High School, Theater, Uncategorized

Brava! for the Drama Mamas

by Another Slice

With admiration, appreciation and intentional definition we salute theatre moms, women who support drama without creating it.The distinction between our beloved drama mamas and the appropriately maligned stage mom lies in a single word: intent.

Theatre moms cheerfully volunteer to sew costumes, paint sets, serve meals, organize calendars, sell concessions, manage tickets, layout programs and distribute posters based on a genuine desire to help the theatre program.

Stage moms, like the ones championed by reality TV, operate from a more myopic viewpoint, hoping to leverage their volunteer hours into a brighter spotlight for their child.

Theatre moms are some of the kindest, most intelligent women we know and the Appleton North Theatre Program is crawling with them.  CeCe Schoaf, the magnificently talented costume designer who has not had a child in the program for almost a decade, and her happy band of sewers stitch well into the wee hours to prepare for a show and then monitor each performance to make necessary repairs. Their consistently extraordinary costumes are impressive enough. Even more than that, though, they make a tedious task like sewing look fun. Crazy.

Our webmaster Catherine McKenzie, past president of the North theatre booster club and all-around genius, assembled an entire library of movie trailer-like clips on a website she designed and maintains. Though her youngest daughter graduated last year, she still volunteers to record the shows, edit the clips and maintain the website. Check out her work here.

Debbie Selker, our unflappable box office manager, handles the delicate process of ticket distribution with grace and dedication. She circumvents website glitches and once re-issued tickets for an entire cast, turning her living room into a box office in the process. She is the elegant eye of the Box Office Hurricane.

We mention these three women in particular because none of them has a child currently involved in the theatre program. They help out in a pure spirit of altruism.

Here’s to them and all the other theatre moms out there who toil away behind the scenes. Brava!

Past president and current IT guru Catherine McKenzie had two daughters and several exchange students excel in the theatre program. Here she is pictured with her youngest daughter Laurel, who graduated last year,
Past president and current IT guru Catherine McKenzie had two daughters and several exchange students excel in the theatre program. Here she is pictured with her youngest daughter Laurel, who graduated last year.
A personification of grace under pressure, Debbie Selker mans the box office with poise. Her three children all participated in the program, either in the pit or on stage, but none has been in a show since 2010.
A personification of grace under pressure, Debbie Selker mans the box office with poise. Her three children all participated in the program, either in the pit or on stage, but none has been in a show since 2010.
CeCe Schoaf is responsible for the remarkable costumes. Here she is pictured with Melissa Ptacek and Linda Naden. These women and their fellow volunteers whipped up costumes for a cast of nearly 90 students, most of whom had at least three costume changes. The attention to detail on each costume piece really is amazing.
CeCe Schoaf is responsible for the remarkable costumes. Here she is pictured with Melissa Ptacek and Linda Naden. These women and their fellow volunteers whipped up costumes for a cast of nearly 90 students, most of whom had at least three costume changes. The attention to detail on each costume piece really is amazing.
All three of seamstress and all-around super volunteer Mary Abraham's children participated in the North Theatre program. Even through the youngest graduated three years ago, she's still an active participant.
All three of seamstress and super volunteer Mary Abraham’s children participated in the North Theatre program. Even through the youngest graduated three years ago, she’s still an active participant.
Not a Drama Mama, but a seamstress, role model and friend, Tina Hoff, a standout actress who graduated from North in 2006, puts in countless hours a costume designer.
Not a Drama Mama, but a seamstress, role model and friend, Tina Hoff, a standout actress who graduated from North in 2006, puts in countless hours as a costume designer.

7 thoughts on “Brava! for the Drama Mamas”

  1. Brava for this wonderful article! Hats off to all who make the North program what it is due to endless hours of volunteering from the heart.

    Reply
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