First, HOW I BECAME A PIRATE and then TRUE COLORS; Hamilton-Gibson Keeps Going On

First, How I Became a Pirate and then True Colors; Hamilton-Gibson Keeps Going On... by Barbara Biddison

Put one thing in front of the other, and you start with a band of singing women pirates in the Warehouse Theatre, June 19 through June 22. The program calls it "a swashbuckling adventure for the whole family," and so it is. The all-female cast and crew was directed by Yolie Canales who helped them find their pirate spirit and bring it to life. I saw the show in a Sunday matinee, and there were LOTS of kids in the audience, many of them accompanied by adults. What a treat!! The Hamilton-Gibson Women's Project creates the space, the opportunity, for such gender-bending as not only a whole cast of female pirates but also production roles such as set design and construction and lights and sound. Many challenges for women and girls!!

And a show that is appropriate for a young audience, and a teen audience, and adults of all ages. And the opportunity to create a remarkable set that roles on and off the stage. And the challenge of finding costumes that will carry the idea of women pirates. A lot of thought and creative ideas went into this show with its band of women pirates. The cast also really seemed to be having fun. Yes!! So was the audience!!

A day later, on to TRUE COLORS, June 23 through June 27. The Tioga County Fairgrounds hosted the Theatre Arts Camp for Kids who attended camp for the week and then put on their show on Friday, the last day. The program lists 28 campers in the cast, all directed by Thomas Putnam who was assisted by three interns and two staff. There were songs sung by the campers, and very short plays, and dances of different sorts, all (as the program says) circling around the theme of color. A few of us attended the Friday show, most were parents of course, and the kids were (are always) of all sizes and shapes and degrees of expertise--but most of all they moved freely and were having a good time. Couldn't do it without the help of those interns and staff people.
I don't know how many of the kids know each other already. But as I sit there on the front row, I see them all "helping" each other.

It is easy to watch this camp experience and feel the fun and concentration and hoping to remember what comes next. Though it is not a perfect song-n-dance routine that we witness, it is remarkable what they learn in just a short week. The program says that there is funding to make it possible for all children to be able to attend the camp...And that makes me smile.