As read in a memorial celebrating the life of Debbie Hunter
December 21, 2007
A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of helping Debbie with
her annual children’s theater workshop. During this very special
two-week period, Debbie coached a group of children ranging
from age 8-14 in theater arts. The very first item on the agenda
was helping the children to know each other in a positive way.
She had the children select an adjective to describe themselves
starting with the first letter of their first name. Each adjective
had to be positive. Soon the children were interacting with one
another and addressing them by this adjective.
Debbie chose the adjective Dynamic. Even in her last days,
Dynamic Debbie found the courage to laugh. Holding on to her
directorial hat as long as she could.
As I think back, I believe the word best describes the Debbie I
came to know and love. And most of all appreciate.
As I think back on our friendship, each memory is characterized
by Debbie’s enthusiasm. Whatever she embraced, she
embraced with full heart. Whatever she did, she gave her all.
My earliest remembrance was a musical called, Nunsense. I got
know Debbie a little, then. We discovered we had both worked
at Office for the Aging at different times. We were united, not
only in our love of theater, but our commitment to the elderly.
There were many joint theater moments that we shared. So
many, I could write a book. Maybe I will do just that. But each
one brings back flashes of our dear Dynamic Debbie,
encouraging and coaching.
I remember a dinner theater about a year before Debbie
became ill, called The Hilarious Hillbilly Massacre. Debbie
helped with production and sound. Dynamic Debbie turned the
task into a character. The director thought he’d quiet her by
making her character mute. Dynamic Debbie would not be
outdone. She found a bike horn and added her two cents now
and again.
I remember another dinner theater that Debbie directed, a spy
spoof called Death Suite. Dynamic Debbie didn’t care for the
scripted character, Suzie Sockwasher and recreated a persona,
Gertrude Von Costoppe, an opera diva scam artist with a
German accident. Including the insertion of a parady to Hello
Madduah, Hello Fadduh. I remember the unscripted costume
changes from a caped snooty announcer, to Braunhilda,
complete with braids, helmet, and sword, to a geisha girl in all
her finery. Every cast member was brought up about ten
notches through parodies and musical numbers not in the
original script.
Dynamic Debbie loved spoofs, the heart and soul of her children’
s theater workshops, a take off on Rocky and Bullwinkle’s
Frivolously Fractured Fairy Tales. The children loved them.
NFTG is in current production for Debbie's final spoof,
Scorching Saddles, a western with take offs on every western
imaginable including: Shane, Have Gun Will Travel, The Wild
West Show, Gunsmoke, and Who Shot Liberty Valance, to
name just a few. Dynamic Debbie wanted to get it right and
spent three years reviewing old shows and movies, picking out
props, and honing the script with fellow theater members.
My personal friendship with Dynamic Debbie went beyond the
theater. I remember the Murder Mystery Games we played,
where the guests came in costume. Dynamic Debbie always
outdid the rest of us, every aspect of her costume in full spirit of
the game.
Sometimes, we would get together for Trivial Pursuit. Dynamic
Debbie rolled the dice with her signature roll. We learned to
duck when Dynamic Debbie’s turn came. I remember another
game involving charades called Act I. We would laugh the night
away.
Dynamic Debbie loved to help me with my writing. This too, she
did with enthusiasm. I would read my drafts, and Debbie would
become entrenched in the story. Where many became bored,
Dynamic Debbie became my most treasured critique partner. I
remember a trip we took to Brattleboro, Vermont to do some
research for a book I was writing. We left the house at six in
the morning and didn’t return until late at night. But Dynamic
Debbie engulfed the experience, taking pictures, helping me
find brochures and landmarks. We stopped to examine the
nineteenth century architecture, and even visited the
Brattleboro High School to see if they had a football team. We
even made a stop at Stowe and toured the famous Top Notch
Ski Resort, where my hero met my heroine. We talked about
how my love birds might have met at this romantic spot.
Finally, I will remember Dynamic Debbie as she would want us
to. I believe this poem, taken from a Little House on the Prairie
Episode, "Remember Me" and written by Michael Landon, is
Dynamic Debbie’s song:
Remember me with smiles and laughter,
For that's the way I'll remember you all.
If you can only remember me with tears,
Then don't remember me at all.
I will always remember you with laughter, my dear dynamic
friend.
Written by
Linda Rondeau
Copyright by Linda Rondeau
For reprint permission
email: lrondeau@westelcom.com
December 21, 2007
A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of helping Debbie with
her annual children’s theater workshop. During this very special
two-week period, Debbie coached a group of children ranging
from age 8-14 in theater arts. The very first item on the agenda
was helping the children to know each other in a positive way.
She had the children select an adjective to describe themselves
starting with the first letter of their first name. Each adjective
had to be positive. Soon the children were interacting with one
another and addressing them by this adjective.
Debbie chose the adjective Dynamic. Even in her last days,
Dynamic Debbie found the courage to laugh. Holding on to her
directorial hat as long as she could.
As I think back, I believe the word best describes the Debbie I
came to know and love. And most of all appreciate.
As I think back on our friendship, each memory is characterized
by Debbie’s enthusiasm. Whatever she embraced, she
embraced with full heart. Whatever she did, she gave her all.
My earliest remembrance was a musical called, Nunsense. I got
know Debbie a little, then. We discovered we had both worked
at Office for the Aging at different times. We were united, not
only in our love of theater, but our commitment to the elderly.
There were many joint theater moments that we shared. So
many, I could write a book. Maybe I will do just that. But each
one brings back flashes of our dear Dynamic Debbie,
encouraging and coaching.
I remember a dinner theater about a year before Debbie
became ill, called The Hilarious Hillbilly Massacre. Debbie
helped with production and sound. Dynamic Debbie turned the
task into a character. The director thought he’d quiet her by
making her character mute. Dynamic Debbie would not be
outdone. She found a bike horn and added her two cents now
and again.
I remember another dinner theater that Debbie directed, a spy
spoof called Death Suite. Dynamic Debbie didn’t care for the
scripted character, Suzie Sockwasher and recreated a persona,
Gertrude Von Costoppe, an opera diva scam artist with a
German accident. Including the insertion of a parady to Hello
Madduah, Hello Fadduh. I remember the unscripted costume
changes from a caped snooty announcer, to Braunhilda,
complete with braids, helmet, and sword, to a geisha girl in all
her finery. Every cast member was brought up about ten
notches through parodies and musical numbers not in the
original script.
Dynamic Debbie loved spoofs, the heart and soul of her children’
s theater workshops, a take off on Rocky and Bullwinkle’s
Frivolously Fractured Fairy Tales. The children loved them.
NFTG is in current production for Debbie's final spoof,
Scorching Saddles, a western with take offs on every western
imaginable including: Shane, Have Gun Will Travel, The Wild
West Show, Gunsmoke, and Who Shot Liberty Valance, to
name just a few. Dynamic Debbie wanted to get it right and
spent three years reviewing old shows and movies, picking out
props, and honing the script with fellow theater members.
My personal friendship with Dynamic Debbie went beyond the
theater. I remember the Murder Mystery Games we played,
where the guests came in costume. Dynamic Debbie always
outdid the rest of us, every aspect of her costume in full spirit of
the game.
Sometimes, we would get together for Trivial Pursuit. Dynamic
Debbie rolled the dice with her signature roll. We learned to
duck when Dynamic Debbie’s turn came. I remember another
game involving charades called Act I. We would laugh the night
away.
Dynamic Debbie loved to help me with my writing. This too, she
did with enthusiasm. I would read my drafts, and Debbie would
become entrenched in the story. Where many became bored,
Dynamic Debbie became my most treasured critique partner. I
remember a trip we took to Brattleboro, Vermont to do some
research for a book I was writing. We left the house at six in
the morning and didn’t return until late at night. But Dynamic
Debbie engulfed the experience, taking pictures, helping me
find brochures and landmarks. We stopped to examine the
nineteenth century architecture, and even visited the
Brattleboro High School to see if they had a football team. We
even made a stop at Stowe and toured the famous Top Notch
Ski Resort, where my hero met my heroine. We talked about
how my love birds might have met at this romantic spot.
Finally, I will remember Dynamic Debbie as she would want us
to. I believe this poem, taken from a Little House on the Prairie
Episode, "Remember Me" and written by Michael Landon, is
Dynamic Debbie’s song:
Remember me with smiles and laughter,
For that's the way I'll remember you all.
If you can only remember me with tears,
Then don't remember me at all.
I will always remember you with laughter, my dear dynamic
friend.
Written by
Linda Rondeau
Copyright by Linda Rondeau
For reprint permission
email: lrondeau@westelcom.com
| A Tribute to Dynamic Debbie |
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| A SPECIAL FEATURE By Linda Rondeau |