From Shy to Shining - By Caroline Donnelly

I’m Caroline Donnelly. The summer of 2007 was my second as a member of the MTW Teens Together Summer Theatre Ensemble at the West Pullman Park Cultural Center (Try to say that three times in a row, fast.) I also had the privilege of serving as one of two Illinois Arts Council Youth Employment in the Arts interns.

Since it was my second time around, I thought I knew what the summer would hold. Therefore, I had a mission: I was going to bring out all of the shy little wallflowers and help them shine! However, on the first day, I found that I was the one who was scared of new people. I huddled with the familiar faces that had been in the program the year before. There was not much time to catch up with old friends though.

We had to get to work on The Silhouette in the Savannah, an original musical mystery about a fire that was set in the West Pullman Park Savannah. The characters in the play needed to find out who burnt down the West Pullman Park Savannah. At the beginning of the show, everyone seems to blame everyone else. Towards the end of play when the culprit comes forward, all of the characters come together to rebuild the Savannah.

The play’s theme, “community members should work together”, must have gotten through to the ensemble. This summer, all of us became a family. By working together to put on the best show we could we also had an amazing summer.

The play had another message, which was to save the real Savannah of West Pullman Park. The West Pullman Park Counsel has, at various times, considered removing the Savannah due to the negative activity that sometimes occurs there. Silhouette in the Savannah showed the positive aspects of the Savannah, which helped the decision to keep the Savannah, at least for the time being. This summer was filled with new experiences and friends that I hope will last a lifetime. Although, that is what you have to expect for MTW.

By Caroline Donnelly