick Mueller: Reviews

DERRICK'S STORY

In a society where today’s families seem to be disintegrating at increasing rates, Derrick’s background was no different. At the age of three his mother left his dad leaving him with two small children.

After a while, it was apparent that Derrick's father could not work and take care of both him and his sister. Social services became involved and the journey from foster home to foster home began.

After five years and approximately seven different foster homes he now found himself beginning a new life with a mother, stepfather, and new sister who he did not know. At the age of eight he had become a skeptical young man questioning and doubtful of any stability.

Derrick recalls one Christmas saying good night to three different fathers: his real father, his stepfather, and his foster father. Life didn’t seem to get any better.

His school experience was characterized by being academically challenged and bullied by his peers. The end of high school dubbed him as an outcast, and home life didn’t get any better. Derrick's real father’s visits became less frequent, and his conflict with his stepfather intensified. His mother became suicidal and alcoholic. Daily living became a battle to stay alive.

Rejected by his peers and dubbed the problem kid at home, he soon found no reason to live. Derrick comments, “I tried to cope with by running away and attempting suicide.” At the age of fourteen he hung a rope over a beam in bedroom in the basement and decided that he was tired of living with the pain of rejection. In that moment of doubt and despair he cried out to God for love and found hope for the first time.

His experience with a High School Christian group became instrumental in his acceptance of Christ and his walk with God. Derrick remarks, “Some people say that Jesus is a crutch. They are right you know, but at least I can walk.”

Press Release- LIFE IS FUNNY

The ten year running show “When I Look Back I Laugh” is a humorous production about the stages of life with it’s beginnings in Western Canada. It is a freewheeling mix between the antics of Tim Allen, the style of Bill Cosby, and the values of Seventh Heaven, all rolled into one entertaining and unpredictable ride. The stage comes alive as each prop turns into a story. From ninja cooking on stage, to flash back disco or to hospital antics the comedy is sure to entertain the whole family.
“When I Look Back I Laugh” is performed by Derrick Mueller an energetic and hilarious communicator. Mueller offers a perspective on life that all age groups can relate to. Watch as the stage transforms into a series of interactive, funny and inspiring stories.
The drama is inspiring, heart tugging and real life. Mueller gives not only something to laugh about but also something to be encouraged with and live by. You won’t know whether to laugh, cry or take notes.

WILBIL EVENT IDEAS

Though not essential these are a variety of ideas, of little things, that can be added to the decoration and to the evening as a whole. Below are some samples of ideas that have been used in past performances.

1. Decorating - Use of the happy face motif such as the yellow happy faces can add to the setting. Happy face plates and streamers add to the decor. Some have used yellow and black as the colors. Table decorations included yellow candles on paper happy face plates, or happy face gift bags with flowers, etc inside.

2. Door Prizes - This is an excellent tool to get addresses for follow-up. “A Look Back I Laugh” book can be used as a prize upon request if available. Comic books or gifts wrapped in the newspaper funny section can emphasis the funny aspect of the event.

3. Coffee and Cookies - This is an idea for after the production. It gives time for people to fellowship with one another, and gives the opportunity to get books and tapes signed.

4. Dinner Theater - The production is ideal for a Dinner theater format. The sitting down and having a meal or refreshments adds to the whole atmosphere, and contributes to a relaxed atmosphere (This is not essential but recommended.)

5. Radio - A cassette tape of some of the material is available for clips, or as a complete program. Sometimes in smaller areas a complete half-hour program is available.

6. Local Papers – We can email you a series of short stories that can be placed in local papers as humorous articles on the family as well as advertising the upcoming event.

7. Dessert Evening - Instead of a Dinner a Dessert buffet could be used as a sit down event or an after the production it depends on whether tables are being used.

8. Photo Albums - Depending on the event, photo albums, memorabilia, and flashes from the past can be used as display items at the event. It provides some milling around opportunities. (e.g. Baby pictures, family shots, etc.)

9. Funny Moments - At some banquets a hand out was prepared asking for funny family moments. These were placed on the tables and at the beginning of the program people were asked to write down their response and share with their table. They would be collected during the meal and read randomly with a prize given to the person whose contribution was read.

10. Helium Balloons - Helium balloons with the ticket #’s or prizes inside can be part of the décor or the centerpiece. At the end or predetermined portion of the program they can be broken or deflated to reveal to the person whether a prize has been won!

PROP LIST

Key: To give as genuine a feel to each of the sets, extra stuff that adds environment is appreciated. The stage is arranged in three sections starting with Kitchen on stage right, living room center stage, and nursery stage left. The play is based on using the props; each prop is a story or sketch. If you cannot get something let us know, we are flexible.
a) Kitchen (Stage Left)
table and chairs *
two dinner settings, glasses, water pitcher
coat tree
cupboard or open book shelf
pot and pan
mixing bowl
cutting board *
salad fixings (large iceberg lettuce, cucumber, carrot, celery, etc), please do not cut
laundry hamper with misc. clothing (towels, pants, nightgown, etc)
candle with holder and matches *
ironing board and iron *

b) Living Room (Centre Stage)
couch and/or arm chair *
end table with lamp plugged in *
telephone *
floor plant
wall hangings
photo album
pictures to hang on the wall

c) Nursery (Stage Right)
crib
change table *
stuffed animals
doll that looks baby size to audience
sleepers
diapers
blankets
bottles
diaper pail
tall standing floor fan or small one on table *

* Indicates essential to stage requirements.

TECHNICAL DETAILS FOR WILBIL PRODUCTION

Room design is dependent on several factors, space available, whether you are doing a dinner theatre and stage. Below are some suggestions, an elevated area is preferable for the stage.

1) Meal tables - round tables to seat 8 - 10 people are preferable

2) Approximately 5 - 8ft tables are needed for displays, registration, etc.
a) Sound and Lighting Tech. Table
b) 2 tables for displays, should have room for people to mingle
c) 1 registration table placed just outside the room
d) For buffet style dinners, etc. the tables should be easily accessible from both sides
e) Please arrange people as close to the stage as possible

3) Warm lighting

on each table is optional but it does help create a mood. Candles could be used but they create too much heat in a small location and would advise against using them.

4) Halogen Lighting - (the decorative living room style) are ideal for giving light and developing a mood. Many people have these lamps. 5-10 strategically placed gives a warm feeling.

NOTE: Upon booking we will evaluate with you if any extra lighting is required.

STAGING

We will work with what ever you have to make your event successful. A raised stage is key for viewing. Below are some ideas of staging requirements for making the event successful.

1) When arranging stage platforms – ideal height should be no lower than height of dinner table, three feet minimum. People need to see 75% of the props on stage while sitting down looking over other people’s heads.

2) The room that the event takes place in should have an extended ceiling of 25 feet minimum. Basements usually don’t work well.

3) Measurements of Stage
a) width - min 12 ft ( 16ft ideal)
b) length - min 18-24 ft
c) height - min 3 ft (people sitting need to see at least above the knee
(note: more space is ideal)

4) Stage will contain 3 mini sets that blend together. Kitchen, Living Room and Nursery.
5) See diagram on following page

NOTE: A digital picture of the area available sent to us would be helpful.

LIGHTING

Each location varies in what they have for lighting. Depending on the location of the event we may bring lighting requirements in part or whole with us. Below is the ideal arrangement though we are flexible.

1) It is ideal we have additional stage lighting that focuses only on the stage, can be adjusted and dimmed. Where color filters are available - blue, green, yellow, and red add a nice touch.

2) A minimum of a two light stand set up with preference for three to give a balanced light set up. Floodlights at floor level don’t work.

3) Three different areas need focus as the presentation has three different scenes on stage.
a) living room
b) kitchen
c) nursery
Color Filters - such as yellow and pink are ideal

4) One person to run lights is needed.

5) Depending on the requirement an additional fee for lighting may be incurred.

6) In most situations we will bring our own spot light.

SOUND

1) A Sound System with a CD player or laptop (preferred).

2) One mike and stand depending on individual program.

3) For Comedy Program a lapel mike is essential and head set is preferred.

4) Sound Tech familiar with how to hook up mike etc. is essential.

5) I will not have a technician with me.

6) Background music needs to be provided during meal etc.

7) If possible a CD and video recording would be appreciated.

ADVERTISING CHECK LIST

0 Church Bulletins
0 Area Churches
0 Community Bulletin Boards
0 Newspaper calendar of events
0 Newspaper articles/Press Release
0 Cable TV Community Ads
0 Handbills placed in stores
0 Community Store Fronts
0 Radio/TV interviews (where available)
0 Local book stores
0 Local Libraries
0 Internet sites, etc

COST OF EVENT

Cost can vary depending on which format/event is chosen and whether it is for a non-profit or profit organization. The goal is to be a resource to your community, business, church or charity group and make it as feasible as possible.

We are dedicated to working with your church, organization or business to make the event successful. We have a non-profit and commercial rate for the show. Sponsorship is available for non-profit or church groups; your group may request a discounted rate by sending in a description of the event and the organization.

1. A deposit of $500 is required to confirm bookings unless otherwise arranged.

2. Non-profit or church rate is $1500; this is an all inclusive rate which in most cases includes travel, accommodations and rentals unless otherwise arranged.

3. There are further discount rates that may apply when there is a tour or special event in the area.

4. Business, commercial or profit sector standard rate is $5000

If you have any questions let us know we are dedicated to making your event work.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

Evening before
all rental equipment should be picked up
unless set up is possible first thing in the morning then as much as possible should be organized on the day before

Morning of Event
all equipment tested
adjustments to set up made

Evening of Event
Allow 1-2 hours with sound tech to go over sound cues
Allow 1 to 1.5 hours for meal or dessert
Allow 15-20 minutes buffer in program
Allow 1.5 hours for comedy

Example (Day of event)
2:00-3:00 pm Sound check & lighting check
5:30 pm Sitting and Punch
5:45 pm Welcome & Introductions
Grace
Supper begins
6:45pm Announcements, door prizes, Break
7:00pm introduction of Play
8:30pm Conclusion & Announcements
9:00pm Begin Clean up

COMMUNITY ADVERTISMENT EXAMPLES

Local papers, radio stations, cable TV community sections, usually have a place to advertise community events at no charge. The announcement usually includes brief description, time, place, cost and any other specifications.

(Name of sponsor) is pleased to present on (weekday, month date, and year) in (town, province) “when I look back I laugh.” This one-man comedy is about the stages of life, written and performed by Derrick Mueller. Tickets are available at (place) and include (meal, coffee, etc.) for more information please contact (name, phone #).

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LIES MY PARENTS TOLD ME -Chapter from "When i look i back i laugh."

Parents by nature are liars. They go to a special school some time after their teen years to learn the fine art of deceiving little innocent children. If you doubt my words, think of those half truths your parents used to motivate you such as, “eat your crust; it will put hair on your chest.”. First of all, to a young elementary school boy the thought of having hair on his chest seemed grotesque and unnatural, not something I willing wanted to have at that age. Can you imagine being in grade one with chest hair and a beard? I let my mind wander a little bit, I was perplexed with the implications of my sister who also was told to eat her crust. So in light of that lie I began hiding both our crusts in napkins and feeding them to the dogs, which is probably why I only got chest hair at 30 years old.

Other lies such as “You have enough wax in your ears to make candles” encouraged me to find out. I got some string placed in my ear and almost burnt it off. Or, “It’s time for bed; you look really tired.” which meant mom and dad were sleepy and were trying by transference to make me tired. Then there was always the “Eat your broccoli it’s good for you.”, when before me all I could see was a tiny tree butchered inits prime, sacrificed so that I could feed it to the dog, who I found out did not like little trees either. You know if your dog is not willingly to eat it, it must be bad. One must consider the impact of these white lies upon childhood development.

As a child I was a rambler, a non-stop talker with millions of questions. I was the type of child that was always underfoot, bidding for parental attention. Each of my questions was of vital importance to me and demanded an immediate answer.

Imagine with me, a parent who has two preschool children at home. Each day consists of making meals, doing dishes, washing laundry, tripping over toys and attending the needs of a robust, active six year old. On this particular day I was being a normal little boy, bouncing off each wall of our home, with my restless young body. Boredom is one of those activities that causes your whole being to search for something to do. It is at this point where my little mind kicked in and began to reflect on all the unanswered questions of life. After a brief period of mind searching and ceiling gazing, the ultimate question surfaces; “What are hot-dogs made of?”.
For my six year old mind, this was a very profound question that deserved an answer. I posed my question several times to my mom, who was preoccupied with household duties and seemingly refusing to give my question any serious thought. Then after another barrage of the same question she in frustration blurted out “old people” in an attempt to stifle my ongoing questioning. Doing what any little innocent child would do, I believed my mom’s answer that hotdogs were made of old people, not ever expecting her to give me anything but the truth.

Anyone who knows me acknowledges that I have a very active and creative mind. For the next six years of my life, into my preteen years I would spend the odd moment reflecting on this truth and the implications of it. As absurd as it may sound, I created in my mind a scenario of how old people could possibly become hot dogs.
I imagined by simple deduction that ‘old people’ meant grandparents. I figured that when a grandma or grandpa died, there was a funeral process that took place (at least I thought this was the decent way of doing things). I conjured up what would take place at a funeral (never having been to one I had no reference point) and figured that the service (something of Mister Bean) concluded with the casket being closed and a freight truck pulling up to the back entrance, loading it for delivery to the hot dog plant.

This imagery presented some severe psychological reactions every time I saw a truck advertising or transporting hot dogs. In my mind, the truck would arrive at a factory-type place where the process of making hot dogs would then begin.
In our house, we had one of those old meat grinders that we used for grinding up leftover meat. By simple deduction, I figured that this factory must have a much larger one and used the same process to make grandparents into processed meat. Now this was not a horrifying concept to me because I had seen the grinding of meat take place on many occasions. I was stumped as I tried to identify whether or not the clothes were removed or remained. Upon further consideration, I realized that removing clothes was in no way a humane or decent thing to do and so by simple deduction, they must remain and add to the flavor.

Baseball games became a horrific experience for me as a child. At every game there would be those vendors yelling, ‘Popcorn! Peanuts!”. When the yell for hotdogs echoed through the stands, I would turn a pale green, for all I heard was this man shouting grand ma, grand pa and asking whether I liked mustard with that.
One little lie changed my life for ever. To this day hot dogs always make me cringe. I must confess though, it took a long time for me to grow hair on my chest, so maybe there was some truth to the crust thing!

My children, now older, often recall those childhood lies and bring them back to question my integrity. I too have passed on the tradition to them and I imagine when the grand children come, they will fall prey to those lies. Oh, may they look back and laugh at them too.

Event Planning Checklist

• Received the “When I Look I Laugh Back” package?
0Sent deposit cheque of $200 to confirm date
0Confirmed location
0Sent contact information

• Prepared press releases?
□ Newspapers
□ Radio
□ Poster Campaign
□ Church Bulletins
• Reserved venue
• Decided upon theme and style of event
0Dinner Theatre
0Show Only
0Dessert Theatre

• Email picture of stage and room to Emmanuel Bible College, Nancy Hynes at nhynes@ebcollege.on.ca

• Book a sound and lighting technician
• Collected props required
• Emergency Contact numbers
Day of event or weekends 519-574-5794 (Derrick Mueller)
Weekdays 8:30-4:30 519-894-8900 Ext 226 (Nancy Hynes)
• Please provide accomodations for 1-3 people either billets or hotel with meals for 1 night