Real Deal - Bryn Athyn Community Theater (B-Act)

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."   ~ Margaret Mead ~   In my little hometown, NO group has produced the dramatic changes in our community & our schools & our relationship to the larger community around us than Bryn Athyn Community Theater.  Not exaggerating, just a fact.

B-Act started 33 years ago with our first production, Arsenic Old Lace, performed on the stage of the Assembly Hall.  If theater historians visited Bryn Athyn today & went looking for the site of that first production, they would not be able to find it, search they high or search they lo.  It's been gone these 11 years, transformed (literally) into the Mitchell Performing Arts Center.  And the Mitchell Performing Arts Center (MPAC to most folks, The Mitchell to me) changed EVERYTHING about the Academy schools & community. 

The Mitchell's website describes it to a T ~ "The dream began in the 1980’s when a group of theater enthusiasts in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania collaborated to dream up new visions of a community theater. Among this group was Mimi Mitchell, longtime supporter of the performing arts and drama teacher at both the Academy of the New Church and College. In addition to being one of the major benefactors of the project, Mimi contributed her substantial enthusiasm and theatrical experience to the project."  

It started with that small group of theater enthusiasts, but it would never have happened without a couple of determined people who broke the resistance to building what is now considered an iconic campus building. 

The story behind the building of the Mitchell Performing Arts Center played like a melodrama.  It is difficult - unimaginable! - to believe the lack of interest in building what is now considered an iconic place & space.  Back then, everything was about sports.  Even when building did proceed with the performing arts space (which only happened after deftly placed pressure from a couple enthusiasts), there was no matching grant for funds raised as there had been when the Asplundh Field House was renovated & expanded; certain key features - which could only be included at the time of construction - were not added.  But virtue saved the day & the theater was built!  

Not that anyone in the audience would know.  From the moment the curtain raised on The King & I, everyone fell in love with The Mitchell.  It has been a hotbed for theatrical talent within the schools & Bryn Athyn & beyond.  The Mitchell Performing Arts Center personifies, embodies, shouts "COMMUNITY!!" from its rooftop.  

And it wouldn't have been more than a cockeyed-dream meeting skeptical scowls if it hadn't been for that small group of committed theater enthusiasts known as Bryn Athyn Community Theater.  Mega bravos!!

But B-Act had been a major, albeit quiet, ground breaker for more expansive community long before 2002.  It was, to the best of my knowledge, the first official Bryn Athyn community organization to welcome people outside of our faith.  Hard to believe in this day & age, opening it up was a controversial subject & there was not complete agreement it was the right thing to do.  How well that decision has played out over the years.

Such years!  Such amazing productions, including original productions written by B-Act members, including Liz Kufs' Avalon and Kent Cooper's  Under the Shadow of Thy Wings.  

Being on the B-Act stage changed at least one life - mine.  Back in the days when our productions were performed on the Heilman Hall stage, I was cast as Mrs. Boyle in The Mousetrap.  Cameron didn't cast me because I delivered the best audition - he cast me because I was the only one he could dragoon into volunteering, in spite of almost no acting experience & (sadly) little to no talent.  But being on stage opened an opportunity - through a wildly serendipitous turn of events - to step outside of myself for the first time.  By the time I tried out for & won the delicious role of the sarcastic & quick-witted Doreen, in Tartuffe, I was infinitely more adept at stepping outside of myself.  (My B.A. friends told me, "Doreen brought out a whole new you!", while friends from beyond B.A. said, to a person, "Type casting.")

From it's inception to present day, Bryn Athyn Community Theater has personified the real deal when it comes to being an awesome example of true community spirit.  

In its 32nd year, B-Act is as energized & splendid as ever.  Pirates of Penzance was nothing short of over-the-top FABULOUS throughout its sold-out (!) performances.  The future looks dazzling, with the multi-talented, energetic Justine Brannon (Mabel, in Pirates) taking the reins as B-Act president, building on a strong foundation of previous productions & Boards.  

It is not exaggerating to say that the high school, the college, the community (both immediate & beyond) would not be even close to what they are today without the spark & spur of Bryn Athyn Community Theater, the dreams of its small, committed group of enthusiasts, and the talent of its cast & crews over the years.  

BRAVO!  to an organization that changed its hometown and, in so doing, changed the world.  

Encore!!

Thoughtless (is good!)

Over the past few days, I have not acted normally.  And that is wonderful!

In the wee small hours of Sunday morning, decided to stud the edge of Tom & Nina’s scrapbox with ½” pearls, set 2” apart, instead of trimming it with ribbon as planned.  It didn’t hit me until later, long after the entire box was completed, that the pearl-trimmed edge mirrored an architectural element in the far background of the photo that graced the lid.  Happenstance?  At the time, I thought, “Serendipity!”  Now…  Not so sure.

About an hour before the party honoring the two kicked off, I crafted a “spacer” for the 12” x 14” box out of a piece of extra 12” x 12” black scrap paper.  It basically made itself.  No conscious thought on my part, although I was aware that the contents kept shifting.  Alas, the paper spacer kept collapsing – solved, when I simply rolled up a piece of paper & slipped it inside, creating enough tension to maintain its integrity.  Eureka!

Last night, I was tired.  Bred-in-the-bone tired.  John & I were picking up a few things at the grocery store, then we were headed down to Miss Philly Grill for dinner, because I was NOT up to cooking.  As we shopped, it hit me that what I really wanted on such a dank, dark evening was a nice hot plate of spaghetti – and I had a large jar of yummy sauce at home, along with a box of campanelli pasta (bell-shaped, captures the sauce).  What didn’t process until we were eating three hours later was that the amount of time it took to make the dish & let it simmer long enough to develop a full, satisfying flavor was also the amount of time it took for me to bake 175 mini cupcakes for today’s Cupcake Lady activity at the New Church Day picnic (looking forward to when we have a regular-sized oven & the same task takes 45 mins!).    I hadn’t consciously calculated the time & very light required energy in my head, but it’s pretty darn clear that something up there toted up the advantages.

With three  (3) such instances over as many days, am delighted to announce that I am clearly getting thoughtless.  As in arriving at good solutions without going through the conscious process of thinking.  It is an amazing feeling.  Especially at the ripe old age of 61!  

Am getting more & more thoughtless, and that is a VERY good thing!!

Real Deal - Star of Wonder

Yes, I know that a lot of churches have special Christmas programs that welcome one & all to participate.  But it will always give me shivers of joy wandering around the cathedral's Choir Hall during the annual Star of Wonder event, the first Saturday in December.  

Everyone is smiles as adults & children work on decorating cookies, making star ornaments, crafting centerpieces.  

As someone who grew up experiencing the Choir Hall as just a space to stand around in during a wedding reception or what you walk through on your way into services, is it a never-ending joy to feel the warmth & good fellowship, the welcoming aura that fills the room throughout the year, but especially at Christmastide.  During the Star of Wonder, it feels like the building is holding all of us in a happy holiday hug.  What could be a more real deal?!!

Real Deal - Tibetan Monks at Glencairn

Bryn Athynites do not, in my opinion, have the above-average sense of community service & personal interaction with folks in need that I was raised to believe we have.  

It's not that we aren't generous with our time & energies, it's just that a) it's not as universal as many seem to believe, and b) I've known a lot of people, neighborhoods  & faith communities outside my beloved boro that put us to shame when it comes to outreach.  It's quite possible that many folks in my hometown go over & above the norm of helping others, but they are not as unique as sometimes painted.  

There are ways where Bryn Athyn is truly unique & incredibly wonderful.  Consider the Great Hall at Glencairn.  Where beautifully-gowned women once danced with elegantly dressed men, Tibetan monks  spent a week creating an exquisite mandala out of sand.

Interesting flip from the long-ago days, when Bryn Athynites believed the best way to illustrate & protect our distinctiveness was through intentional separation from the larger community.  A core reason for bringing the monks to Glencairn - a desire to introduce folks in the immediate AND larger communities to different cultural traditions, different ways of expressing faith - was quite the flip from what was once the "norm."  

The monks were a hit!  

Visitors were intrigued by the ritual art form, which originated in India over 2,500 years ago and has been practiced in Tibet since 600 A.D.  The design of the sand mandala is based on instructions in ancient texts.  It is usually done collaboratively (at Glencairn, it has been done collaboratively and by a solitary monk), as part of a religious ceremony or initiation.  India 2,500 years ago and has been practiced in Tibet since 600 A.D.

It was easy for admirers to grasp that the brightly colored sand conveyed the message that although we may be different colors, may look different, we are all one.  But unsuspecting onlookers were stunned by the piece's final message - after giving them several moments to appreciate his handiwork, the monks deconstructed the whole amazing thing, illustrating that nothing in life is permanent, things are always changing.  

What a remarkable experience, watching a priceless piece of art being created in a vaulted room filled with priceless art - except this piece would be gone forever in a matter of mere moments, leaving behind a priceless message of peace.

We need to release what was - all of it.  

Theirs is not a religion of massive introspection, but one of release.  Instead of dithering about what to do to ensure we are on the path to heaven, they step away from following "shoulds," instead believing we are meant to live a life that makes sense to us, not living by rules, but from a core of what feels right, what brings peace.

What the museum presented went far beyond the mandala.  A minister/teacher gave a lecture on the origins and unique aspects of the Tibetan style of Buddhism, including the purpose, symbolism, and ritualistic elements of mandalas, and proposed possible connections between Buddhist and New Church teaching (can't imagine how that might have gone down 50 years ago!).  The guest curator was NOT a Swedenborgian!!!  Even more radical, he believes Buddhist & Swedenborgian traditions share certain key insights on how to realize genuine fulfillment, including that true spirituality demands an engagement IN this world (not separation from it).  How that might have ruffled feathers back in those long-ago days, when devout believers were convinced in the utter & complete distinctiveness of the religion!  

Welcoming the monks to Glencairn, presenting us with new information about how an ancient faith connects to our practically brand new one, proved a wonderful, affecting way to introduce us to different cultural traditions, to different ways of expressing faith.  

Thank you, everyone at Glencairn - when it comes to serving a distinctive use that's truly unique & distinctive, different from anything you'll find in communities around us, it's the real deal!!

Blasphemy

Today, someone shared - in a very public forum - a story illustrating the rare community spirit that he sees hallmarks our hometown and religion.  

It may seem blasphemy to many, but the strong community spirit - dropping off hot soup & homemade bread to someone who's sick, folding laundry for a frazzled family - that he sees in Bryn Athyn is just as as evident all around our little town, from Huntingdon Valley & Hatboro to New Hope & New Britain, in dozens of faith communities & hundreds of neighborhoods.

Mind you, it's a vaunted sense of community service & support that I look forward to helping  blossom from perception to glorious reality.  But at this point in time, we are not the altruistic community that so many life to envision. We never were - but we can be!  We can turn things around, encouraging & nurturing a glorious tradition of volunteerism & engagement, instead of being a place where most folks seem to invest their time & energies in things that touch an area of interest, rather than an area of need.  

"But that's human nature," friends have said.  

Yes, it is.  Am talking about appealing to our spiritual nature.  

How many times have I seen folks in my beloved boro be exceptionally supportive - if those in need are somehow on their personal radar.  I've heard their reasoning - "We only have so many unspoken-for hours in a day, so carefully doling them out makes sense on a certain level."  Hey, it's only human! 

Give me a magic wand & a bunch of wishes.  I'd abracadabra a Bryn Athyn that fully personifies the exceptional community spirit, engagement & nurturing volunteerism many envision is already in the here & now. A place where released energies spur unimagined initiatives.  

Making this vision real - a community filled with folks pursuing full-hearted "good neighbor" energies - is my until~my~last~breath purpose.  

Strange but true - since I was a little kid, what I've fully, completely envisioned typically ends up a reality.  Downright spooky.  Well, my full, complete vision for my little hometown is it becoming a genuine hallmark of full-throttle community service & support.  And that we will just BE that way, without noticing it & certainly not pointing it out.  

Pardon me if this seems blasphemous, but patting ourselves on the back smacks of taking pride in being different than others, being better, more atuned & active.  Reality Check:  as someone who's done my best (and failed) to get people involved, am here to tell you that what the world considers volunteerism is not all that pervasive in our little boro.  But it can & will be!  That's not blasphemy - that's a promise!

To be continued....

Renew, Refresh, Revitalize

YAY! for the folks in my hometown for looking around & realizing, "Yikes!  Where's our community??"  And three cheers for the Appreciative Inquiry process, a way to start looking at the dynamics we cherish & new ones that could be introduced; it helps open the way for so many initiatives to come tumbling into our consciousness & be expressed into life.  

Personally, I lack the patience necessary for a process like Appreciative Inquiry.  Give me a ball & let me run with it, show me a need & let me start filling it.  Different strokes for different folks - together, they form a picture, a collage of community-oriented activities directed at helping keep my little hometown a strong community.  

Mom liked to quote Bruce Glenn, speaking of our faith - "The first generation had inspiration. The second generation had loyalty.  What will our (meaning his & Mom's) generation be remembered for?"

Dean Glenn's comment gets me wondering about today's conglomerate of generations of Bryn Athynites.  What will we be remembered for, when it comes to nurturing our community?  

Sensing all the focused energies currently considering Who are we?,  What do we want to express?,  How do we want to be experienced?, perhaps it will be "renewed, refreshed, revitalized."  

Facing Patriarchy

For all of my life, I considered my little hometown a paragon of stewardship.  How unsettling to realize that much - maybe most -  of its vaunted qualities reached back a strong patriarchal hand.  

Much of what my family & neighbors experienced as a rich community experience WAS wonderful, but it was handed to us.  Literally.  We were encouraged to be generous & kind, but there wasn't an urgent need to put our shoulder to the wheel, to create community-nurturing events.  They were all around us, ready made.  

In many ways, that history provides a great jumping off point to a renaissance of rich community  experience.  We can describe how it felt doing certain things, a good starting point for figuring what we can do to achieve a similar sense of connection.  

Stewardship is the polar opposite of patriarchy.  It is easy to see the importance of stewardship, but the lure of patriarchy is hard to recognize & resist.

To me, stewardship is making opportunities available & seeing when others point to them.  It means speaking up, then stepping back, letting people embrace the opportunity or shie away from it.  That is HARD, at least for me.  Every fiber in my being wants to pursue, cajole, persuade.  That is not stewardship.  

Maybe it's not everyone's definition of the word, but for me stewardship is about helping people be themselves, whether I like it or not.  It means leaving myself open for others to help me do the same.  It is not about striving to control outcomes.  

How does a town steeped in patriarchy recognize where its positive & negative impact on our culture, how it still influences us individually & within groups, and explore ways to become a steward-based community?   Challenging, yet exciting.  It won't take leadership or the outpourings of committees & charts, but the engagement of human hearts & hands.