Public Employee Press

TheaterWorks! class puts members’ lives on stage

Yolanda Pringle wanted to improve her English. Lynn Viear channeled her inner drama queen. And Dehavilyn Jones knew it was finally time to shed her shell and shine.

Everyone has a story to tell. These
members and a dozen more put pen to paper to write theirs with help from TheaterWorks!, a 16-week writing course at the DC 37 Education Fund to help members improve their communication skills.

“I realized it was time to step out of the box,” said Jones, a Local 1070 member who sang and danced before a live audience for the first time when the students performed June 26 at the Henry Street Settlement. “This class gave me the confidence.”

Like Jones’ play about a young woman who must choose between her overprotective mother and a promising singing career, many of the students’ one-act works were based on personal struggles, dilemmas and dreams, and resolving conflicts in the workplace.

Computer Specialist Olga Bautina comically dramatized the lifelong sibling rivalry in an aging family of Russian immigrants. Substance abuse counselor Claudine Nicole’s play dealt with harassment from a difficult supervisor. Museum Guard and poet Tanieka Brannon turned family adversities into triumphs in her play, “Shades of Blue.”

The students said they learned writing techniques and had fun exploring ideas that sprang from the drama that occurs in everyday life. They also got to write for and work with professional actors and directors.

“These are full-time employees with very full lives. They have a lot of raw material and talent,” said Instructor Michael Bernard, a playwright, director and actor with Working Theater, the program’s co-sponsor.

“TheaterWorks! lets members write, act, and speak through art,” said Ed Fund Associate Administrator Viviana Tillman. “It is a learning process that renews one’s appreciation for theater.”

For information, call Ed Fund Assistant Director Cathy Browne at 212-815-1676 or go to www.dc37.net.

— DSW