blue water woman--summer 2017--yumpu

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ig dreams by patti samar renee barr 8 SPRING Summer 2017 2017 BlueWaterWoman.com Renee Barr helps kids make their dreams come true. Barr, theater coordinator at McMorran Place and director of theatrical productions for a number of local theater organizations, has served as a mentor, teacher and theatrical director to youth throughout the Port Huron area for more than 20 years. And as a wife, mother of four and theatrical director for several generations of students, Barr knows it is important to nurture the dreams of her students because she has been allowed to dream big herself. A graduate of Port Huron High School, Barr didn’t get bitten by the theater bug until she was a student at St. Clair County Community College. “I had a job working in the (SC4) theater and that’s when I really got interested,” she said. “But what I really wanted was to become a famous actress.” Throughout her college career – she later transferred to Oakland University where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in theater – she dabbled in theater and similar pursuits. She entered pageants to earn scholarship money and was the 1989 Miss Blue Water, which sent her to Muskegon to vie for the Miss Michigan crown. “They must have said, ‘We’ve got to give that gal a crown…she keeps coming back!’” she said with a laugh about her win in the Miss Blue Water pageant. During that time she also worked in a position of honor at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. “I was a spokesmodel for the auto show,” she said. “It was a way to put myself through college and be seen. I was hoping that maybe someone would see me and put me in a commercial.” After college, Barr chose to return to her hometown where she eventually married a local resident and began teaching theater at SC4. That led to opportunities to teach drama for the Port Huron Schools where she continues to direct plays at Thomas Edison Elementary School, Fort Gratiot Middle School and Port Huron Northern High School. She also teaches theater camps throughout the year for the city of Port Huron recreation department. At McMorran Place, she serves as the theater coordinator for events. “I help with anything our clients need when they use the theater.” And while Barr works closely with McMorran’s clients to ensure great customer service, it is clear that her passion lies in working with young people and watching them grow through their theatrical experiences. “I’m really lucky,” she said of the students with whom she has had the opportunity to work throughout the years. “Some of them I lose to sports and jobs, but some of them I’ve had from the time they were eight years old all the way through high school graduation.” Most of the productions Barr directs – with children of all ages – are musical productions. “I work with them on acting, theory and character development,” she said. She noted that the community has been very supportive and that is appreciated. “If we don’t have audiences, we don’t have revenue and then it is harder to continue,” she said. The theatrical experience is not just about being or becoming a star, Barr noted. “It’s more than just about being on stage. It’s the triumph of being on stage after being so shy to begin with.” Additionally, students learn leadership, organizational and people skills. “My high school kids will help with middle school or elementary school productions and they become the mentors,” she said. “Not only do they help the younger students, but they are teaching the parents who are volunteers but non-theater people, how to do their jobs backstage. It’s a great experience.” Barr remembers her early experiences acting, performing in pageants and working as a spokesmodel and what a profound influence they all had on her and the way that mentoring adults encouraged her along the way. “All of those things helped me and when I’m working with kids, I always tell them the sky is the limit and it is amazing how that fuels them, especially when they hear that from an adult who is not their parent,” she said.
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Page 6 and 7: JUST GETTING started by Patti Samar
Page 8 and 9: EMPOWERING people by PATTI SAMAR An

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