This year, Elephant Ensemble has been in residence at Bellevue Medical Center with Thumbelina: The Story of a Brave Little Girl. Every month, Christine heads a cast made up of Mollie, Lindsay, Josh & herself. Last month (September) the team also performed for the pediatric psych ward.
Because hospital populations are changing so often, these remarkable actors have to be prepared to adjust their performance accordingly. They are at the ready to perform for the population they have that day, whether it’s a full performance, or a bedside walk-through with a five-minute version of the play.
I am so, so proud of our group. Not only do they all adjust their work schedules to make this residency a possibility, but because of funding restrictions, they have agreed to waive their already small stipend and completely volunteer their time and talent.
All of this simply could not happen without the support of Natalie Schrape, Coordinator of Child Life Services at Bellevue, and Alan Pottinger who heads programming at the pediatric psych. We’re grateful for the opportunity and look forward to returning to Bellevue with new programming, once Thumbelina has closed on October 22nd.
