Each One Reach One, Each One Teach One a farewell to connie clineman
By Melanie Quinton ‘17
L
ike clockwork, it happened every year for two decades. She would paint set pieces until the wee hours of the morning, wearing something similar — a scrunchie, a Mickey Mouse t-shirt, a paint-splattered denim button up, pink pompom socks, white sneakers. This is Constance Clineman, who served as director of Brookwood School’s musical on and off for 23 years. Now the community bids her farewell as she passes on her baton. Clineman said she never thought she would become a director. First and foremost, she was an actress. However, by working at a young age under many talented directors in one of the theatres in the Straw Hat Circuit, The Surflight, in Long Beach Island, N.J., she learned what it meant to be a great director. She learned how to play the piano, handle large casts, and teach dance. Before she knew it, theater administrators were asking her to direct plays. “You don’t just direct or just act,” Clineman said. “It all came together when it was supposed to. If you have an open mind, open hands, and let life fall into your hands, it all works out.” Behind every great director, there is always a talented accompanist. Barbara Lee, who retired from teaching music at Brookwood last year, matched Clineman hour for hour at rehearsals, teaching music to each cast member and accompanying from the pit when performance time rolled around. Lee, who worked with Clineman each year that she directed, said she was always astounded by Mrs. Clineman’s passion and dedication. “She is uniquely
talented in that she can single-handedly plan and execute every aspect of a production, from the technical to the artistic, musical, and dramatic,” she said. Clineman always had a plan in place, even before rehearsals began, Lee said. “[She] knew where she was going with each production. Every rehearsal had a goal, time was not wasted, and we were able to accomplish a great deal in very little time,” she said. When Clineman began directing for Brookwood in 1995, the orchestra was sparse: it began with a meager two pianos, a trombone, and a drum. Nowadays, a full professional orchestra accompanies the school’s musical production. Brookwood’s leadership team, she said, consistently found ways to better the program and supported her ideas. “Year by year, the board and administration always encouraged me to think big,” she said. “When we needed support, they found a way to provide it.” The school’s answer was never a no, she continued. “There was always a ‘let me think about this and we will figure it out.’” Because of the relentless support from the school, Clineman referred to her time at Brookwood not as a job, but rather as an opportunity. Brookwood alumni agree that Clineman’s direction was not only instructive, but also empowering. Hananel Mavity, a graduate from the class of 2007 and currently Brookwood’s one-act director, said the musical was special “because it brought a mass of students together with a common goal: to ‘give the gift’ and produce great theatre.”
Clineman referred to her time at Brookwood not as a job, but rather as an opportunity. BROOKWOODMAGAZINE
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