ISTA-Scene June 08

that my dear friend had died of a heartattack. In the moments of sober reflection, Ican hardly be surprised. For years, Pat hadbeen unwell, but had done little to improveher health. She must have known, eversince her brother’s heart attack while inJapan, all those years ago, that her fatecould be pre-determined by a similarcondition.It does not ease the sadness that I feelat Pat’s death. I have known theremarkable founder of the InternationalSchools Theatre Association since 1990when she invited me to join the staff of theMunich International School’s festival. Ourfriendship was instant, and grewthroughout the years as I became moreand more involved in ISTA and the IB. Thememories flood back from festivals weworked at together to collecting bagelsfrom The Bagel Place on Seven Sisters Rdto take to Pat’s upstairs flat at 12AFinsbury Park Rd to feed the hungryCouncil Members to the two visits only Imade to her delightful Tayside cottage andthe outing to Pitlochery and the majesticbeginnings of the vast Scottish highlandsshe loved so much. More than any of thesememories, I value the immense inspiration Iderived from my marvellous, magnanimousmentor. A woman of such mighty will,vision and substance, Pat, at timesabrasive, at times intensely stubborn, oftenfiercely frugal was always loving andgenerous to those who shared her vision,her love of theatre, her dreams for a betterworld and her unfailing faith in the wondersof theatre to create that better world forevery young person, fortunate enough tobe touched and inspired by an ISTA thatshe built as a shining Eldorado of theatreeducation and experience.Pat has touched all our lives, enrichedour world, and taught us the true value ofpassion, love, friendship, social justice andthe power of theatre and the human spiritto transform our lives.Pat was a visionary, who never gainedthe recognition that she deserved for“making a difference” to so many people'slives. ISTA is one of the most significantorganizations upon the international stageof theatre education, and will always standas a shining testament to Pat's belief thatthrough theatre we can indeed create a“wonderful world”.I miss her every day, and these wordshardly do justice to a person who changedmy life, and taught me that we are a globalcommunity with the power to inspire,inform and change the world.From Joy Leach, a close friend of Pat’s– about the Memorial Serice held inAberfeldy in September…For those of you who were not able to bethere:I felt Pat was well remembered onTuesday afternoon amidst the warmth ofthe Aberfeldy community. Her brother Mikethoughtfully hosted the event opened by4 | Scene | 2007-8 June Issue 4piper Chris Grace (Pat had requestedbagpipes). Mike then gave a chronology ofher life, as Pat had written it for anoccasion 7 or 8 years back. Tributes wereinvited from anyone who so wished andthey flowed – spontaneous memories, emails & poems giving glimpses of the US,Teheran, Finsbury Park & Aberfeldy periodsof her life. Three members of theInternational Schools Theatre Associationhad come especially. (For me ISTA was aside of Pat’s life that I knew little of apartfrom the initials & that it involved theatre).Neighbours spoke, including a localshopkeeper & member of the town’s Bridgeclub. A couple of women came who hadbeen involved in helping her in the ‘flood’last Christmas.One particularly moving tribute wasfrom a young Aberfeldy guy who had beencajoled into a local drama group Pat washeading up. The group was travelling toOrkney they were due to perform in thenext competition ‘round’. He had a leadrole in the play & managed to break his legas they were waiting for the boat. Pat – notone to be defeated spent the night rewritingthe parts, with his character in awheel chair! I felt that in some ways he mayhave spoken for hundreds of young peoplefor whom Pat has worked over the past 30years – with her aim to helping them toshine & to learn how to be true artists.Natasha, who started out as Pat’scleaner & who had become a good friendhad organised the catering. We were allwelcomed with warm soup and a buffet.She & other close neighbours had becomegood friends.I gathered that the pathologist’s reportindicated Pat’s heart attack was quick &not protracted. A neighbour said she hadbeen feeling a bit unwell on Friday. Weunderstand that a local person has takenMillie & that she has happily settled into hernew home.I realised that one advantage of livingin Bradford is that it was a bit closer thaneither the South East or South West. Asmy train home didn’t leave till late, I had theprivilege of further reminiscing with Mike,Annabelle & Chris over a meal. ThanksChris for the lift to Perth.I think Pat was a woman and a half.Tuesday was naturally sad for everyone butfound it also inspirational.This comes with love from JoyFrom Matt Godfrey, ISTA Staff MemberI actually know very little about Pat. Weonly really met once and that was justbefore I started with ISTA in 1997.What little I do know about her actuallygoes way back before ISTA started andwhen she and I were just a couple of expatsmaking our way in the world. She, Iguess was in her 30s and I was 1 or 2. Myfamily had just been posted to theCanadian Embassy in Tehran when myMother somehow ran into Pat. They hit itoff and my Mother ended up working forPat as a lighting designer. Pat was directingin Iran and my Mother had worked with theJoshua Light Show in New York. One thingled to another and while I was at homewith the babysitter they put on aproduction of Godspell at the Iran /America Society. It was a huge hit.Over the years as I grew up andbecame involved in arts, first as a dancer,then as an actor, my Mother kept in touchwith Pat. Then one day when I was 16, myMother told me of her friend who hadstarted this wonderful International Theatrething. I started applying to be a teacherthat year. Although still just a student, I felt Icould connect with international kids andshare my experience of being in the Biz.Pat never accepted my application.Years went by, my Mother and Pat keptexchanging Christmas letters, I keptapplying certain that as I got older I wouldhave even more to offer and Pat keptturning me down. Finally one year, whenmy family lived in England and I was homefor the holidays, I made a call and trekkedacross London to Finsbury park to finallymeet this woman who had been a part ofmy life for a very long time.We had a nice lunch and she introducedme to her dog and we chatted about theTheatre and the World. We parted companyand went about our holidays. Eight monthslater she sent me to Hamburg to take part inmy first festival. It was only then I realizedthe compliment she had paid me. I had noidea what I was doing on that first festival. Ididn't even know I was supposed to teachan ensemble until I arrived. Whenever I hadasked I had been told: “there really isn'tany way to explain it until you’ve gonethrough it.”Although I have never “worked” withPat and I don't think I ever saw her show inTehran she has had an immense influenceon my life and I am deeply proud to be amember of body of Theatre people whotake risks, expand their minds throughoutthe world and who don't really know howto explain it until they have gone through it.Thank you very much Pat.From Gaby Spadaro, MarymountInternational School, RomeI was stunned and heartbroken to learnof Pat's death. I remember her warmth,caring heart and vitality. She was my firstcontact with ISTA and it was thanks to herthat I became so involved. Her dedicationto the development of the creative soul ofevery child she could reach out to was thesolid rock upon which ISTA grew andthrived. I will miss her yearly Christmasletter filled with the news of the year as itpassed, the seasons that she underlinedwith stories and memories. A great andwonderful woman has left an emptiness inmany hearts but her legacy lives on in Sallyand all the staff of ISTA who continueher work with the same doggeddetermination and creative spiritand vision.