Winning Smiles at Children's Hospital

Posted by Bruce Miller
One of the great pleasures of the Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa holidays is the opportunity to give the gift of theatre to those who have no chance to enjoy our work under other circumstances.

Throughout the year, Barksdale and Theater IV regularly donate approximately 10% of all our tickets to those who otherwise could not afford to attend. We've been doing this since Theatre IV's founding in 1975.

Most of the free or deeply discounted tickets are distributed through about 40 different nonprofit organizations that regularly work with us on two service initiatives: Barksdale's Bounty at B'dale and Tickets for Kids at Theatre IV.

At Christmastime, we also enjoy taking smaller performances out to children and seniors who can't make it in to one of our theatres to see us perform in our native habitat. One of our annual holiday visits is to the wonderful children at the Children's Hospital on Brook Rd.

On Wednesday, Dec 9, the Richmond Kiwanis Club and nine performers from Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV joined together to bring some holiday fun to about 30 kids, many of whom live in their wheelchairs and hospital beds at the Children's Hospital full time. The annual Holiday Party is made possible by a donation from the Kiwanis Club, all of which is used to buy refreshments and gifts for the hospital's inpatients and day patients.

During this year's party, Kiwanis members helped the children unwrap their gifts, and carolers from Theatre IV's production of A Christmas Carol (Charlie Dacus, Robin Harris-Jones, Billy Christopher Maupin, Mark Persinger and Ali Thibodeau) plus Chase Kniffen, Jennings Whiteway, Snow Bear and I donated time to sing for and with the hospital's patients and staff.

The ultimate event of the party is, of course, a visit from Santa.

"Most of our inpatients will be spending the holiday season at the hospital this year," said Stephanie Allan, Special Events Coordinator at Children's Hospital. "This event allows the children to enjoy the holiday spirit by bringing the festivities to them."

"Our club takes great pride in our long relationship with the Children's Hospital," said Bill McAllister, Co-Chairman of the Children's Hospital Committee of the Kiwanis Club of Richmond. "This will be the 56th year of our sponsorship of the Holiday Party. What a great way to kick off the season."

"Providing access to the theatre arts is part of Theatre IV's mission," said Jennings Whiteway, Donor Stewardship and Events Manager for Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV. "We are grateful for partners like Children's Hospital for giving us the opportunity to share the wonder of live theatre with these kids, lifting their spirits, especially during this time of year. It is a rewarding experience for everyone involved and something we love to be part of each year."

Many thanks to the performers who volunteer their talents each year to service initiatives like this one. If you'd like to participate or assist in future programs, please let me know. I can't think of anything we did this holiday season--and we did a LOT--that put me more in touch with the Christmas spirit.

Until next year's holidays, I look forward to seeing you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

Snow White Takes Up Powerlifting

Posted by Bruce Miller
As I was making breakfast for Curt at 6:10 am this morning, Terrie walked into the kitchen after having picked up the paper at the end of our driveway. “Donna Deekens is going to be on Wife Swap,” she informed me. I dropped the spatula.

I’d never seen the TV show with this provocative name, but I’d heard of it. In my imaginings it conjured up images of Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.

For those not old enough to remember this quadrupley-ampersanded title, B&C&T&A was an iconic late 60s film (which I loved, by the way) about wife swapping, swinging, open marriage, free love, quad, polyamory, partnertausch … the morals of some of what we considered in the late 60s may have been pathetic, but the vocabulary was expansive.

Anyway, until this morning, I’d never expected to hear the words “Donna Deekens” and “wife swap” in the same sentence.

Donna Deekens is a longstanding friend of mine. She, Phil and Donna Whiteway, and I were theatre majors together at the University of Richmond. Donna Deekens (Donna Strother in those bygone days of yore) played Bianca in Kiss Me Kate during her freshman year (my sophomore), and I was one of her Tom, Dick or Harry suitors.

After graduation, Donna spent 20 years playing the Snow Queen during the Saturday afternoon Santa Teas at the Miller & Rhoads Tea Room in downtown Richmond. It was all about singing White Christmas and wearing long white gloves. Phil and I spent those same 20 years producing the rest of the entertainment for the Santa Teas.

(I also hosted the weekly Santa Breakfasts for 20 years at Thalhimers in The Richmond Room. I’m still stopped on the street every now and then and asked if I’m not Snow Bear’s Friend.)

Anyway, good times.

But despite the hint of naughtiness that prompted her casting as Bianca, Donna Deekens has always been the flesh and blood incarnation of Snow White. “Donna Deekens” … “driven snow.” That works for me. “Donna Deekens” … “wife swap.” Not so much.

Quoting from this morning’s Times-Dispatch, here’s a more accurate description of Donna’s Wife Swap-ing experience:

“A Midlothian woman switched families for a week, and tonight, America gets to watch. Donna Deekens, who runs a tea party business, traded places with a tattooed female powerlifter from New York for an episode of ABC’s Wife Swap. The hourlong show airs tonight at 8, locally on WRIC-Channel 8.

‘Contrast is what they’re looking for,’ Deekens said of the show’s producers, ‘and they got it with this one.’ She described the experience as ‘a wild ride … quite an adventure.’

It was an adventure she did not seek. The show’s producers contacted Deekens, having found her Web site—www.virginiateaparties.com—and apparently felt they could build a show around someone who runs a company called Teapots, Treats & Traditions. Deekens puts on tea parties, primarily for children, and along with cups of tea and dainty sandwiches serves helpings of manners, etiquette and social graces.

She and her husband, Bill, a mortgage banker, had not seen Wife Swap until they were invited to apply to participate. ‘It was something kind of scary, and something kind of exciting,’ said Deekens, the mother of two sons. ‘We look at it as trying something completely different. I always think it’s a good thing to learn from other people.’

In this cast, the other people were the McCaslins from Tribes Hill, N.Y., who live in an old elementary school and one-time mental hospital they’ve converted into a powerlifting gym. Their business is called Iron Asylum Gym.

Sandi McCaslin, who can lift more that 300 pounds and has a tattoo on her leg that reads, “Whatever It Takes,” spent more than a week in the Deekens’ suburban Midlothian home setting up tea parties. Meantime, Donna Deekens was in New York, learning all about the gym business and trying to persuade the McCaslins’ two powerlifting daughters to become more feminine.”

Hmmm. All I can say is, time to fire up the TiVo! This is one reality show I don’t want to miss.

As for my friend Donna Deekens, I think she’s great and I can’t wait to see her take this on. Donna is a talented actress and singer, by the way, and a great mom. I’m sure a fun (and wholesome) time will be had by all.

After this night of TV, I look forward to seeing you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

(Note: All photos feature Donna and come from her tea party website.)