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COMMUNITY
TheMesaTribune.com |
THE MESA TRIBUNE | AUGUST 29, 2021
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East Valley Children’s Theatre marks 25 years BY SRIANTHI PERERA Tribune Contributor
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25-year-long love letter to creating, performing, growing and making friends that have become family. That’s how C. Lynn Johnson describes East Valley Children’s Theatre. The Gilbert woman’s talents run the gamut from theater hair stylist to playwright, all of which have won her awards. As a teen, she starred in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the theater’s �irst production. “EVCT has been family to me for 25 years,” she said. “It’s a safe space where I can play and create freely. It’s the place that I can say that outside of my family’s in�luence, shaped me into the person I am today. “From being one of the performers to myself then being one of those adults shaping the performers who came after me, it’s been an honor to be part of
The East Valley Children's Theatre is marking its 25th anniversary this year and has a full season of colorful, entertaining productions lined up at the Mesa Arts Center. (Special to the Tribune) EVCT’s impact on our community,” she added. For nearly 25 years, the Mesa-based
children’s theater has shepherded nearly 14,000 youth ages 5 to 18 who have donned costumes, assumed roles,
‘golden hour,’ which is the �irst hour after birth. Once the baby nurses in that �irst hour, I tell moms to put the baby down and rest.” Ucci gives advice and encouragement, but it’s up to families to decide what works best for them. “You have to adapt to your baby,” she said. She encourages both moms and dads to practice skin-to-skin contact with their new baby for the best bonding experience. “I do a lot of educating and supporting,” she added. Shannon Heronema Garcia, director of Women and Infant Services at Banner
Nurse Ellie Ucci helps Sarah and David Richards of Apache Junction with new son Holden at Banner Gateway Medical Center. (Courtesy of Banner Gateway)
Mesa nurse at Banner going strong at age 88 TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
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t age 88 and with more than 60 years of nursing under her belt, nurse Ellie Ucci isn’t letting age or another COVID-19 surge slow her down. Last year she celebrated 40 years with Banner Health – and still works two to three days per week in the post-partum unit at Banner Gateway Medical Center. The Mesa resident says her “Italian heart and a strong faith in God” keep her going, but she also simply loves helping people, especially new parents. “I empower them – with tough love and a warm approach,” she said. “My top goal is to get babies nursing during that
walked, danced, sung and spoken their practiced words on stage. The nonpro�it has produced 86 shows and has grown from a single production and workshop in the �irst year to a full-service theater offering numerous additional programs, classes, camps and performance troupes among them. It’s also known for its playwriting contest, presenting original works for children annually. EVCT was an all-volunteer organization until two years ago, when it hired an of�ice manager and a bookkeeper. Its current annual budget is about $250,000 and its main donors have included The Boeing Co. of Mesa and Arizona Commission on the Arts. “I just enjoy working with the theater; I enjoy the kids,” said Karen Rolston, the producing artistic director who played a vital role in the theater’s development. Rolston, a teacher from Mesa Public Schools, Chandler-Gilbert Community
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