the berkeley rep magazine - Berkeley Repertory Theatre

Trevor Cheitlin (left) in Our Town
photo courtesy of kevinberne.com
All in the family
berkeley rep involvement spans generations
by kathleen martinelli
when grandparents, parents,
and children gather together, it’s
usually because there’s a holiday to
celebrate or a turkey dinner to eat.
Sometimes it’s because someone’s
graduating or getting married. And
sometimes, it’s because there’s a play
to see.
Melvin and Hella Cheitlin are
part of a community of Berkeley Rep
patrons for whom theatre is, literally, a
family value. Hella recalls that she and
her husband first started attending
shows here 35 years ago, in “the early
days” of the Theatre. Their son, Ken,
inherited his parents’ fondness for
16 · the berkeley rep magazine · 2011–12 · SPECIAL ISSUE
Julia Hofmann (left) in School of Theatre’s
Summer Sessions
photo by cheshire isaacs
Berkeley Rep; now he and his wife,
Betsey, are regular theatregoers, too.
“We take a subscription for four
people, and they come with us,” explains
Hella, who also donates to the Theatre.
“They pay for half and we pay for half.”
The family even has a pre-theatre
tradition that offers them time to bond
and catch up. “We come from San
Francisco and meet Ken and Betsey for
dinner before the theatre,” says Hella.
“It’s a family get-together.”
And the Cheitlins aren’t just
staying in the audience; after taking
a course at Berkeley Rep’s School
of Theatre, Hella’s grandson, Trevor,
“ My wife and I began
to subscribe to
Berkeley Rep when
our daughter was a
baby. It was a great
way of making sure as
new parents that we’d
get out on a date five
times a year.”
bill hofmann