The Theatre, the Theatre
A bit of dramatic flair seems to run in the family. I really appreciate that I share my enthusiasm for live theatre with my Grand Aunt Barbara and my Grand Niece Magnolia. It’s fun to bridge various generations with common interests.
My Grand Aunt Barbara Anthony Stockschlaeder Guinn 1893-1951 (She is the 1st person in the 1st two pictures.)
My Grand Niece Magnolia, a recent kindergarten graduate.
The first live theatrical production that I saw was the musical Brigadoon performed by the Beaumont, California High School theatre department around 1964. One of our close family friends, Larry Partain, had one of the leading roles. I was enchanted. Not only did I love the production but I was enamored with the story of Brigadoon. It totally captured my imagination.
That summer the Beaumont School System offered enrichment classes where we were able to select an area of interest to receive special instruction. I chose drama. Thus began my journey into acting and theatre production.
The summer before I entered 6th grade, my family moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The 6th grade class (the oldest grade in the elementary school) put on a play each year. I had the lead in the play; I was the Statue of Liberty.
In high school, I got involved with Thespians and was in one of the school plays.
I really became involved in theatre after high school when I joined Summer Theatre where I was active for the next several summers. (And yes, our Summer Theatre group always used the theatre spelling; theater was considered to be a bit gauche.) I also joined the theatre department at Coffeyville Community Junior College. Theatre became my passion and my refuge. (My theatre involvement happened during the Oil Embargo of 1973-1974 which was a very difficult time for my family. My dad managed two gas stations and was unable to get any gas; at one point he even tried the black market. My mom was a stay-at-home mom so we literally lost all of our income. My dad got a job at Montgomery Ward and later in Dewey, Oklahoma but money was really tight. There were no vacations, shopping trips, or dinners out. Dinner was often pancakes and eggs. After the oil embargo ended, my dad eventually got his gas stations back.) My theatre participation was free and kept me involved and engaged; I met lots of fascinating people and had wonderful experiences. Unfortunately, because we had absolutely no money, there are no photos of my time in Summer Theatre or in theatre at CCJC.
Mr. Kenneth Burchinal was in charge of Summer Theatre and head of the drama department at Coffeyville Community Junior College. He had a very loyal following. Mr. Burchinal was very demanding and had high expectations; theatre was his life and he encouraged all of us to be very passionate about our experiences. Everyone involved participated in all aspects: acting; set design, building, and painting; lighting; set-up and take-down; manning the box office; etc.
It wasn’t until recently that I discovered that Kenneth Burchinal had been a professional actor, dancer, and set designer in Chicago, Atlanta, and with various regional theatres. He worked with such people as Vera Miles and Tom Bosley and received career advice from Alan Ladd’s wife who told him to have another career to fall back on. He took her advice and became a teacher (his dad was a teacher so it was something familiar). He followed through with teaching when he needed money to live on and ended up in Coffeyville because his college advisor in Wichita told him that with his options, Coffeyville was where he needed to go because it was considered the second best school district in Kansas. After his first year of teaching he acted in regional theatre in Wisconsin and was offered a full-time position. However, he found that he really enjoyed teaching and wasn’t sure if he was quite ready to give it up. Back to Field Kindley High School he went and he never looked back. Kenneth Burchinal was a teacher in Coffeyville, Kansas from 1951 until his retirement in 1987. He started at the high school and moved to Coffeyville Community Junior College in 1970, also directing community theatre as well as summer theatre.
We put on several productions every summer which kept us totally involved. I especially enjoyed the melodramas – I loved the overacting; they were just lots of fun. The most extensive make-up I had was when I played the Country Mouse in one of our productions.
However, the part that changed my life was when I was cast as the main character in The Philadelphia Story. I played Tracy Lord, also played by Katharine Hepburn in the movie.
This was an amazing play and I feel honored to have had this experience. It really gave me a boost in my self-confidence. One of things I had to do though, was dye my hair. The character was a red-head and is called “Red” by the Cary Grant character. I received tons of compliments so decided to remain a red-head. Growing up, I had red and blond highlights in the summer when I was out in the sun so my coloring worked with my new hair color. When my dad grew a beard it was red and when I met my Grand Aunt Winifred for the first time (which was after I colored my hair), she told me that she was really glad that “someone finally inherited grandma’s red hair.”
Red hair became part of my identity and provided me with a signature look. Alas, it is time for me to give up this signature look and I have decided to give up the dye and return my hair to its natural color, which of course, is a color I’ve never seen before. It’s time for the next transformation.
I am thankful that I was involved in theatre before I became a teacher. This experience enriched my teaching career. I was able to be expressive and convey meaning through my words and gestures. I was site teacher of the year three times and district teacher of the year once in my 40 year career and I believe that my theatre experiences helped me develop my distinct teaching style. One of my great pleasures was reading aloud to students. Not only did I have my dramatic flair but I was able to create different voices to enhance the auditory adventure. I remember when I was teaching at Green Country Christian Academy, I was reading a Wrinkle in Time to my students and I definitely had created the different characters with my voice. One time, I had a substitute and requested that she read a chapter to the students after lunch. When I returned the next day, my students insisted that I reread the chapter because the substitute “didn’t do it right”.
Follow your passions wherever they take you. And remember, it’s okay for your passions to change.
Sources
Coble, Jacquelyn. “Fun and Games – Week 38 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.” Journeying with Jacque, 22 Sept. 2021, journeyingwithjacque.com/fun-and-games-week-38-of-52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/.
“Interview: Kenneth Burchinal Pt. 1 of 3.” YouTube, 15 Dec. 2012, youtu.be/VYZFyatHUdo.
“Interview: Kenneth Burchinal Pt. 2.” YouTube, 15 Dec. 2012, youtu.be/-dfLRO0nRTo.
“Interview: Kenneth Burchinal Pt. 3 of 3.” YouTube, 15 Dec. 2012, youtu.be/13hbTLrb858.
