Here at OHA, we’re big believers in arts integrated learning, so much so that we’ve made it the cornerstone of our educational partnerships. Thankfully, we’ve had OHA Education Associate Robin Cust leading the charge. This evening’s your chance to get to know a little more about this lovely lady.
1. Where did you grow up?
I grew up just outside of Boone, a university town in the mountains of North Carolina, in one of the most idyllic and beautiful valleys on the planet. The worn and gently rolling mountains of the ancient Appalachian range provided an exquisite setting to commune with nature.
2. How would your elementary school classmates remember you?
That seems so long ago! If I can pull those days from the recesses of my memory, they were probably filled with creativity and humor. So yeah, I guess my classmates might most remember me for my having a creative leaning. I remember my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Taylor, giving me permission to excuse myself from the class work to “perfect” my painting of a horse…I scrubbed right through the paper in the pursuit of artistic perfection, and I’m still scrubbing today, only with different tools and materials.
I also remember laughing a lot with my closest friends at really ridiculous stuff …geez…who knows what was so funny. I surely can’t remember the details, but I’m sure it had to do with some bizarre imaginings.
3. Name four fictional characters with whom you’d be okay being stuck in an elevator. Why them?
John Steinbeck’s Junius Maltby would be a great companion and would find many things to be in awe of or to wonder about while being oblivious to the desperate situation. He would have us enthralled with some interesting flight of fancy for a very short time until The Forrester Family from Marjorie Kennan Rawlings The Yearling, who are constantly fighting and arguing with everyone over every little thing, would take matters into their own hands. They’re not the type of friends you want to invite to a dinner party: they’re loud, violent, wild and mean, and I actually have a soft spot in my heart for them. Guaranteed…we wouldn’t be stuck in that elevator for very long!
I know that’s more than four people…The Forrester Family is big in number and girth, but I also think Mary Call Luther from Where the Lilies Bloom would be an asset. Mary Call is an unflinching and determined young woman with enough grit to bear up under a load of difficulty that would be too much for most adults. She could keep the Forresters productively focused.
I’m not sure what it says about me that I would be willing to be stuck in an elevator with characters who are desperate, intense and completely out of touch!
4. If you were a cartoon character, what cartoon character would you be?
Pink Panther. He’s sly lanky and definitely cool. He doesn’t even need to speak to keep your attention, and even after he’s been through the wringer, he saunters off with that sideways glance and a wink…totally in control and ready for the next hair-raising escapade!
5. When did you fall in love with theater?
Probably shortly after the unfortunate family of raccoons were evicted from The Stonington Opera House. Prior to that I was mildly intrigued by theater, and thought I might someday like to participate.
Want to see OHA educational programming in action? Come down to the Opera House next Wednesday, the 25th, at 7pm for a reprise of The Living Room Project: Grapes of Wrath, starring CAB member Bob Burke and directed by Caitlin Shetterly. This performance is done as a follow up to Tuesday’s educational symposia with the Deer Isle Stonington High School.
Oh, and if you see Robin? Give her a high five!
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