Margie Belrose, the legend
Every day, when I come into the costume shop, I think about the reasons I do what I do
.
Sure, it's an amazing space to work. Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by sparkly dresses, vintage suits, and several bunny heads? (Okay, maybe that last one would be disturbing to some.) Spending time in an historic building, the smell of the velvet curtains, the playbills from all the shows over the years adorning the walls...it's magical.
The real reasons have little to do with the "where" or the "what", but everything to do with the "who". Having grown close to the family and knowing what the vision and legacy mean to them, it feels so incredibly satisfying to be able to lend my time and expertise to further the dream that Miss Margie had from the very beginning.
Margie giving a presentation at The Belrose
Many locals knew and loved the Belrose Theater founder, Margie Belrose. She was charming, shrewd, joyful and mercurial by turns, and even now, almost a year since her passing, she greatly influences those of us who are caretakers of her legacy. She had a way of being whimsical and yet very frank with you. She was an expert at reading people, was ready to put your talents to work, was always generous with her time. Her spirit certainly grew out of a difficult childhood and the fiery self-sufficiency she found within as described in her memoir, The Me I Found. All of the joy and pain she lived was part of her and it made you want to be open with her, and to be a part of the piece of her heart that was pink church shaped.
At least weekly, a customer will come into the shop and ask after her and all are universally saddened to hear that she's no longer with us. Many of them will mention that she gave them dance lessons, sometimes at no charge, because she recognized in a child the need to move and to be creative. Her vaudeville productions spawned the open mic nights, which continue to this day. The many dramatic productions she created were featured in the local news and some made multiple returns to her humble stage. The impact she had on the community was profound.
Margie, starring in The Lion In Winter
I spent several years working as Margie's personal assistant as her health failed. She was always so protective of her theater, so to be allowed to help her on such a personal level was a great honor. We had long talks about music, about dance classes and how they differed between our generations, about her growing frustration with her aging body and the way it felt to be unable to tend to the costume shop and the nooks and crannies of the playhouse. I know she grew to trust that I recognized her vision and was able to keep her space as close to that vision as possible.
Some days, I'd arrive to see her in tears about these frustrations. I'd listen to her, joke with her and laugh until the tears were gone and tell her that I was here to help. As I was heading down to work on a project, she would say to me, "You'll make everything beautiful, won't you?"
I assured her I would, and even now that she's left us, I am still striving for that beauty. For the community, and for her children, certainly. But truthfully, it's for her. I will always strive at The Belrose for her vision.
Margie surrounded herself with loving and creative people. In the same way she discovered herself through her own journey, she discovered others who could make a difference or who needed a difference in their lives.
Margie Belrose found us all. She found me. For that, I am eternally grateful.
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