Why the Theater Camp Movie was more than just another opening and another show

When I saw previews for the new movie Theater Camp, I thought it looked interesting since theater played a large role in the lives of each of my children. My son’s love for the stage started at about age six, initially with magic shows and subsequently live theater.  

By third grade, he was the first of my three kids to pursue an interest in acting and thus applied for enrollment to a local theater camp.  Soon this inspired my two daughters and their first cousins to also follow suit.  The love of live theater was entrenched in our family and led to the co-founding of Open Fields in Dover, Mass, a children’s theater program. For over ten years our family was involved in all aspects of a musical theater with this group.

I grew to love the production aspects of a show while my kids shined in the spotlight and my husband did set building behind the scenes. As the kids grew from elementary to high school, my primary volunteerism expanded to the parent support group for Dover Sherborn High School’s Friends of the Performing Arts , the Dover Foundation and then continued with the local Cultural Council. In addition, as a community building activity I helped produce a few musicals with our family synagogue (Fiddler on the Roof in 2015 brought the entire congregation together in celebration of the synagogues 50th anniversary and our Yente created a successful post production  "match").

Those who know me, know I am a connector and am always seeking out ways to do so with those around me.  I detail how I use coffee as a tool to connect with colleagues in my Coffee Connections book and this was well known during my involvement with each show I have been involved with.  Many a production meeting was held at a near-by Starbucks.

When my son Greg was in his first main stage musical of Oliver with the Dover Foundation, I began to more about community theater. There was a sense of comrade and purpose like no other activity I had ever known.  For athletes, this can be similar for a competitive team sport although a theatrical production involves many team players through each phase of a production. A production team works together from show selection and auditions to team selection. Then all players become involved in their areas of expertise including acting, set building, costuming, stage design and house management. 

During Oliver there were potluck dinners every Sunday night before rehearsal. These were great opportunities to build friendships on and off the stage. Although the audience only sees the result of a show, there is so much that goes into a production Everyone works together as a community and if a success strong bonds develop. It is often anti-climactic at the final curtain.

I became a lover of theater after this production, and this became an impetus for helping start Open Fields. This was over 25 years ago, and I have stayed involved in some aspect of theater ever since.  Most recently I volunteer with the Cotuit Center for the Arts and joined the Mashpee Cultural Council.

I learned each aspect on the job as I was assigned to be a producer for the first Open Fields show, The Wizard of Oz in 2001. The first read through of the show was scheduled on September 11, 2001, right after airplanes struck the World Trade Center and Pentagon Buildings.  We paused for an evening but decided it was important to move forward the next night with rehearsals to bring a sense of normalcy to the 60 plus children cast in the show. 

That fall I totally immersed myself into the show and as the Director stated during auditions, learned that each part no matter how large or small was an integral part of a show’s success.  In subsequent years, I have experienced similar experiences in shows I’ve produced. Each show starts with a group of random people who are put together to create a production.  Differences seen at the onset often become commonalities as each person learns to work side by side with each other. 

A show becomes the sum of each person’s parts, and a successful show is the result of a synergy of people working together to build a polished production.  Often there are personality disputes, drama and then cooperation when the end vision becomes real. Although a day before tech night there can be a meltdown and disbelief that the show will be staged often, in the end, the show opens successfully. There is a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment beyond everyone’s dreams. 

Theater Camp was based on a summer theater camp in the Adirondacks and like my story the founder of the camp had a vision to create a safe place for children to be accepted and build community. The movie goes through a hardship which almost jeopardized the mission of the camp and their mainstage end of summer show. 

I won’t give any spoiler alerts but enjoyed the opportunity to reminisce about the roots of my theatrical experience. Although much different that the main antagonists of the movie the key take away is the value of the arts in creating a sense of community. Different energies are needed to keep the original intent together and in the end the individuals again realize the sum of the parts are needed for success.  

Perhaps the lessons learned from these types of experiences can be applied to other aspects of one’s life.  Although we strive for our individualism there are many times when it is more valuable to work as a community to the benefit of all.  

Wendy is a Realtor and freelance writer residing on Cape Cod. She recently published her first book, Coffee Connections: Finding Common Ground Through My Daily Brew.  Wendy enjoys networking and writing to connect her ideas and curiosities with people she meets.   She welcomes your comments. 

My Brief Journey Back to the World of Barbie

 

Like most women of my age, I saw the new Barbie Movie this week with intrigue. I grew up in the 60's as one of the first-generation Barbie owners.  I had the basic Barbie, a pink plastic wardrobe and many interchangeable outfits to fill it.  

The fun of Barbie was dressing and underdressing her in many chic outfits. Often, I would crochet miniskirts with my grandmother to expand her wardrobe.  This was a wonderful bonding activity I shared with her as a little girl.

By the time I was a close to preteen years I added a Ken to my collection.  My younger brother Max had a G.I. Joe but I thought Ken would be a more suitable soul mate.  I also had Skipper, Midge, and a dog. 

My Barbies mirrored the social norms of the late 60s with pretend dinners and dress up.  The role of Barbie didn’t go beyond that and was soon outgrown once I entered the real world of boy-girl parties and teen fun. 

As a teen I was exposed to the feminist movement and increased fights for women’s equality. We had real role models who fought and created the vision for our generation of equal status to men.  It is hard to believe that the Ivy league schools did not begin admitting women to their campuses until the late 60s and early 70s. Careers were starting to be defined by skills not stereotyped by gender.

My Barbies were stored in the attic for many years until I became a mom and had two daughters.  The generation of Barbie dolls became much more complex by the time I pulled them out in the late 1990s-2000s. By then there was a different Barbie for each activity and possible career. I often likened it to seeing a general practitioner doctor as a child vs. a specialist for each health care genre.

We would walk into Toys R Us or Kay Bee Toys overwhelmed by the selection and with limited budgets and buy the one that resonated most with activities my girls enjoyed. I wasn’t a big believer in buying a different doll for each activity although these were often received as birthday gifts. The doll did not take a major role in their childhood.   

While being raised in Dover my daughters ended up with the Equestrian Barbie, although they never wanted the Ken dolls or other major accessories.  Barbies appeared in their lives for a miniscule window of time.

My daughters were raised with the understanding that women had equal status in the workforce.  STEM programs were emerging and college admissions to top schools were a close tie for both genders. It wasn’t beyond imagination that women could become professionals and leaders in the workforce.  The women’s role was not defined by her body or domestic family roles. 

Fast forward to 2023 with the release of the new Barbie movie. Women’s rights have been turned back.  The right to choose is not legal in many states. The Supreme Court recently ended Affirmative Action. Many of the freedoms we celebrated at the birth of Barbie are being taken away from us with each Supreme Court session.  

Before seeing the movie, I saw an interesting interview with the Director, Andrea Blaugrund Nevins of a documentary Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie about the evolution of Barbie and Mattel. She suggested watching her documentary before seeing the movie.  Ruth Handler, Barbies inventor created Barbie to empower young girls to visualize identities beyond being just nurturers to others.  

I went to the movie last night with a group of friends.  We each wore pink to relive a “Barbie” moment.  Many of the women are part of an amazing group called Cape Cod Females over 50.  A year ago there were under 600 members and now there are close to 7000. Members come from across Massachusetts as well as the rest of the states.

When I saw the scene in the movie with Barbies everywhere I thought about the importance of female friendships. We are able to meet for coffee and social activities where we learn from each other and gain a wider appreciation for different perspectives due to the variety of our backgrounds.  Uniquely we embrace each opportunity to meet as an expansion of ourselves by sharing life experiences and commonality without judgement or predefined images.  We joke that we have our Cape Cod Barbie World.  

I enjoyed seeing Barbie and don’t want to give any spoiler alerts as it was both nostalgic and timely. Perhaps the biggest takeaway I got is the importance of the empowerment of women. Each of us provides a unique value to the world and by combining forces we gain from each others strengths. Perhaps now more than ever our voice is important to ensure the original vision created with the introduction of Barbie over 60 years ago.

Wendy is a Realtor and freelance writer residing on Cape Cod. She recently published her first book, Coffee Connections: Finding Common Ground Through My Daily Brew.  Wendy enjoys networking and writing to connect her ideas and curiosities with people she meets.   She welcomes your comments. 

Cape Cod Cape Verdean Museum and Cultural Center Is An Amazing Connection to Our Past

When I wrote my book, Coffee Connections the initial intent was to share a love for coffee and how it became a tool to meet and connect with others.  Since publication, the connection part has taken on a life of its own. I have been on a quest to meet  people and learn about my new home on the Cape. 

In my book,  my approach was to have an introductory meeting with a new contact over an initial cup of coffee. Since moving to the Cape I have expanded the approach to make new connections through social networking groups.  Subsequent to the initial introduction to someone I am interested in getting to know better, I follow up with exchanging contact information to then arrange a coffee meeting.  Over coffee we have the chance to better acquaint and learn about each other ie: what brought each of us to the Cape and why.  Through conversation we soon realize we have more in common than initially expected. Many of us have had similiar journeys or can share interesting stories about our past.

A few weeks back, I read an article in Cape Cod Explore about a new museum opening near me in Falmouth called the Cape Cod Cape Verde Museum and Cultural Center.  At the time I has zero knowledge of Cape Verde but thought this sounded like a venue worth checking out.  I am part of a women’s networking group and created an event there as a field trip.  A group of 12 women joined for the visit last Friday, not knowing what to expect when we arrived at the small building housing the museum in East Falmouth. We anticipated spending an hour at most at the venue and then would follow up with coffee or lunch.

The Museum Founder and Curator Barbara Burgo greeted each of us when we entered the front door.  She was extremely friendly and an incredibly passionate orator.  Once she began to speak, we were spellbound and had a thirst to learn more with each word she shared.  She became aware of her Cape Verdean heritage at a young age and built the museum contents from family artifacts and explorations she has taken over the past several years. Many of the key facts she shared were attributes to the foundation of Cape Cod as we know it. The early explorers on the Cape are tied to both Portuguese and Cape Verdean heritage. 

Until this visit, I didn’t know the history of Cape Verde and the intrarelationship between these cultures.  After two hours at the museum and listening to much history shared by Barbara, we each gained a greater appreciation of the valuable contributions the Cape Verdean ancestors brought to the Cape.  

This visit was the tip of the iceberg and I plan to go back to continue my conversation with Barbara and spend more time looking at the wonderful artifacts she has displayed at the Museum.  Although a small venue it is rich with history.  

Perhaps the greatest lesson I learned that day was the importance of finding new ways to connect with others.  Whether it be over coffee or just listening to other histories we begin to enrich our own lives.  Everyone has an interesting story and by exploring their backgrounds we become more aware of a tapestry intertwined with each of our own lives. I felt enriched after the short visit and now have more to explore.   I hope my readers will add the Cape Cod Cape Verdean Museum and Cultural Center to their bucket list when they visit Cape Cod this summer. 

Wendy is a Realtor and freelance writer residing on Cape Cod. She recently published her first book, Coffee Connections: Finding Common Ground Through My Daily Brew.  Wendy enjoys networking and writing to connect her ideas and curiosities with people she meets.   She welcomes your comments. 

It’s Spring, are you ready for a reset too?

 

Last week we turned the clocks ahead. This symbolizes additional daylight and a time to move forward and set new goals. We have all gone through the winter blues.  According to Total Health Magazine, a spring renewal is vital to our overall well-being both physically and mentally.

What steps will you take to re-energize your life and take advantage of the warmer weather?  At the beginning of each season, it is a good idea to take an inventory of what things create positivity in your life. Spring cleaning can be a metaphor for getting rid of the old and finding new inspiration. (Perhaps getting rid of an old pair of shoes and replacing them with a new pair of fun sneakers will motivate you to get outdoors).  

Ask what behaviors make you feel good about yourself?  Have you been hibernating in your warm home? The weather is warming up and covid numbers are going down. Now is the time to create positive energy. It's great to be able to do more outdoors. Go for long walks and enjoy the rebirth of life surrounding us. In nature the leaves are growing, and flowers are blooming.  Become a part of this rebirth.

Be adventurous and find new places to explore.  Ask what you can do to expand your horizons.  Perhaps it's a good idea to find activities to partake in.  Maybe you can try pickle ball or or consider an art class.  If you explore you will find others who share common interests with you.

Renewal requires internal reflection to see how we are growing both emotionally and developmentally. Exercise and walking are important for your physical health. Making new connections and expanding current ones are also vital for our emotional well-being.  Participation in fun activities are a great way to cultivate new friendships with others. It's always a good idea to suggest a quick meet-up before or after the activity for a cup of coffee.  As shared in my book, a coffee connection can go a long way to begin the renewal process.

Wendy is a Realtor and freelance writer residing on Cape Cod. She recently published her first book, Coffee Connections: Finding Common Ground Through My Daily Brew.  Wendy enjoys networking and writing to connect her ideas and curiosities with people she meets.   She welcomes your comments.