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The Garden Of BE |
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A Musical by Tess Cartwright |
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Real Estate Maui Style PROFILES |
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Tess Cartwright for the past few years has been transforming her visions of the universe into the material world through art, music, song and dance - enriching, not only her own life, but the community's children who benefit through participation. Through her original musical entitled, "The Garden of BE", Tess's creative talents have flourished. The art and story of the musical speaks to children and adults, revealing nature's recycling messages in a novel manner. The vision began with Tess. The production began with a sign, "Free Art Classes." Children from the neighborhood flocked into the classes. Each used the plastic trash, crafting tools, paints, glue, wires and strings which Tess provided, and together they created a neighborhood theatre. As the children created, Tess and her musical collaborator, Tim Wiedenkeller, brought the script and music to life. Thus a new venture, entitled, "Mewe Creations", was born. Mewe is a word coined by Tess to describe the concept of the individual working within the group. It is used both as a noun and a verb. Each member of the troop is a "Mewe". A cast of eight to twenty children have performed the musical at various locations throughout Maui. However, the cast size is limited only by the size of the stage and the willingness of individuals "to Mewe". "The Garden" has taken root and has begun to grow. Tess's continued commitment in transforming her vision through the creative process has further enhanced the development of our community's children. |
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The artwork, involving plastic bottles and six-pack holders transformed into flowers, was representative of the stage set at the hotel for Cartwright's "the Garden of 'BE'" production, which features up to 15 West Maui children. Everything on stage is made by hand, mostly from items people would ordinarily throw away. The stage is literally festooned with blossoms wrought of discarded bleach jugs, juice bottles, water bottles. Puppets, which act as principal character in the musical, were composed of similarly recycled materials. Bottles, boxes, packing materials, carpet scraps, cat food cans, film canisters and "something that came from a swimming pool, I think" are the raw materials for the wild, zany fantasy world that Cartwright and her young proteges (who number nine at present) have created. Recycling is the answer to happiness in life, the vivacious playwright maintains. "I like to make something of what other people consider worthless," Cartwright says. "It makes a nice metaphor for the human condition." Many people "die" before their actual time in reality. 'stuck"at a point in life that has been drained of all color. Cartwright would "teach these people how to be born again," by stirring their creative juices. Last week's production
at the hotel was not the first for Cartwright and troupe. She
and her fledgling thespians, aged from three to 13 years old,
first brought "the Since then, Cartwright's "Mewes" (pronounced like peewees") have performed in parks, community centers shopping malls and other hotels. The musical itself has evolved as members of the troupe (most of whom have participated from the beginning) have developed as performrs. The first performance culminated over a year of creative exploration and rehearsal, which began in June of 1993 with her "vision" for the songs that make up the musical. Not long after she began putting her words and music to paper, she hung a sign proclaiming "free art classes" outside Whalers Realty Inc., where she and her husband, Bob, earn a living. Once her students were recruited, she threw herself into the countless efforts involved in bringing the show together. She approached people like Donna Williams at Kahana Koin-Op for bleach bottles and other discardables to be used as set materials, then she and her troupe began creating the costumes, puppets, set and stage props. There were the hours and hours of dramatic development, rewrite and rehearsal. But as it all began to coalesce, Cartwright sought out vacant or otherwise underutilized spaces for performances, appealing to businesses such as the Kaanapali Beach Hotel and MHDC Partners at Kahana Gateway Professional Building for use of spaces.
And when expenses were involved, the money to pay for them usually came out of her own pocket. This from somewone who has no formal training. "I was born this way," says this picture of effervescence. I was married when I was 15 years old, and raised a family. But before that, I belonged to my high school's theatre group, and I wrote Poetry." Her outlet for creative expression turned to playing drums over a decade for a trio formed by her former husband. And after that, she made a living drawing caricatures, Cartwright recalls. "When I came to Maui and got involved with Whalers, the company was successful enough to support me and my art," speaking at this moment from underneath a wild headpiece fashioned fo the thematic plastic flowers. Curious glances are drawn from passersby as she relates her story walking from the real estate office to the hotel. It all represents a lot of commitment to what may seem to some as a whimsical undertaking. But regardless of the whimsical lilt to lyrics, the main character has a plan, not unlike the playwright. Pointing out a banner onstage that makes up a portion of the set's backdrop, her fingers trace the twisted, circuitous route depicted as the main character's plan. "You start from the heart and go to where you want to be." Cartwright explains. "In you mind, it is a straight line. The actual road is twisted." "I believe that if you stick to it you will get there," she says, the cant of her smile full of conviction. The production a whimsy? Not on you life? See, Cartwright knows where she wants the musical to be: on Broadway? Once there, it goes back to communities everywhere?" Maui News April 14, 1996 |
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