Looking Back at the kayitz 2010 Drama Program!
It takes a Kehilla….
What most people do not know about pulling off spectacular camp plays at Ramah is the amount of team work that goes in to it. If all the people who are involved think that the play could not have possibly been as good without their contribution, then I know we will have a great show.
What the audience sees on the bama (performance stage), is rather like the 10% of an iceberg that is visible above the water. The true miracle of theatre lies beneath the surface, the 90% mass of process that remains invisible unless we dive beneath the waves…
The group of campers in the second session shows dedicated themselves wholeheartedly and we are very proud of the work they have accomplished. What the audience and you will never see are the countless hours spent memorizing lines, working on characterization, practicing music and dance. What will remain invisible are the hours spent sewing costumes, composing music, developing choreography, or
planning the technical elements by both campers and staff. Very few will speak of the rehearsals when we had to have conversations about commitment, or the rehearsals where we laughed so hard we couldn't stand up.
What we hope everyone at camp saw this session, through A-Side's bright and optimistic rendition of Chofshee LeeHiyot…Ata V'Ani (Free to be…You and Me), Machon's inspiring and colorful presentation of Yoseph U'Kutenet Hapasim (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), and the most rockin' show to ever hit a Ramah stage, "Glee", performed by Nivonim, are the stories told by some funny, quirky, talented young people who have not had an easy journey in putting these productions together but who persevered as a kehilla (community), and a camp coming together to have the privilege of witnessing and celebrating their success.
I have been a part of the Ramah family for over 30 years and I am grateful for the commitment the leadership of this camp has made to the arts. In the 20 years that I have been a director and teaching artist, I have been deeply moved by the impact theatre has on the healthy development of young people. Aside from the vocal exercises, acting technique, and character development, theatre is an opportunity for all of us to practice what it means to be human. To have empathy for others, to dream, to work hard in pursuit of a greater goal, to tell stories that explore important questions about who we are and why we're here — THIS is the legacy that theatre leaves with us. Todah Rabba to all of the chanichim and tzevet from all across camp for going above the call of duty to create memories that will last a lifetime.
Devora Yellin Brustin
Rosh Drama 2010