Posted by Emily Nebergall on May 01, 1998 at 12:28:48:
By Emily Nebergall
News-Dispatch correspondent
Members of a local children's theater program that started more
than 45 years ago are using the information highway in hopes it reunites
them.
As part of its commitment to the arts, the Dunes Arts Foundation
started the Children's Theatre (CT) of the Dunes Art Foundation in 1951
under Nora MacAlvay's direction. Each season, it lets young theater
enthusiasts operate every aspect of their plays.
Those now adult actors and actresses, stage managers, technicians
and costumers are looking to reunite and are using the Internet to do so.
"There has been talk for years of a CT reunion," member Shepherd
Hoodwin said. "It's like hunting down people for a high school reunion only
we're talking about a span of a couple of generations rather than just one
year's class."
Some plays Hoodwin performed in were "Oliver" and "Once Upon a
Mattress." Recent productions the group has done include "Rumplestiltskin"
and "Curse of the Werewolf."
And MacAlvay's proteges stretch across nearly 30 years of summer
vacations.
"We thought it might be good to start a web site - a sort of
on-line reunion first - and set out to track down former members," said
Hoodwin, who started an email list and soon after designed a web site at
http://summerjoy.com/mc/ct.html.
The site lets members leave current phone numbers and addresses and
post any thoughts or memories for other members.
A culminating event might be possible for CT members but Hoodwin
said nothing is definite yet.
"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," he said.
While the group considerably has spread out since their times
together in Michigan City, some from as far as London have expressed
interest in reuniting. One member, Margot Rose, has emerged as a
professional actress who has filmed a television pilot and acted in Los
Angeles area productions.
Hoodwin is looking for local CT veterans to contact him or the
website with information about themselves and any "lost" members. Anyone
with information should write him at 31423 S. Coast Highway 84, Laguna
Beach, Calif., 92677-3056, or call (949) 499-3197.
- Contact Emily Nebergall at mo@adsnet.com