Lower Cape May Teachers are Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities’ (MAC) Volunteers of the Month for June

Shown here, from left, John Drechen, Julie Heck, Sandy Beane-Fox, Kelly Kennedy and Kaleb Magnusson – teachers at the Lower Cape May Regional School District, Erma – are the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) Volunteers of the Month for June 2017. These teachers helped shepherd to production a musical performance by students from Lower Cape May Regional High School and Richard M. Teitelman, Jr. High School. Students performed “Heroes of Cape May” on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. at the high school auditorium, which the students helped to write and produce, in close collaboration with New York Chamber Ensemble Artistic Director Eliot Bailen. This original production was the exciting culmination of a month-long educational program that is an integral part of the mission of the annual Cape May Music Festival, now in its 28th year, presented by MAC with sponsorship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. “Heroes of Cape May” illustrated three stories in a new way about important persons and topics of local Cape May area history: Rebecca Stillwell, Henry Sawyer and the German U-Boat U-858 Surrender May 14, 1945 off the coast of Cape May. These three stories are part of the MAC historical interpretive repertoire – they were researched and presented as part of a grant-funded storytelling project that MAC unveiled to the general public in 2009. Bailen collaborated with the schools’ music teachers and students beginning June 1, 2016, to create this production that featured 203 students on the stage at once, with musicians, choir members, dancers and actors in performance.
“This program allows kids to create and perform, from beginning to end,” said Mary Stewart, MAC Chief Outreach Strategist. “These teachers were integral in helping shepherd these students’ creative passion and process along to its wonderful conclusion – an outstanding and truly unique production – something that students can relate to and learn from in so many ways. We at MAC so appreciate the energy and collaborative and passionate spirit shared by these outstanding and devoted music, dance, choir, acting and technical production teachers from the Lower Cape May Regional School District.”
The Volunteer of the Month award is given to a person who demonstrates a high degree of dedication, commitment and constancy to MAC’s volunteer program. For information on the variety of volunteer opportunities available, please contact Barbara Hubmaster at (609) 884-5404 ext. 109 or email bhubmaster@capemaymac.org.