 Barbara Creamer
Volunteer of the Month - August
Why Volunteer of the Month?
Always cheerful and unbelievably organized, Barbara Creamer has served as a Parent Guild Member, coordinating both the Tailor of Gloucester Reception and Senior Recognition/Reunion. In addition to these very large events, she has served as a backstage monitor, lobby worker, and server at Galas and other Cinnabar functions through the years. She’s even taken on the job of acquiring special permits for our annual Chili Festival! What could be more generous than willingly dealing with red tape? Thank you, Barbara!
About Barbara
Barbara Creamer is truly a California girl: she was born in San Mateo and raised
in both San Carlos and Sebastopol. She has a B.A. with majors in Sociology and Child Development from Chico State University and has used her skills for the past 24 years in the field of Recreation Administration
Barbara has been married to Jeff Creamer, a PG&E employee, for 25 years. Their daughter Kirsten is a Young Rep alumna who participated for 10 years in our educational program and performed in countless productions at Cinnabar. She is now a freshman at Chapman University studying screenwriting, Their son Brett is a sophomore at Petaluma High School and a sports enthusiast. And, last but not least, they have a “Career Change Guide Dog” (nice way to say rejected), Joey.
When not slaving for Cinnabar, Barbara also helps out in the Community Service Project for COTS and Girl Scouts, attends live theater, plays piano, practices yoga, gardens, “and, I am told, I shouldn’t leave out talking on the phone with friends and family.”
My first experience at Cinnabar was taking my children, when they were only in preschool, to see holiday performances. It was a special family outing and we would get all dressed up to come and see the shows. Then Jeff and I would come to the professional season shows, although these “date nights” were limited while raising young children.
I came because I have always loved live theater performances and musicals. The passion ignited when I performed in a few shows while in school. Specifically though, we started coming as a family because our daughter Kirsten would see the various characters making appearances around town and she wanted to hear their “story.”
When asked how her family has benefited from involvement with Cinnabar, Barbara responded:
“The benefits are best expressed by a short answer college application essay written by Kirsten in March 2007”:
Standing inside Cinnabar Theater in my hometown, you can feel a mysterious energy pulsing from somewhere deep inside its core. The stage is not all that impressive: its hardwood floor lies flat at the foot of a tiered audience; its curtains are a musty, moss green. And yet there is something about the theater that exudes a timeless, magical quality that keeps me returning there season after season. This changeless little theater holds so many long-lasting memories for me and has taught me many of life’s important lessons that I will bring with me to your college and beyond. Cinnabar has taught me the very nature of confidence and how to shine both onstage and off. This strength comes from the hours upon hours of practice, dedication, and discipline that are required of participating in theater. Through intense rehearsals and performances, I’ve come to learn the necessity of camaraderie and fellowship—for what show can hope to succeed without the support and friendship of your cast-mates? But then, Cinnabar has also taught me about the more difficult lesson of disappointment and how to rise above it. Being turned down for a show is never easy, and yet Cinnabar has taught me that there is always a new opportunity just around the bend. Cinnabar Theater has given me so much over the last ten years that I feel like I owe my whole self to the quaint little theater house. It has shaped me and changed me and helped me grow. Cinnabar was and remains the most vital and influential educational opportunity I have ever experienced. – Kirsten Creamer |
