Posted by Shepherd Hoodwin on April 14, 1998 at 17:37:01:
Dear Emily,
>I am a reporter with the Michigan City News-Dispatch. I am covering your
>story for this week's paper. Before I hunt you down on the phone I
>thought I'd try tour site just in case we start playing phone tag. I am
>interested in how your group formed, what you did, how long..etc. I see
>your site here and it sounds like you've all had a nice relationship and
>tradition with your theatre group. I'd also like to explore that as
>well. My deadline is Tuesday at 5 p.m. so I hopefully will hear from you
>before then. My phone number (I work at home) is 219-874-6681. My other
>day job is teaching. Call me there 219-873-2030 ext 380. I will also try
>you by phone as well. Thanks! Emily Nebergall (soon to be Maurek)
Thanks for your e-mail. It is too late to call you tonight. Tomorrow I'll be gone for several hours during the day, but should be home in the evening. I am sending CCs of this e-mail to the handful of others currently on the CT (Children's Theater) web site mailing list. Perhaps some of them will have something to add and can contact you as well. I am not knowledgeable about the specific details of the history of the Dunes Art Foundation and its Children's Theater--maybe some of them are-- but I believe that the DAF was started in Michiana Shores (where it still is based) in the 1930s. I'll fill you in with sketchy details from my memory. I imagine that it would be easy to check the facts in the News-Dispatch archives/microfiche, or by talking with some informed old-timers. Maybe you could contact the DAF--they should have lots of information.
The theater was built on a sand foundation, rather than concrete, as I recall, from a WPA grant. I think that by the 1950s, they had a very active semi-professional summer stock program, with 12 productions during the season. After that, the season gradually became more modest. At some point, maybe in the late 40s or 50s, Nora McAlvay (spelling?), originally from England (?) and co-owner of a long-time downtown M.C. bookstore, started a Children's Theater company. Nora was the director. I believe it went on for about 30 (?) years.
CT, as everyone called it, produced one full-length (three-act) play each season. During the school year, these productions, performed by teens, were done at Elston. Busloads of children from area elementary schools were brought in for four (I believe) weekend performances. In the summer, the production was done at the DAF summer theater in Michiana. It gave many teenagers invaluable theater experience, and some (such as Margot Rose, on this list) went on to become professional actors. The teens did almost everything, including designing and building sets, running lights, making costumes (although I think this might have been more the province of some of the adult volunteers, especially mothers), and, of course, acting. Some of the shows were children's musicals. This group was also the backbone of the summer adult productions, singing in the choruses of musicals, ushering, building and striking sets, etc. Can anyone else comment further on this?
CT for me was like family. I idolized the older kids, and was in awe of the talent I saw. It was really quite remarkable, and at its best, when everyone was pulling together toward a higher goal, it was magical. It was a bright spot of my teen years. Nora was a tough, at times difficult and disorganized autocrat, but she made this huge, expensive undertaking happen. Before every performance, she led us in singing, "Rise and shine, and give God the glory...."
I was a member from about 1965-1970. I recently reconnected with a few other members from that era. There has been talk for years of a CT reunion. We thought it might be good to start a web site--a sort of online reunion first--and set out to track down former members. That is why Carol Reimers contacted the News-Dispatch. We would like those online to come to the site and leave their e-mail address, name, address, phone numbers, links to their own web site (if any), photos, and a long, detailed letter about their CT memories and what they're doing now. The site's address is http://summerjoy.com/mc/ct.html. (Summerjoy Press is the name of the company I self-publish my books under, and is the home of the site.)
If someone isn't online, they can call or write me at:
Shepherd Hoodwin
31423 S Coast Hwy #84
Laguna Beach CA 92677-3056
949-499-3197
877-SUMMERJoy toll-free
We'd also greatly appreciate any names and addresses of other former members that any News-Dispatch readers might know of. It's like hunting down people for a high school reunion, only we're talking about a span of a couple generations rather than just one year's class.
We really appreciate your help.
All the best,
Shepherd Hoodwin
LETTER #2
Dear Emily,
>I just tried calling you
I got home too late to call you back.
>1. Any sort of culminating event or get-together with this reunion?
>Details? What are your hopes for this reunion?
Nothing definite, but if we reach enough people and it picks up steam, a physical reunion at some point would be great--a lot of people have expressed interest.
>2. Your roles, parts in plays..which productions...
I played "Toad" in "Toad of Toad Hall" when I was in 7th grade, age 12, in 1967, and the "Artful Dodger" (triple-cast with Steve Applequist and Stu Whitmore, I believe) in "Oliver!" in 1969 (I think). I probably played about 15 roles in all with CT during my teens, in addition to the regular summer productions, other community theater, and school shows. I think Michigan City was unusual in those days because of the opportunities the DAF provided for teens to act. I don't know if it's still that way, or if anyone is still doing CT there.
Again, I am sending copies of this to the others who are so far on the list. Would any of you like to answer this question?
Margot Rose and Shelley Sprague are extraordinarily talented actors on this list, but I don't know how often they check their e-mail, and they may not be able to get back to you in time (maybe you can get an extension). I don't recall many of their specific credits, but both went away to Interlochen Arts Academy for high school, and starred in a still-remembered production of "The Miracle Worker." (I didn't see it, but can imagine it.) Shelley played Helen Keller, and Margot played Annie Sullivan. Shelley starred at the Dunes in an adult production of "Once Upon a Mattress" (I was in the chorus, age 12). Margot, along with Cyn Stuermer (now Jacobs) and Ann Devereux (spelling) played Nancy in "Oliver!", also an adult production. I'm not remembering CT productions very well. Can others help?
Cyn now leaves down the road from me in Newport Beach, California (I'm in Laguna Beach), is an architect, and just played a leading role in a fine production of a forgotten Somerset Maughm play from the 1920s, "The Constant Wife" (?), which I got to see.
Cyn, her husband Daniel, Isabel Meth, whose two children were both active in CT and who now lives in San Diego, and I went to see Margot Rose perform in a professional musical review, "The Gay 90s," in LA a few months ago. I understand that Margot made a pilot for a tv show that came close to being made about a year ago.
Peter Oberlink did everything, as I recall, playing several leads, building sets, hanging lights, etc.
Carol Lambka (now Reimers) was the perfect stage manager in addition to acting.
What am I forgetting? And these are just the handful of people who have found their way to the site so far.
Emily, the News-Dispatch constantly ran articles and reviews of plays that CT did for maybe 30 years, so there's got to be tons of material.
>3. Are you a Mich. City native?
Yes. I was in CT year-round.
>Where did you and the rest of the teens stay for those summers? Did you >participate summers or all year? Did CT
>run all year? Were those kids natives?
The families of some of the kids were in Michiana only in the summers, in summer homes near the beach, and lived in the Chicago area during the school year. But most, I think, lived there year-round. I always lived in Edgewood. During the summers, I often rode my one-speed Schwinn bicycle out to Michiana (it took me about an hour each way), either going down Lake Shore Drive, or on the side of highways. Sometimes I took the bus, too, but it only ran once an hour, and I like the independence of riding my bike.
Some of the older kids worked at the Dunes full-time during the summer on crew, and lived in little cabins behind the theater (which are probably still there).
>4. Any cute stories to share? Memories?
Let me think about that.
Do any of the rest of you have something to share?
Emily, would you please e-mail all of us your final article?
All the best,
Shepherd