April 6, 2025 • 62 mins
Paul and Karen Larson never planned to revolutionize their community. When their athletic young son wanted acting classes in 1984, they signed him up with their local city program. The disappointing result – children simply lip-syncing to Sound of Music songs – sparked something unexpected. "I could do better than that," Paul said. Karen's response? "Well, why don't you?"
This simple exchange launched what would become a 40-year journey of community building through theater. As elementary school educators, the Larsons approached their fledgling theater program with teaching hearts – not to showcase themselves, but to create spaces where others could discover their gifts and potential. What began as a children's production workshop quickly expanded to include adult community theater, drawing in people hungry for connection and creative expression.
The magic of their approach lies in what community members affectionately call getting "Larson'd" – expressing interest in something only to find yourself suddenly empowered with responsibility and leadership. This philosophy has transformed countless lives as shy volunteers became confident directors, parents building sets discovered hidden talents, and children finding their voices both on and off stage. More than 400 productions later, their theaters have become a family where introverts find their place, struggling kids channel their energy constructively, and people of all backgrounds belong.
Even during the pandemic, when their physical theater closed, the Larsons pivoted to Zoom workshops, parking lot performances, and outdoor classes – proving that true community transcends physical space. Their philosophy of "looking for the good and praising it" has created ripples far beyond theater walls, touching education, parenting, and civic engagement throughout their region.
Ready to experience this special community yourself? Visit chinocommunitytheater.org to learn about upcoming productions and discover how theater can build hope through genuine human connection. Who knows – you might just get "Larson'd" yourself!
Thanks for listening to Soul SiStories. We hope you follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Five-star ratings and reviews always help to spread our message of hope.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Soul Sisteries.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome to Soul, Sisteries, where we just had an
amazing conversation with Pauland Karen Larson of the Chino
Community Theater and Children'sTheater.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
It's so so thrilling to talk with them, longtime
friends and mentors, and I trulylove these people, but we were
just talking about how they'vechanged so many lives, and so
humbly, oh my goodness.
They're so humble about allthat they've done and they keep
going on about this sense ofcommunity, which is real, which
(00:41):
is true, but, my goodness, thiscommunity exists and developed
because of the light and thelove at the heart of it, which
is the two of them and all thatthey brought about.
Amazing people.
Here we are with the wonderfulPaul and Karen Larson, who are
(01:01):
longtime friends but really, Igot to say, they are huge
inspirations for me.
They have set up a gorgeousmodel, where I live, of
community, particularly throughthe theater that they have
started in our community, acommunity theater, as it goes
(01:22):
right.
It's the Chino CommunityTheater and the Chino Community
Children's Theater that theybegan 40 years ago and they're
going to tell you that wholestory.
But they originated with, theywere both educators, they were
both in education and then, outof this and out of that sense of
teaching and building communityand working together, this
(01:46):
wonderful theater was born.
So here we are with Paul andKaren Larson Welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Thank you, good to have you both here.
It's great to be here,wonderful, and I know Donna just
did a little introduction soeverybody can know a little bit
about you.
I guess I know that part aboutyou, but I don't know as much as
Donna does, so I would love foryou to just share with us all,
(02:12):
if you can, kind of what got youhere 40 years later?
How did you start the theater?
Why did you start the theater?
What did that look like?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Well, would you like me to start, karen?
Did that look like?
Well, would you like me tostart, karen?
It actually started in theclassroom.
Karen and I were bothelementary school teachers for
many years and I was active withmy partners doing theater on
(02:42):
our campus.
We were doing shows and, as amatter of fact, in 1984, I had
just finished up doing a showcalled the 1890 Music Hall
Review with kids from secondgrade to sixth grade on our
campus and our son, who wasquite an athlete at the time,
had said you know, I'd reallylike to take an acting class.
So we sign him up for an actingclass with the city of Chino
(03:09):
and at the end of eight weeks wewent to see the performance.
Karen, you want to talk alittle bit about that
performance.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Yeah, the performance was not anything about acting
really.
It was lip syncing to the soundof music song as a group.
Oh dear and we were after.
You know we were sodisappointed.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
And Paul said I could do better than that.
And I said, well, why don't you?
And that sort of got the ballrolling.
So really we, our inspirationwas our son and his need to
express himself.
He was singing, he loved todance, he had good movement, he
(03:57):
was not a bit shy.
So we thought, you know, heneeds this kind of an outlet.
Besides just doing sports, hewanted to add something else to
his plate.
He was still very young and Ithink he was only five or six
years old when we, when we firstdid that class.
So it was that was the impetusto get us going.
(04:22):
And since Paul had been doingsports also with the city and he
had just done the show, he kindof had some connections.
He had some connections withPat McArdle in the city.
And so he went down and said,pat, you know, our son just took
this drama class and it was notgood.
(04:45):
And he said I know, I know it'snot good, and are you guys
interested in you know doingsomething for us?
You know that's really acting.
And we said, sure, so why don'tyou pick it up from there, paul
?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
From that point we worked with Pat.
They got us a location.
We ended up putting together aproduction workshop would be
what we call it now of You're aGood man, charlie Brown.
All the kids that wanted to bein the workshop were involved.
We ended up with 10 that wereavailable the whole time.
(05:29):
We had two that had schedulingconflicts and we worked on the
songs.
We knew the dialogue.
I had done the show I don'tknow 12 years earlier when I was
in college and remembered quitea bit of it, had our friend do
all the piano work for us.
(05:50):
We went over to our house withour big old wall and sack reel
to reel and put it all on tapeand painted the set in our front
yard and put it on stage at thecommunity building on 10th and
B Street.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
And lo and behold, people showed up and I want to
say, I want to stress, even then, you know we're talking about
community.
Even then we had parentssupporting what we were doing
and not only just supporting itby coming, but they helped us
(06:28):
with the costumes, they helpedus with the set, they helped
their kids, you know, learntheir parts and they were an
integral part of getting it offthe ground.
Yeah, the city support, whichis community right there, and
the parent support, yeah, thoseare the two keys right there.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I just love that you saw this need.
You know with your own childthat, okay, here's something
that he wants to do, and so youjust did it, instead of waiting
and looking city to city forsomebody else to do it.
You're like, okay, let's go andwe're going to make it happen,
which is amazing that is true?
Speaker 4 (07:12):
I think probably probably, because Paul had had
that connection already withsports and we were both living
in Chino and we were bothteaching in Chino.
So Chino was our, our home base, you know.
So we just it just made sensefor us to go that route you know
(07:39):
, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I was going to say so .
Here's the thing, though.
You say that, and I understandthat the circumstances were all
there, but I've been a part ofthis theater and I've known you
for a very long time and I knowthere's special sauce in this.
There is.
So we are talking aboutcommunity hope through community
today, and this is a greatexample.
But the special sauce really,we have to say, is you too, and
(08:04):
the way that you approach this.
Really, you guys have thehearts and souls of teachers.
That's who you are, and youhave the teacher mindset, and
that teacher mindset is we'regoing to support and uplift
others for the greater good.
I've seen it again and againand again, and that is the
undercurrent, that is thesupport of this institution now
(08:29):
that has been around for 40years and thriving.
It would not be this were itnot without that little magic
that you two put in there.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
That just has to be said just has to be said Well,
that is very kind.
I wanted to follow up on thatbecause in February of 84, just
before we started the Children'sTheater I had done a community
theater production in Claremontand the theater that we were
(09:03):
involved with that was the lastshow they were going to do.
They weren't going to doanymore and the year before
another theater had closed downso two theater groups in the
area had gone defunct and therewere adults that were looking
for homes.
So we finished up thechildren's theater show.
I told the cast about it that Ihad worked with and they said,
(09:26):
well, do you think Chino mightwant a community theater too?
And I said, oh, let's go see.
Yeah, they said sure, and wegot $500 seed money from the
Community Center Corporation,which was a place that was
trying to get a facility builtat the time.
Which was a place that wastrying to get a facility built
at the time.
But the concept of communitythat is so important here is
(09:50):
that we did not have to rely onit being the Paul and Karen show
.
It never, ever was the Paul andKaren show, not day one.
Aaron show, not day one, wethink with the children's
theater in particular, jim andJulianne Gallegos got involved
right from the start and theirdaughter was in a couple of
(10:13):
shows at the start with thechildren's theater and the
community theater, but justgiving of themselves.
And then, as you pointed out,donna, one of the important
things is giving people theopportunity to learn something
new, to know that you can do it,give them the confidence to be
(10:33):
used for the next show coming up.
And the director came over andgot to use a router for the very
first time, got a littleteaching lesson with that.
I love it.
(10:53):
Cut out that doorway and hesays, my gosh, it's so clean,
it's so much better.
I said, yeah, we learn thesetools.
So giving the opportunity forpeople to find the best in
themselves, I think, is a hugepart of this.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Well and that is another piece of the special
sauce I have to say so, yes, theopportunities are there, but
there is a little phrase that wein this particular community
have, and we all know exactlywhat we're talking about.
We say, well, you got Larson'd,and we know exactly what that
means.
Because all of a sudden, notonly did you learn that thing
(11:33):
that you were really interestedin learning, but all of a sudden
you're like in charge of it,you're doing it, you're running
it, because you guys just havethis way about you of letting
all the rest of us like reallybelieve in ourselves and that we
can do it.
And then your trust in usreally gives us those wings to
(11:54):
do it ourselves.
And I know I personally haveflown in all kinds of ways
because you've offered that sortof love and support and
guidance, and there arecountless people who would say
the same.
So I hear what you're saying,but I also have to say, okay,
but wait a second.
There there really is.
There is something veryparticular about the two of you
(12:15):
and the way you are with eachother and the way that you are
with the community and the wayyou raised your family, and all
of that that creates thisspecial kind of magic here.
It's true.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
We always set out to educate and entertain.
So the education part, we feltgood about it because we had,
you know, we were teachers, wewere in the classroom, we knew
how to work positively with kids.
We had great feedback fromparents already and and
(12:48):
administrators and staff membersabout how we worked with kids
and how we can inspire.
We inspired them.
So we had a family too.
So we not only didn't want itto be the Paul and Karen Paul
(13:14):
and Karen show, not because wedidn't want it to be special or
have ownership in it, butbecause, you know, we had other
stuff in our life and we wantedit to be community right off the
bat.
I mean, the very first show wedid, we did together but and we
did a couple other shows wherewe were, you know, directed and
(13:36):
produced and did a lot of stuffearly on but at the same time
the very second show we did inchildren's theater was directed
by somebody else and you know wejust helped out, we were just
there to kind of facilitate.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
So that happened right from the very get go many
times watching performances, butonce, almost 30 years ago, when
I had a teeny tiny role in thebest little Christmas pageant
right, which was so much fun,and I watched you, Donna, kind
(14:14):
of step your toe in and then be100% immersed, volunteering 40
plus hours a week now, and soI've seen just the hope that you
guys have brought to thecommunity, to my own family,
through this theater, which ispretty amazing.
But I guess what I want to knowis then what gives you guys
(14:39):
hope as you started this theater, as you've continued the
theater, what gives you hope andkeeps you going Well?
Speaker 4 (14:48):
And the connection with everybody, with everyone
that's involved.
You know, you just keep makingthese connections with your
fellow human beings and you justwatch them bloom and it's so
exciting.
You know you say, oh, so-and-sois doing this and they're so
good at it.
You know, and I'm so gladthey're a part of it.
(15:10):
It just makes our theater evenbetter.
When you have, when you connectwith others and you are able to
nudge them, maybe, uh, or maybenot, maybe they'll come up to
you and just open up and say,hey, I've always wanted to try
this.
You know, here's theopportunity.
(15:30):
So I think the connection isreally important with fellow
humans.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Yes, the connection and also, uh, there is a feeling
of family that's involved withthis community theater, truly a
feeling of a family with thisgroup, and it becomes a safe
place for all kinds of people tobe.
(15:57):
Some people are introverts thatfind a wonderful home, and
there are some people that havehad difficulties, kids that have
had difficulties in school foracting out, and finally they
find a home to act out and theymeet a director that understands
(16:19):
that need to showcasethemselves and yet gives them
the tool to become a betterspeaker, to become very clear,
to become focused, focused, yeah, and then that child then turns
around and becomes a mentor foranother person.
And the same thing with theadults.
I think of one person, dougRumbaugh.
(16:44):
I'll mention him.
His daughter was in a show.
Let's see.
When did Winnie the Pooh comeup?
Was that 2018?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
It was something like that, yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
And this was just one of the dads that was trying to
figure out what he could do tohelp out, and so we put a drill
in his hand.
He says, yeah, I can use thisthing, and was watching and
learning and asking questions.
And as time has gone by, notonly did he handle that, but
then he was designing sets, hewas building sets, he writes,
(17:21):
he's directed shows, and we havea number of parents that have
found homes that way.
We've had people that havetruly just walked in off the
street saying what is this place?
I said, well, why don't youcome in?
You can usher for the show.
And they say I didn't know.
We do live theater here in Chino.
(17:42):
And they'll go from being anusher to being someone that'll
help out backstage, to being onstage and then up in the booth
doing lighting or something.
You just never know what youmight find in yourself as a
human being.
And I believe that truly forkaren and me both, it's been
(18:04):
very important to give thatopportunity.
This is all.
It's almost like a pay itforward If I can give someone
else an opportunity right now tofind something new about
themselves, because I discovermore every day for myself.
I am the epitome of a lifelonglearner.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
A work in progress.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
We're all works in progress progress, we're all in
progress, and if we can uh addopportunity to others, then I
think there is a great deal ofhope for our society yeah right,
it's interesting, isn't it, howyou know, when life has its
challenges as it does or thereare those days which are a
(18:50):
little harder, that juststepping into some of that work
of uplifting someone else andturning to them and being
mindful, all that that does foryourself right and shifting your
mood, your energy, your outlookyeah, yeah, I mean that's know
helping others or is you'rereally helping yourself when you
(19:15):
do that?
Speaker 4 (19:16):
You know you.
Just it gives you such a goodfeeling to make that connection
and to help to think that you'veinspired somebody to try
something new or to go adifferent way.
It's pretty exciting, yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Yeah, I remember you stepping into that, that both of
you during the pandemic, wheneverything was shut down, all of
a sudden you were startingdifferent workshops online, and
I remember specifically theukulele class that you were
running, paula.
That was just.
It was okay.
So the theater is not open.
We can't all be together, sothe theater is not open.
We can't all be together, butthe theater is not stopping.
(19:53):
You kept doing all these thingsfor the community and really
branching out.
You didn't have to be in Chinoor the Inland Empire.
You could be, you know anywhereand join those classes, which
was pretty amazing.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Yeah, I think that's what Zoom has done basically, I
mean even to this this day.
We had a meeting last nightwith a community theater and we
had people a person fromarkansas who moved to arkansas
and he was on the zoom call, youknow.
So we had four people on thezoom and we had a dozen people
(20:30):
at the house.
Oh nice, and it was really niceto be able to open it up like
that.
And we did that with.
Donna came up with her ideawith the Reader's Theater, so we
did that.
I did a sewing class.
I was teaching people how tosew pockets, make pockets and
(20:52):
stitches, and we did Shakespeare.
We did a bunch of stuff duringthe pandemic and some of it has
continued.
As far as the connections havecontinued, yeah, you know, we
made that was hope in a verydark time for everybody.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I think, if we look back at all
that we did during that time, Imean we were robust and
thriving throughout all of thatshutdown.
We certainly were not shut downthough the building.
The building was empty.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
Yeah, stuff going on in the parking lot.
Yes, you know he had stuffgoing on in the parking lot.
Yes, you know.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
We had tap dancing out in the parking lot.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
We had a show showing on the back of the wall and
people parking in their cars andspaced out.
You know, I mean that's right.
We really outdid ourselves.
And it wasn't just Paul and me.
Again, it was the community.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
It was everyone.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
It was everybody.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Well, the show must go on right.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
I loved the marquee at that time with the message
it's still intermission.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
It was a long one.
So you both were elementaryschool teachers.
So growing up, did you aspireto be teachers?
Did you aspire to be in thetheater?
What?
What was your aspirationgrowing up?
I'm curious.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
I, I always wanted to be a teacher.
A teacher, yeah I.
I grew up in a family where Ihad older brothers and sisters
that were quite a bit older thanme, and then there was a 10
year gap and then my brother andme came along, and so I was
always like the babysitter auntwho was like just a few years
(22:47):
younger, or a few years olderthan my nieces and nephews, and
so I just sort of fell into thatroutine of caretaker and
teacher, and so it was a naturalfit for me.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Yeah, Mine was a different route.
I thought I was going to be anelectrical engineer and work on
the space program.
I was very good at math andscience and I found that I much
preferred working with peoplethan sitting in a lab constantly
, although I enjoyed it verymuch all through high school
(23:26):
Four years of electronics andgot to design some pretty
amazing things.
I wish I had kept them or hadsome good photos of them.
But once I got to college Ifound out that I really liked
working with people.
So I set myself up foreducation and government.
(23:48):
So I did my internships in citygovernment and worked with the
county and was all set to goactually work for Ruben Ayala up
in Sacramento one summer and itended up falling through.
But all the way through I didnot know I was going to be a
teacher until I had graduated.
(24:09):
I had been accepted toGeorgetown in government and I
decided no, I'm going to stickaround here and become a
government teacher.
Well, I taught Americangovernment over at Claremont
High School in my last studentteaching experience but then
(24:29):
landed a job here in Chino,where Karen had already gotten a
job, and we loved it here itwas, it was.
It is a wonderful home for us.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Never know.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
No, you don't know that's so beautiful.
So you both have such a brightoutlook.
You know people who know you,people who meet you, they are
absolutely touched by the warmththat you both exude.
And I mean we can all agreethat.
You know Karen is walkingsunshine everywhere, she goes
(25:04):
right.
So what is it, what is it inyou that allows you to sort of
live that perspective and livethat way, because you, like all
of us, you've had many ahardship in your life.
You've had losses, you've hadchallenges we all do.
That's human experience, right,um?
(25:25):
And and yet you do maintainthis sense of fellowship and
camaraderie and positivity.
What, what is it that does thatfor you?
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Well, one of the first things would be the
attitude of my dad.
My father was a fellow thatalways said yes.
When there was an opportunityto serve or be a steward for
something, he said yes.
And his best example was I'llkeep this brief but he went
(26:07):
active again in the Korean Warduring the Korean conflict.
He had been in World War II,had served at Guadalcanal, got
done there and said what do youwant to do, kid?
And he says I want to fly.
So he became a pilot and servedin World War II, finished and
then during the Korean conflicthe re-upped, went to North
(26:31):
Carolina and they said we have anewfangled thing called a
helicopter.
Anybody want to learn to fly itand put his hand up right away.
And so he says okay, you 100guys are going to go over there
and learn how to fly these newhelicopter things.
And then they were doing teststhat were physical tests to find
(26:53):
out how to do it and loading itup with 500 pounds and seeing
if we could lift 500 pounds, andthen 1,000 and 1,500 and 2,000.
And okay, we're not going to put3,500 pounds on this because we
won't get off the track andtrying to land on an aircraft
carrier in a helicopter, does itwork?
(27:14):
So he went through all thatexperience and then they called
the guys together again anddivided them in two and said OK,
you 50 are going to Korea andyou 50 are staying here in the
States to find out more abouthow these things work.
And he ended up being able tostay in the States and learned
(27:40):
how to be a very good helicopterpilot.
And then, when the conflictended, when the United States
pulled themselves out of that,the best pilot, as he said, was
heading to Los Angeles to workfor LA Airways.
And he asked the guy do youthink they have any jobs for me?
(28:01):
He said I don't know.
Why don't you go find out?
And so he packed up, went andpicked up my mom and my two
older brothers and drove toSouthern California with no idea
what he was going to do exceptgo knock on the door and say I
want to be a pilot.
And sure enough, he got to flywith LA Airways for about 12.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
My goodness, what an entrepreneurial spirit.
Yeah, yeah Well.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
I learned from that and I will say yes to a lot of
things from that, and I will sayyes to a lot of things.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
I can see that that makes perfect sense.
Knowing you and seeing yeah, Ican see that makes so much sense
.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
And I can share it's the same with my two older
brothers.
I've lost my younger sister andbrother, but my older brother
and sister, my older brothers,are of the same ilk.
They serve on boards ofdirectors and they volunteer in
their community and by doingthat you get the gift and joy of
being a part of it, and ourcommunity benefits from
(29:06):
ourselves participating in it.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Yeah, which then comes back and feeds you.
Also, right, that robustcommunity.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
And I think that's something that so many people
the people who aren't doing thatwork are missing out on.
They think that life is toobusy.
I have all these things goingon, I don't have time for that.
But the reality is is if youcan make time for that, it comes
back to you so many times morethan what you give and that you
(29:35):
just no matter what it is ifit's community feeder, if it's
you know the animal shelter, ifit's you know working with
children somewhere, volunteeringin the kid's classroom,
whatever it is that comes backto you and just really feeds you
.
So, as I listened to you guystalking just well, your father
sounds very inspirational.
Also, I'm curious who inspiresyou today?
(29:58):
Where do you get inspiration,gosh?
Speaker 3 (30:06):
I'll tell you, watching our children with their
families I think is one of thegreatest inspirations I have
right now.
Yeah, the ways that theyapproach parenthood and their
jobs All different University ofWashington in theater and to
(30:38):
see what he's done at NYU and atHamilton College and now at UW
is just inspiring.
One of those people that does abeautiful job of creating
community.
He has been in charge.
He and two of his friends, whenthey were in New York for years
, took over a program calledCatch, which was a great
opportunity for people toshowcase new songs or if they're
(31:01):
working on a show or a dance orsomething, they could put up a
10-minute piece and get feedbackon it from the audience.
They ended up winning an ObieAward for the work they were
doing and last two weekends ago,two Saturdays ago, they put on
(31:21):
one more catch at a locationthat's closing shop and they had
250 people show up and had adozen performances.
That went on and it justbrought the house down in new
york city.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
This is new york.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
He went back and did that and they've done a couple
out on the west coast now andbecause everybody you know his
three buddies one's in new york,one's in uh and he's in seattle
and yet they were able tocollaborate and keep up with
that.
And our daughter Jessie youboth know of that is teaching
high school theater and touchingthe hearts of many kids that
(32:01):
may not have ever thought aboutdoing theater.
And our daughter Jenna, who gotinto the culinary arts and is
now raising her three kids andvolunteering at the school where
her kids attend.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
They just inspire us they inspire me and they're all.
They're all so different, whichis which is one of the things
that I grew up being exposed to.
I was, I grew up in science andmind and um, so the idea that
we're you, we're all spiritualbeings having this human
(32:36):
experience, and so when you lookat each person with those eyes
and with that thought in mind,it changes you, because they're
not separate from you, they are,you know, one with you.
In some way.
You have that connection, andso what is their journey going
(33:01):
to look like, you know?
And so that's why, of course,why we get so excited about our
own kids, but we also do thatwith, like Sidney Reyes, or, you
know, kids in the theaters, orSebastian O'Geen, you know, I
mean, these kids are justamazing, and to watch them
blossom and grow, you know, talkabout giving you hope for the
(33:25):
future or for our civilization.
Those are the kinds ofinspirations we get.
You know, not all over, it'sall around us.
You know, dawn is aninspiration, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Absolutely, I agree.
Oh, thank you.
Yeah, well, I want to ask you,karen, in particular because I
want to dig in a little bit morealso to your journey and your
outlook, because I know, knowingyou, I know that you had a
profound loss when you were ayoung girl and changed your life
(34:04):
, and yet you've maintained thisvery open outlook and
perspective and that has ignitedthis much broader sense of
community.
And can you speak to that alittle bit?
And what gave you?
Speaker 4 (34:24):
that and my mom and dad were both very inspirational
to me, even though I lost mydad when I was 10.
And that was a shock, because Iwas daddy's girl, I mean, we
would get up early, he wouldexplore all kinds of stuff with
me, very spiritual things andjust what he was thinking about.
He didn't treat me like a 10year old.
(34:45):
He treated me like a fellowhuman being.
And so I learned so much fromhim and growing up in in science
and mind it's.
It's a very positive religion.
I mean, it's not even areligion, it's a philosophy or a
way of life.
I like to look at it that waymore than quote unquote religion
(35:07):
, because that always kind ofhas a negative connotation these
days, but it's the idea thatthere's several little
catchphrases what you think iswhat you get.
So what are you thinking?
You know, mind your mind.
You know, pull out those weeds.
Those are just things that yourmind came up with.
(35:30):
You don't need them, just likea garden, and look for the good
and praise it.
I've always had that philosophywith in my classroom and with
kids.
You know, you know you couldhave a row of kids lined up and
maybe one is looking at you anddoing what you want, you know,
(35:51):
to get into the classroom andyou just hit upon that one child
, you know, and call them outand say, instead of saying,
quiet, turn around, keep yourhands to yourself, blah, blah,
blah.
You know those are all negativethings.
And guess what?
You're giving them greatattention for being negative.
So, instead of that, givingthem great attention for being
(36:17):
negative, so instead of that,say, gosh, I really appreciate
the way you're looking at me andyou're standing, so, not facing
forward, and you're, you know,you're ready, listening, ready
to go in and those kind ofthings.
If you focus on those things oranything that you want to grow,
then it grows, you know, and ifyou keep focusing on what's
(36:41):
wrong rather than what's right,you get a lot of wrong stuff.
You know what?
There's another one here, herecomes another one.
The universe always says yes,no matter what you put out there
, you know, oh, you think this,oh, okay, well, you're more of
that, you know.
So those are just a few of mylittle things that I live by.
(37:05):
That I was, that I grew up beingexposed to, and and my that was
, you know, more from my dadthan my mom.
But my mom, uh, she wasinspirational.
She actually here.
She was lost, her husband at 50, had two little kids, a fifth
(37:26):
grader and a fourth grader, andum went back to work, went back
to college, got, you know, gotcertificates and, you know,
ended up working until she was70 and just blossomed.
I just watched her blossom andbecome more of herself.
(37:50):
Talk about stepping out of thebox.
You know she really did.
And yet we always had, you know, wonderful Christmases,
wonderful family gatherings, allthose kinds of things that that
she really made sure that wehad everything we needed.
We never, you know, lacked foranything.
Yet I'm sure she was pinchingpennies all the way.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Yeah, but what I'm hearing from both of you is that
you both really had profoundmodels in your life of people
who went forward, had theobstacles and, like, found a way
, just kept going and found waysof exploring and doing what
(38:36):
inspired them, filled them up,kept showing up, kept making it
happen, and certainly that's youknow true of the both of you
there's.
You two are Energizer bunnies.
Keep going.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
Yeah, when I had that , I dealt with a couple of
physical things.
I had like a subdural hematomathat I had to have removed.
That I actually lived to tellthe story about, you know, and
that was pretty traumatic.
And then I dealt with um cancer.
(39:12):
During the um, during thepandemic, yeah, I had lymphoma
and looking at it as not a cursebut as a blessing and something
to I'm going to learn from this, I'm going to grow out of it,
I'm going to not so much beat it, but I'm going to learn from it
(39:33):
.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
And incorporate it into my life.
And Paul was probably my, notprobably.
He definitely was my biggestcheerleader and my angel.
He stood by my side.
I mean talk about rock solid.
I mean I just our relationship,even even that, even more close
(39:58):
than it already was.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
And watching from the outside again.
I mean, I was not part of yourlives during that time, but I
definitely saw from theperiphery.
You did that all with suchgrace and I guess I kind of want
to know and I think otherpeople might want to know this
idea of like.
Well, the universe always saysyes, so I just always think
(40:23):
positively and I just live inthis positive, sunshiny state of
mind.
That is what I see of you.
But I'm curious is there like abattle sometimes inside of you?
Is there ever this doubt that?
Well, I know the universe saysyes, but maybe this is the one
time it's not going to say yes.
(40:43):
You know, I'm curious aboutthat, is there?
Speaker 1 (40:47):
Or what is this nonsense that's just shown up?
I didn't think this into being.
Speaker 4 (40:53):
There again, you have a little monkey mind that you
know throws in all the doubtsand insecurities.
We all deal with that.
But you know that you have tomind your mind and get rid of
that stuff, yeah, out of it.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
When those things come up.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
Sorry, diana, when those things come up, you
acknowledge them, you knowthey're there and for me, I can
set those aside for right nowand focus on the task at hand,
what needs to be done, becausesome of those things are very
large.
As we know, there are eventsthat happen in our lives and the
(41:35):
people that are listening.
We can each point to one or twoor three, or maybe even five
that could have taken us to verydark places.
We've lost family membersbecause of it, but the choices
that we make on the paths thatwe want to follow are our
(41:56):
choices.
Still so, even when things getrough, there are times that you
can work on it for yourself andwith the great people that are
around you today, that you canconsider friend and family
members that you can say youknow, I'd just like to talk for
(42:17):
a little bit.
Could you just need someone tolisten?
Those are some of the timeswhen you can let go of those
dark moments, you know, sharethem and release them and then
go back to what you can do.
It's kind of it's the conceptfor me of being able to shine a
little bit of a light.
If I can shine a bit of a light, then I'm doing some good.
(42:39):
And if the person next to meand the person next to them and
the person on my right and left,if everybody's shining a little
light, pretty soon it's lookingpretty good where we are.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
It just brings us back to that community.
It's in building the community,and then that community is also
there when the times are hard.
You've got that Now I rely on.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
The theater community was amazing the lanes.
Every time I went in for atreatment there'd be some little
basket on my front door with ablanket and a book or you know,
or some pajamas or candles orsomething to munch on.
You know, so thoughtful and soappreciated, so much appreciated
(43:31):
.
And you just, the people inyour lives, your family and your
friends.
They just uplift you.
So you are lifted up above thatproblem and you have a
different perspective.
You can look down on it and say,ok, you know, you can get a
(43:52):
handle on it a little bit betterif you have that support
community right and diana tomake a point.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
It does not discount it.
It's not to discount it.
It's just, as karen said, tomaybe rise above or move away
from it.
It's not to ignore it and notto discount it.
But I'm not going to stay there.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
Yeah, right.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
Yeah, and that's a lot of what we're talking about
here and why we're doing thispodcast it's this whole hope,
through idea that that all ofthese things do exist and we
don't pretend that they don't.
And we feel all that we feeland we also make certain choices
.
And we find all that we feeland we also make certain choices
.
And we find that hope throughwhatever it is, whether it's
(44:42):
action or dance or surrender orcommunity, as we've been talking
about.
Speaker 3 (44:49):
Ukuleles yeah ukuleles.
Oh through ukuleles.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
Val de Buque, everyone yeah, tonight.
Speaker 4 (44:57):
We have tonight.
There you go.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
Everybody come on down.
So here let me ask you thisthough you two you have this
community didn't just happen.
You didn't just magically plopinto this wonderful community.
You were very intentional aboutbuilding it.
Not that you worked to createthe community, but you worked to
(45:19):
create the space for community.
Yeah, so if you were to go backto your you know those 10, 12,
13 year old selves that you oncewere, what do you think they'd
say and think about what you'vecreated and where you are today?
What would be their perspective?
Speaker 3 (45:42):
My 10-year-old self would say what, what?
You're not going to be surfing,you're going to be living at
the beach.
Speaker 4 (45:54):
Yeah, that's true, I do miss the beach.
Yeah, that's true, I miss.
I do miss the beach.
I'd say that was a that wasquite a journey that you've had
so far, karen yeah quite ajourney and you're, and we're
happy.
I mean, we talk about it.
We just talk about it.
The other day, we just saidwhat a great life we have.
(46:17):
We really do, you know, andbecause you know, because of
choices, because of who wesurround ourselves with, the
community, your community, goodpeeps.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
Yeah, and some of the choices that we've made as we
become adults and then becomeeven more mature along the way.
I can share that.
On my 30th birthday, the gift Igave myself was the permission
to be quiet.
(46:50):
You can go ahead and be quietand listen for a while, Paul.
You don't need to share youropinion on everything.
Speaker 1 (46:59):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
One of the greatest gifts I've given myself.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (47:04):
Interesting.
He was kind of a know-it-allfor a while Because he knows a
lot he did know a lot, you know,and he just wanted to share it,
but listen to have thatunderstanding and that we're
with all at 30 is pretty amazing.
Speaker 1 (47:21):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:24):
So I don't know about you all, but I always say I'm
going to live well into myhundreds.
I've said that since I waslittle and I warn my kids all
the time that they're with mefor many more years and I warn
my kids all the time thatthey're with me for many more
years.
So at the end of this journey,however long it lasts, well into
your hundreds, because you'vegot such a strong community
behind you, how do you want tobe remembered?
(47:46):
What's the legacy you want toleave behind?
Speaker 3 (47:52):
I think that he cared .
He cared yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
Well, that one's already done, I promise you that
is how you are seen andunderstood now we know that she
brought joy into my life.
Speaker 4 (48:12):
Yeah, in some way.
Speaker 2 (48:14):
Yeah, and so important, especially when
there's talk in the world aboutis empathy a good thing?
Is it a bad thing?
You know, I I'm here to sayit's 100 a good thing, not even
a question.
Yeah, it's like.
Speaker 4 (48:28):
It's like this whole dei thing diversity yes included
.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
Inclusion yes, equity yes yes I mean they love and
fellowship and welcome and theseare all always awesome those
are.
Speaker 4 (48:45):
That's what makes us humans and humanity.
You know, that's.
That's all the good stuff yeah,for sure yeah, for sure passion
.
Yes, for sure Passion.
Speaker 1 (48:56):
Yes, love, yes.
So here's a little theatermoment that, paul and Karen,
you'll both appreciate, andyou've not seen our little
current show yet, which is HouseRock live Once again.
We've done it before a coupleof times, but here it is again
and, given the currentconsciousness, there's some
(49:19):
challenges out there in ourworld right now.
There comes a moment in ourshow when the kids are singing
the Great American Melting Pot,who throws on a Statue of
Liberty costume and stands on abox with a flashlight and a
peachy folder, and all the restof the cast pull out little
(49:42):
international flags and theycircle around singing about
lovely Lady Liberty and about,you know, liberty and immigrants
.
What good ingredients.
And you can hear everyperformance.
There are gasps and tears inthe audience as people share
(50:04):
that moment of remembering.
Oh yes, this is who we are,this is who we are and we are
community and we do belong to,and that's the consciousness.
Speaker 4 (50:14):
We want to, yeah, add fuel to to grow.
I mean, we want to grow thatconsciousness, yeah.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
And you do yeah.
You both, yeah, and to see.
Speaker 4 (50:28):
You have to do it in your own way, in your own little
way.
A thousand little lights, likePaul said.
You know we have the light.
So if we're, you know there's astrength in numbers.
Speaker 2 (50:40):
I'm curious and, speaking of numbers and you
probably don't have thesenumbers, but I would love to
know how many kids have beeninvolved in the children's
theater, how many families, andto have those numbers over 40
years and then to look at.
Then our education numbers yesand then and the adults.
Speaker 1 (50:58):
You know, there's adults and children alike.
Speaker 2 (51:00):
But this started with that little.
I think it was your son.
You said Jeff was his nameright, Jeff is his name and that
he wanted to act.
Speaker 3 (51:09):
And so you said, yeah , let's do this thing 40 years
ago, and now here he is bringingthis to so many people in
Washington and New York andwherever else he's been, and you
just think of all of them?
Speaker 2 (51:24):
Yeah, and so you think of this one, paul, you
talked about that flashlight andif you can just turn on the
light a little bit and somebodyelse joins you, and to just
think of how many kids have beenimpacted in the last 40 years
and how that's rippled out fromeach of them going out into
their communities and the worldand continuing to be this light,
(51:46):
it's yeah.
Speaker 4 (51:49):
And the skills they learn are.
You know, theater skills arenot just applicable to theater
they're applicable their lifeskills, so being able to stand
up and present yourself, orbeing comfortable doing that,
being able to listen to othersand wait for your cues, so
there's a focusing workingtogether for, you know, a
(52:14):
complete show I mean, the listgoes on uh, how to move.
You know, uh, there's so manypluses to theater, yeah all of
it that are that enrich yourlife and make it easier for you
to go forward.
So just giving kids those uhskills and those that confidence
(52:36):
, confidence building, that ithas, you know, and it's OK to
take risks and it's we createthat safe environment for them
to do that and then they can doit out there in the real world.
Speaker 2 (52:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (52:51):
Yeah, yeah, not just in the theater world, yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:56):
Well, we're aware that we've been keeping you
talking for a long time and weshould probably we'll, we'll
jump into our little rapid firequestions now.
How about that?
Yeah, easy questions, and justfirst thing that comes to mind,
you throw it on out there.
Yeah, yeah, and maybe one at atime?
Speaker 2 (53:14):
Yeah, yeah, but, but I think we want to hear from
both of them, right.
So, at a time, yeah, yeah, butbut, but I think we want to hear
from both of them, right sowhen we ask perfect, so here's a
fun one.
Speaker 1 (53:22):
So you know baseball.
You're the pitcher who walksout to the mound.
What is your walk-in song?
Or, wherever you are, what'syour song?
Speaker 3 (53:33):
thus sprock zarathustra there you go okay,
and it'll be apes.
Speaker 4 (53:40):
Oh, oh, my gosh, I am not good thinking at this stuff
like this.
Speaker 1 (53:44):
Um, let me see uh I know what your song is.
You think of another one, but Ithink of you walking on
sunshine.
Speaker 4 (53:52):
That's your song yeah , something positive and fun.
Speaker 2 (53:56):
There you go.
You thought of my song.
Oh, no, no, no.
Speaker 4 (53:59):
Walking on sunshine.
Speaker 2 (54:04):
It's so new, it is.
It feels good, it's a good one.
Well, we'll, we'll let you havethat.
Donna helped you out there, butwhat book changed you?
Speaker 4 (54:23):
Let's see.
Speaker 3 (54:26):
Well, she's thinking I'll share Alice in Wonderland.
As a boy and a teen, I readthat every year and picked up
something new each time.
It was a very important book inmy development.
Speaker 1 (54:43):
It's a layered, layered book.
Speaker 3 (54:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:46):
I did my college thesis on Alison Woodrow.
Speaker 4 (54:49):
The first book that I just absolutely loved was the
Secret Garden.
I just loved that book, a goodone.
Speaker 1 (54:58):
Yeah, gorgeous book, all right.
What movie lives rent-free inyour, in your brain?
Speaker 3 (55:06):
princess bride uh um, let's see.
Speaker 4 (55:11):
Uh, my big fat greek wedding is always a good one, or
, miss Congeniality?
Those are my two go-to laughterI could see that.
Speaker 2 (55:22):
I could see that.
What did you love doing as akid that you still love doing
today?
Speaker 3 (55:33):
Taking a hike.
Speaker 4 (55:35):
Yeah, walking in the redwoods or in the mountains or
on the beach I I love when youshare your pictures of your
adventures like that.
Speaker 2 (55:44):
It's always nice to see those, those travels yep,
you guys have a lot ofadventures.
Speaker 1 (55:49):
What in your world is lighting you up right now?
Speaker 4 (55:54):
I think getting ready for a big trip to go see all
our grandkids and we're going tocelebrate our 50th wedding
anniversary coming up in JulyBeautiful.
Speaker 1 (56:09):
Congratulations.
Speaker 4 (56:11):
Lighting us up right now.
Speaker 3 (56:14):
My choice would have been our grandkids as well.
Speaker 2 (56:16):
They're just joys for us.
Speaker 4 (56:20):
Yeah, I've only met one the kids are my bad
grandkids or something yeah, thegrandkids are great and they're
all so different and so muchfun yeah, oh, they're very cute,
they are okay, so what color ishope?
Can I pick rainbow?
(56:45):
You can.
You can, because the world is arainbow.
Yep.
Speaker 3 (56:52):
My color would be green because it continues to
grow.
Speaker 2 (56:57):
Yes, I like that.
What does hope sound like?
Speaker 4 (57:06):
Laughter.
Speaker 3 (57:10):
That's a great choice .
I think the best one would bethe final movement from
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
That is my hope.
Speaker 2 (57:24):
Wow, I love that answer.
Speaker 1 (57:26):
Yeah, all right, so complete the statement.
Community is.
Speaker 4 (57:34):
Family, family.
Speaker 3 (57:38):
Community is where I want to find myself.
Speaker 2 (57:42):
Yeah, nice.
How about connection Connectionis?
Speaker 4 (57:48):
Connection is community.
We're going in a circle here.
Speaker 3 (57:53):
Connection is making yourself available mentally,
physically and spiritually.
Speaker 1 (58:02):
Beautiful.
The meaning of life is A greatmovie, but don't do that.
Speaker 3 (58:12):
It's 42.
We know that.
Speaker 4 (58:16):
It's 12, right, still a line from Fools.
Speaker 3 (58:20):
That was 17 in.
Speaker 4 (58:21):
Fools, I thought it was 12.
Speaker 2 (58:25):
That could be the meaning of life.
Speaker 4 (58:27):
The meaning of life?
I don't know.
We're ageless spiritual beingsand having a human adventure, so
we just are here to learn andgrow and connect.
Speaker 3 (58:40):
Yeah, being something greater than yourself.
Speaker 2 (58:45):
Yeah, yeah, and we'll .
We'll wrap it up with hope.
Hope is what.
Speaker 3 (58:55):
Turning your dreams into reality.
Speaker 4 (58:57):
Yeah, hope is that feeling inside of you that
inspires you to move forward ina positive way.
Speaker 3 (59:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (59:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (59:09):
Beautiful you wonderful to beautiful Paul and
Karen Larson.
I love you so much and I'm sograteful for you.
Thank you for spending timewith us now and sharing your
light and your hope with us.
You've built an extraordinarycommunity and I will say to
anyone again the reason thiscommunity exists as it does is
(59:33):
because you two started it inthe way that you started it,
with the love that you startedit with okay, can you share?
Speaker 2 (59:42):
then, talking about the community and community
theater, can you share witheverybody where they can find
the theater, where they can findy'all and the work you're doing
?
Is there a website?
There is.
Speake (59:59):
Chinocommunitytheaterorg .
Chinocommunitytheaterorg.
Chinocommunitytheaterorg .
Speaker 1 (01:00:03):
Theater with an R-E yes, Theater with an R-E.
Speaker 4 (01:00:07):
Where are?
Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
you now Perfect.
So the two websites and onFacebook as well, Facebook.
Speaker 1 (01:00:13):
Insta.
Speaker 2 (01:00:13):
Awesome.
I will just say again, I'veonly been really involved in one
production and on the sidelinesin a couple of others, but if
anybody is in SouthernCalifornia anywhere, it's a
theater that they should govisit.
Even if they don't havechildren performing in the
(01:00:34):
theater, it is an amazing placeto be.
Speaker 1 (01:00:38):
And you think of it as children because through I've
done so much there, but it's anadult.
Speaker 4 (01:00:43):
Yes, theater as well and which is right, I'm just
gonna say, after donna'sfabulous show closes this
weekend, then we gear up forlittle shop of horrors, which
will be another fun show rightthey're, they're all fun.
Speaker 2 (01:00:56):
All of them are fun.
Yeah, they are Right.
Speaker 1 (01:00:59):
You guys have any just real quick.
Do you have any idea how manyshows have been done in those 40
years?
I've heard the number, but nowI don't remember it.
Speaker 3 (01:01:07):
Yes, we're at.
I think it's 234 communitytheater productions and about
178, 179 children's theaterproductions amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:01:19):
Countless summer camps and classes, workshops and
cabarets and events zoomclasses.
Speaker 2 (01:01:27):
Yeah, oh my gosh, you guys.
Yeah, and this is just thebeginning.
Speaker 4 (01:01:30):
You're only 40 years into it, so oh yeah, that's all
started with a handshake and wewere just babies when we started
it.
Speaker 1 (01:01:37):
Yeah, oh my goodness you guys, thank you so much for
taking this time with us.
We sure appreciate you and loveyou so much.
Go out and have some fun yes,go play the ukulele for having
us on the soul, sisteries.
Speaker 3 (01:01:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (01:01:54):
Yes, exactly what I was going to say.
Yes, thank you so much forgiving us this opportunity to
share.
Speaker 2 (01:02:01):
We're blessed.
Thank you, Bye guys.
Thanks for joining us today onSoul Sisteries.
Speaker 1 (01:02:07):
And thanks for sharing stories with us.
We'd love to hear your storiesas well and keep the
conversation going, absolutelykeeping the hope going.
So we're really hopeful thatyou'll connect with our guests
as well, who have great storiesto share.
Go ahead and follow them invarious social media platforms
or live venues, wherever it isthat they're performing and
(01:02:31):
sharing what they do.
Speaker 2 (01:02:33):
We would love to have you follow us on all of our
social media platforms,subscribe and rate, as that will
help us get our message of hopeout to others.
Thanks for listening to SoulSisteries.
Welcome to Soul Sisteries.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome to Soul, Sisteries, where we just had an
amazing conversation with Pauland Karen Larson of the Chino
Community Theater and Children'sTheater.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
It's so so thrilling to talk with them, longtime
friends and mentors, and I trulylove these people, but we were
just talking about how they'vechanged so many lives, and so
humbly, oh my goodness.
They're so humble about allthat they've done and they keep
going on about this sense ofcommunity, which is real, which
(00:41):
is true, but, my goodness, thiscommunity exists and developed
because of the light and thelove at the heart of it, which
is the two of them and all thatthey brought about.
Amazing people.
Here we are with the wonderfulPaul and Karen Larson, who are
(01:01):
longtime friends but really, Igot to say, they are huge
inspirations for me.
They have set up a gorgeousmodel, where I live, of
community, particularly throughthe theater that they have
started in our community, acommunity theater, as it goes
(01:22):
right.
It's the Chino CommunityTheater and the Chino Community
Children's Theater that theybegan 40 years ago and they're
going to tell you that wholestory.
But they originated with, theywere both educators, they were
both in education and then, outof this and out of that sense of
teaching and building communityand working together, this
(01:46):
wonderful theater was born.
So here we are with Paul andKaren Larson Welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Thank you, good to have you both here.
It's great to be here,wonderful, and I know Donna just
did a little introduction soeverybody can know a little bit
about you.
I guess I know that part aboutyou, but I don't know as much as
Donna does, so I would love foryou to just share with us all,
(02:12):
if you can, kind of what got youhere 40 years later?
How did you start the theater?
Why did you start the theater?
What did that look like?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Well, would you like me to start, karen?
Did that look like?
Well, would you like me tostart, karen?
It actually started in theclassroom.
Karen and I were bothelementary school teachers for
many years and I was active withmy partners doing theater on
(02:42):
our campus.
We were doing shows and, as amatter of fact, in 1984, I had
just finished up doing a showcalled the 1890 Music Hall
Review with kids from secondgrade to sixth grade on our
campus and our son, who wasquite an athlete at the time,
had said you know, I'd reallylike to take an acting class.
So we sign him up for an actingclass with the city of Chino
(03:09):
and at the end of eight weeks wewent to see the performance.
Karen, you want to talk alittle bit about that
performance.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Yeah, the performance was not anything about acting
really.
It was lip syncing to the soundof music song as a group.
Oh dear and we were after.
You know we were sodisappointed.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
And Paul said I could do better than that.
And I said, well, why don't you?
And that sort of got the ballrolling.
So really we, our inspirationwas our son and his need to
express himself.
He was singing, he loved todance, he had good movement, he
(03:57):
was not a bit shy.
So we thought, you know, heneeds this kind of an outlet.
Besides just doing sports, hewanted to add something else to
his plate.
He was still very young and Ithink he was only five or six
years old when we, when we firstdid that class.
So it was that was the impetusto get us going.
(04:22):
And since Paul had been doingsports also with the city and he
had just done the show, he kindof had some connections.
He had some connections withPat McArdle in the city.
And so he went down and said,pat, you know, our son just took
this drama class and it was notgood.
(04:45):
And he said I know, I know it'snot good, and are you guys
interested in you know doingsomething for us?
You know that's really acting.
And we said, sure, so why don'tyou pick it up from there, paul
?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
From that point we worked with Pat.
They got us a location.
We ended up putting together aproduction workshop would be
what we call it now of You're aGood man, charlie Brown.
All the kids that wanted to bein the workshop were involved.
We ended up with 10 that wereavailable the whole time.
(05:29):
We had two that had schedulingconflicts and we worked on the
songs.
We knew the dialogue.
I had done the show I don'tknow 12 years earlier when I was
in college and remembered quitea bit of it, had our friend do
all the piano work for us.
(05:50):
We went over to our house withour big old wall and sack reel
to reel and put it all on tapeand painted the set in our front
yard and put it on stage at thecommunity building on 10th and
B Street.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
And lo and behold, people showed up and I want to
say, I want to stress, even then, you know we're talking about
community.
Even then we had parentssupporting what we were doing
and not only just supporting itby coming, but they helped us
(06:28):
with the costumes, they helpedus with the set, they helped
their kids, you know, learntheir parts and they were an
integral part of getting it offthe ground.
Yeah, the city support, whichis community right there, and
the parent support, yeah, thoseare the two keys right there.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I just love that you saw this need.
You know with your own childthat, okay, here's something
that he wants to do, and so youjust did it, instead of waiting
and looking city to city forsomebody else to do it.
You're like, okay, let's go andwe're going to make it happen,
which is amazing that is true?
Speaker 4 (07:12):
I think probably probably, because Paul had had
that connection already withsports and we were both living
in Chino and we were bothteaching in Chino.
So Chino was our, our home base, you know.
So we just it just made sensefor us to go that route you know
(07:39):
, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I was going to say so .
Here's the thing, though.
You say that, and I understandthat the circumstances were all
there, but I've been a part ofthis theater and I've known you
for a very long time and I knowthere's special sauce in this.
There is.
So we are talking aboutcommunity hope through community
today, and this is a greatexample.
But the special sauce really,we have to say, is you too, and
(08:04):
the way that you approach this.
Really, you guys have thehearts and souls of teachers.
That's who you are, and youhave the teacher mindset, and
that teacher mindset is we'regoing to support and uplift
others for the greater good.
I've seen it again and againand again, and that is the
undercurrent, that is thesupport of this institution now
(08:29):
that has been around for 40years and thriving.
It would not be this were itnot without that little magic
that you two put in there.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
That just has to be said just has to be said Well,
that is very kind.
I wanted to follow up on thatbecause in February of 84, just
before we started the Children'sTheater I had done a community
theater production in Claremontand the theater that we were
(09:03):
involved with that was the lastshow they were going to do.
They weren't going to doanymore and the year before
another theater had closed downso two theater groups in the
area had gone defunct and therewere adults that were looking
for homes.
So we finished up thechildren's theater show.
I told the cast about it that Ihad worked with and they said,
(09:26):
well, do you think Chino mightwant a community theater too?
And I said, oh, let's go see.
Yeah, they said sure, and wegot $500 seed money from the
Community Center Corporation,which was a place that was
trying to get a facility builtat the time.
Which was a place that wastrying to get a facility built
at the time.
But the concept of communitythat is so important here is
(09:50):
that we did not have to rely onit being the Paul and Karen show
.
It never, ever was the Paul andKaren show, not day one.
Aaron show, not day one, wethink with the children's
theater in particular, jim andJulianne Gallegos got involved
right from the start and theirdaughter was in a couple of
(10:13):
shows at the start with thechildren's theater and the
community theater, but justgiving of themselves.
And then, as you pointed out,donna, one of the important
things is giving people theopportunity to learn something
new, to know that you can do it,give them the confidence to be
(10:33):
used for the next show coming up.
And the director came over andgot to use a router for the very
first time, got a littleteaching lesson with that.
I love it.
(10:53):
Cut out that doorway and hesays, my gosh, it's so clean,
it's so much better.
I said, yeah, we learn thesetools.
So giving the opportunity forpeople to find the best in
themselves, I think, is a hugepart of this.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Well and that is another piece of the special
sauce I have to say so, yes, theopportunities are there, but
there is a little phrase that wein this particular community
have, and we all know exactlywhat we're talking about.
We say, well, you got Larson'd,and we know exactly what that
means.
Because all of a sudden, notonly did you learn that thing
(11:33):
that you were really interestedin learning, but all of a sudden
you're like in charge of it,you're doing it, you're running
it, because you guys just havethis way about you of letting
all the rest of us like reallybelieve in ourselves and that we
can do it.
And then your trust in usreally gives us those wings to
(11:54):
do it ourselves.
And I know I personally haveflown in all kinds of ways
because you've offered that sortof love and support and
guidance, and there arecountless people who would say
the same.
So I hear what you're saying,but I also have to say, okay,
but wait a second.
There there really is.
There is something veryparticular about the two of you
(12:15):
and the way you are with eachother and the way that you are
with the community and the wayyou raised your family, and all
of that that creates thisspecial kind of magic here.
It's true.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
We always set out to educate and entertain.
So the education part, we feltgood about it because we had,
you know, we were teachers, wewere in the classroom, we knew
how to work positively with kids.
We had great feedback fromparents already and and
(12:48):
administrators and staff membersabout how we worked with kids
and how we can inspire.
We inspired them.
So we had a family too.
So we not only didn't want itto be the Paul and Karen Paul
(13:14):
and Karen show, not because wedidn't want it to be special or
have ownership in it, butbecause, you know, we had other
stuff in our life and we wantedit to be community right off the
bat.
I mean, the very first show wedid, we did together but and we
did a couple other shows wherewe were, you know, directed and
(13:36):
produced and did a lot of stuffearly on but at the same time
the very second show we did inchildren's theater was directed
by somebody else and you know wejust helped out, we were just
there to kind of facilitate.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
So that happened right from the very get go many
times watching performances, butonce, almost 30 years ago, when
I had a teeny tiny role in thebest little Christmas pageant
right, which was so much fun,and I watched you, Donna, kind
(14:14):
of step your toe in and then be100% immersed, volunteering 40
plus hours a week now, and soI've seen just the hope that you
guys have brought to thecommunity, to my own family,
through this theater, which ispretty amazing.
But I guess what I want to knowis then what gives you guys
(14:39):
hope as you started this theater, as you've continued the
theater, what gives you hope andkeeps you going Well?
Speaker 4 (14:48):
And the connection with everybody, with everyone
that's involved.
You know, you just keep makingthese connections with your
fellow human beings and you justwatch them bloom and it's so
exciting.
You know you say, oh, so-and-sois doing this and they're so
good at it.
You know, and I'm so gladthey're a part of it.
(15:10):
It just makes our theater evenbetter.
When you have, when you connectwith others and you are able to
nudge them, maybe, uh, or maybenot, maybe they'll come up to
you and just open up and say,hey, I've always wanted to try
this.
You know, here's theopportunity.
(15:30):
So I think the connection isreally important with fellow
humans.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Yes, the connection and also, uh, there is a feeling
of family that's involved withthis community theater, truly a
feeling of a family with thisgroup, and it becomes a safe
place for all kinds of people tobe.
(15:57):
Some people are introverts thatfind a wonderful home, and
there are some people that havehad difficulties, kids that have
had difficulties in school foracting out, and finally they
find a home to act out and theymeet a director that understands
(16:19):
that need to showcasethemselves and yet gives them
the tool to become a betterspeaker, to become very clear,
to become focused, focused, yeah, and then that child then turns
around and becomes a mentor foranother person.
And the same thing with theadults.
I think of one person, dougRumbaugh.
(16:44):
I'll mention him.
His daughter was in a show.
Let's see.
When did Winnie the Pooh comeup?
Was that 2018?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
It was something like that, yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
And this was just one of the dads that was trying to
figure out what he could do tohelp out, and so we put a drill
in his hand.
He says, yeah, I can use thisthing, and was watching and
learning and asking questions.
And as time has gone by, notonly did he handle that, but
then he was designing sets, hewas building sets, he writes,
(17:21):
he's directed shows, and we havea number of parents that have
found homes that way.
We've had people that havetruly just walked in off the
street saying what is this place?
I said, well, why don't youcome in?
You can usher for the show.
And they say I didn't know.
We do live theater here in Chino.
(17:42):
And they'll go from being anusher to being someone that'll
help out backstage, to being onstage and then up in the booth
doing lighting or something.
You just never know what youmight find in yourself as a
human being.
And I believe that truly forkaren and me both, it's been
(18:04):
very important to give thatopportunity.
This is all.
It's almost like a pay itforward If I can give someone
else an opportunity right now tofind something new about
themselves, because I discovermore every day for myself.
I am the epitome of a lifelonglearner.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
A work in progress.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
We're all works in progress progress, we're all in
progress, and if we can uh addopportunity to others, then I
think there is a great deal ofhope for our society yeah right,
it's interesting, isn't it, howyou know, when life has its
challenges as it does or thereare those days which are a
(18:50):
little harder, that juststepping into some of that work
of uplifting someone else andturning to them and being
mindful, all that that does foryourself right and shifting your
mood, your energy, your outlookyeah, yeah, I mean that's know
helping others or is you'rereally helping yourself when you
(19:15):
do that?
Speaker 4 (19:16):
You know you.
Just it gives you such a goodfeeling to make that connection
and to help to think that you'veinspired somebody to try
something new or to go adifferent way.
It's pretty exciting, yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Yeah, I remember you stepping into that, that both of
you during the pandemic, wheneverything was shut down, all of
a sudden you were startingdifferent workshops online, and
I remember specifically theukulele class that you were
running, paula.
That was just.
It was okay.
So the theater is not open.
We can't all be together, sothe theater is not open.
We can't all be together, butthe theater is not stopping.
(19:53):
You kept doing all these thingsfor the community and really
branching out.
You didn't have to be in Chinoor the Inland Empire.
You could be, you know anywhereand join those classes, which
was pretty amazing.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Yeah, I think that's what Zoom has done basically, I
mean even to this this day.
We had a meeting last nightwith a community theater and we
had people a person fromarkansas who moved to arkansas
and he was on the zoom call, youknow.
So we had four people on thezoom and we had a dozen people
(20:30):
at the house.
Oh nice, and it was really niceto be able to open it up like
that.
And we did that with.
Donna came up with her ideawith the Reader's Theater, so we
did that.
I did a sewing class.
I was teaching people how tosew pockets, make pockets and
(20:52):
stitches, and we did Shakespeare.
We did a bunch of stuff duringthe pandemic and some of it has
continued.
As far as the connections havecontinued, yeah, you know, we
made that was hope in a verydark time for everybody.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I think, if we look back at all
that we did during that time, Imean we were robust and
thriving throughout all of thatshutdown.
We certainly were not shut downthough the building.
The building was empty.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
Yeah, stuff going on in the parking lot.
Yes, you know he had stuffgoing on in the parking lot.
Yes, you know.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
We had tap dancing out in the parking lot.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
We had a show showing on the back of the wall and
people parking in their cars andspaced out.
You know, I mean that's right.
We really outdid ourselves.
And it wasn't just Paul and me.
Again, it was the community.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
It was everyone.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
It was everybody.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Well, the show must go on right.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
I loved the marquee at that time with the message
it's still intermission.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
It was a long one.
So you both were elementaryschool teachers.
So growing up, did you aspireto be teachers?
Did you aspire to be in thetheater?
What?
What was your aspirationgrowing up?
I'm curious.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
I, I always wanted to be a teacher.
A teacher, yeah I.
I grew up in a family where Ihad older brothers and sisters
that were quite a bit older thanme, and then there was a 10
year gap and then my brother andme came along, and so I was
always like the babysitter auntwho was like just a few years
(22:47):
younger, or a few years olderthan my nieces and nephews, and
so I just sort of fell into thatroutine of caretaker and
teacher, and so it was a naturalfit for me.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Yeah, Mine was a different route.
I thought I was going to be anelectrical engineer and work on
the space program.
I was very good at math andscience and I found that I much
preferred working with peoplethan sitting in a lab constantly
, although I enjoyed it verymuch all through high school
(23:26):
Four years of electronics andgot to design some pretty
amazing things.
I wish I had kept them or hadsome good photos of them.
But once I got to college Ifound out that I really liked
working with people.
So I set myself up foreducation and government.
(23:48):
So I did my internships in citygovernment and worked with the
county and was all set to goactually work for Ruben Ayala up
in Sacramento one summer and itended up falling through.
But all the way through I didnot know I was going to be a
teacher until I had graduated.
(24:09):
I had been accepted toGeorgetown in government and I
decided no, I'm going to stickaround here and become a
government teacher.
Well, I taught Americangovernment over at Claremont
High School in my last studentteaching experience but then
(24:29):
landed a job here in Chino,where Karen had already gotten a
job, and we loved it here itwas, it was.
It is a wonderful home for us.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Never know.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
No, you don't know that's so beautiful.
So you both have such a brightoutlook.
You know people who know you,people who meet you, they are
absolutely touched by the warmththat you both exude.
And I mean we can all agreethat.
You know Karen is walkingsunshine everywhere, she goes
(25:04):
right.
So what is it, what is it inyou that allows you to sort of
live that perspective and livethat way, because you, like all
of us, you've had many ahardship in your life.
You've had losses, you've hadchallenges we all do.
That's human experience, right,um?
(25:25):
And and yet you do maintainthis sense of fellowship and
camaraderie and positivity.
What, what is it that does thatfor you?
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Well, one of the first things would be the
attitude of my dad.
My father was a fellow thatalways said yes.
When there was an opportunityto serve or be a steward for
something, he said yes.
And his best example was I'llkeep this brief but he went
(26:07):
active again in the Korean Warduring the Korean conflict.
He had been in World War II,had served at Guadalcanal, got
done there and said what do youwant to do, kid?
And he says I want to fly.
So he became a pilot and servedin World War II, finished and
then during the Korean conflicthe re-upped, went to North
(26:31):
Carolina and they said we have anewfangled thing called a
helicopter.
Anybody want to learn to fly itand put his hand up right away.
And so he says okay, you 100guys are going to go over there
and learn how to fly these newhelicopter things.
And then they were doing teststhat were physical tests to find
(26:53):
out how to do it and loading itup with 500 pounds and seeing
if we could lift 500 pounds, andthen 1,000 and 1,500 and 2,000.
And okay, we're not going to put3,500 pounds on this because we
won't get off the track andtrying to land on an aircraft
carrier in a helicopter, does itwork?
(27:14):
So he went through all thatexperience and then they called
the guys together again anddivided them in two and said OK,
you 50 are going to Korea andyou 50 are staying here in the
States to find out more abouthow these things work.
And he ended up being able tostay in the States and learned
(27:40):
how to be a very good helicopterpilot.
And then, when the conflictended, when the United States
pulled themselves out of that,the best pilot, as he said, was
heading to Los Angeles to workfor LA Airways.
And he asked the guy do youthink they have any jobs for me?
(28:01):
He said I don't know.
Why don't you go find out?
And so he packed up, went andpicked up my mom and my two
older brothers and drove toSouthern California with no idea
what he was going to do exceptgo knock on the door and say I
want to be a pilot.
And sure enough, he got to flywith LA Airways for about 12.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
My goodness, what an entrepreneurial spirit.
Yeah, yeah Well.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
I learned from that and I will say yes to a lot of
things from that, and I will sayyes to a lot of things.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
I can see that that makes perfect sense.
Knowing you and seeing yeah, Ican see that makes so much sense
.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
And I can share it's the same with my two older
brothers.
I've lost my younger sister andbrother, but my older brother
and sister, my older brothers,are of the same ilk.
They serve on boards ofdirectors and they volunteer in
their community and by doingthat you get the gift and joy of
being a part of it, and ourcommunity benefits from
(29:06):
ourselves participating in it.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Yeah, which then comes back and feeds you.
Also, right, that robustcommunity.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
And I think that's something that so many people
the people who aren't doing thatwork are missing out on.
They think that life is toobusy.
I have all these things goingon, I don't have time for that.
But the reality is is if youcan make time for that, it comes
back to you so many times morethan what you give and that you
(29:35):
just no matter what it is ifit's community feeder, if it's
you know the animal shelter, ifit's you know working with
children somewhere, volunteeringin the kid's classroom,
whatever it is that comes backto you and just really feeds you
.
So, as I listened to you guystalking just well, your father
sounds very inspirational.
Also, I'm curious who inspiresyou today?
(29:58):
Where do you get inspiration,gosh?
Speaker 3 (30:06):
I'll tell you, watching our children with their
families I think is one of thegreatest inspirations I have
right now.
Yeah, the ways that theyapproach parenthood and their
jobs All different University ofWashington in theater and to
(30:38):
see what he's done at NYU and atHamilton College and now at UW
is just inspiring.
One of those people that does abeautiful job of creating
community.
He has been in charge.
He and two of his friends, whenthey were in New York for years
, took over a program calledCatch, which was a great
opportunity for people toshowcase new songs or if they're
(31:01):
working on a show or a dance orsomething, they could put up a
10-minute piece and get feedbackon it from the audience.
They ended up winning an ObieAward for the work they were
doing and last two weekends ago,two Saturdays ago, they put on
(31:21):
one more catch at a locationthat's closing shop and they had
250 people show up and had adozen performances.
That went on and it justbrought the house down in new
york city.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
This is new york.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
He went back and did that and they've done a couple
out on the west coast now andbecause everybody you know his
three buddies one's in new york,one's in uh and he's in seattle
and yet they were able tocollaborate and keep up with
that.
And our daughter Jessie youboth know of that is teaching
high school theater and touchingthe hearts of many kids that
(32:01):
may not have ever thought aboutdoing theater.
And our daughter Jenna, who gotinto the culinary arts and is
now raising her three kids andvolunteering at the school where
her kids attend.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
They just inspire us they inspire me and they're all.
They're all so different, whichis which is one of the things
that I grew up being exposed to.
I was, I grew up in science andmind and um, so the idea that
we're you, we're all spiritualbeings having this human
(32:36):
experience, and so when you lookat each person with those eyes
and with that thought in mind,it changes you, because they're
not separate from you, they are,you know, one with you.
In some way.
You have that connection, andso what is their journey going
(33:01):
to look like, you know?
And so that's why, of course,why we get so excited about our
own kids, but we also do thatwith, like Sidney Reyes, or, you
know, kids in the theaters, orSebastian O'Geen, you know, I
mean, these kids are justamazing, and to watch them
blossom and grow, you know, talkabout giving you hope for the
(33:25):
future or for our civilization.
Those are the kinds ofinspirations we get.
You know, not all over, it'sall around us.
You know, dawn is aninspiration, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Absolutely, I agree.
Oh, thank you.
Yeah, well, I want to ask you,karen, in particular because I
want to dig in a little bit morealso to your journey and your
outlook, because I know, knowingyou, I know that you had a
profound loss when you were ayoung girl and changed your life
(34:04):
, and yet you've maintained thisvery open outlook and
perspective and that has ignitedthis much broader sense of
community.
And can you speak to that alittle bit?
And what gave you?
Speaker 4 (34:24):
that and my mom and dad were both very inspirational
to me, even though I lost mydad when I was 10.
And that was a shock, because Iwas daddy's girl, I mean, we
would get up early, he wouldexplore all kinds of stuff with
me, very spiritual things andjust what he was thinking about.
He didn't treat me like a 10year old.
(34:45):
He treated me like a fellowhuman being.
And so I learned so much fromhim and growing up in in science
and mind it's.
It's a very positive religion.
I mean, it's not even areligion, it's a philosophy or a
way of life.
I like to look at it that waymore than quote unquote religion
(35:07):
, because that always kind ofhas a negative connotation these
days, but it's the idea thatthere's several little
catchphrases what you think iswhat you get.
So what are you thinking?
You know, mind your mind.
You know, pull out those weeds.
Those are just things that yourmind came up with.
(35:30):
You don't need them, just likea garden, and look for the good
and praise it.
I've always had that philosophywith in my classroom and with
kids.
You know, you know you couldhave a row of kids lined up and
maybe one is looking at you anddoing what you want, you know,
(35:51):
to get into the classroom andyou just hit upon that one child
, you know, and call them outand say, instead of saying,
quiet, turn around, keep yourhands to yourself, blah, blah,
blah.
You know those are all negativethings.
And guess what?
You're giving them greatattention for being negative.
So, instead of that, givingthem great attention for being
(36:17):
negative, so instead of that,say, gosh, I really appreciate
the way you're looking at me andyou're standing, so, not facing
forward, and you're, you know,you're ready, listening, ready
to go in and those kind ofthings.
If you focus on those things oranything that you want to grow,
then it grows, you know, and ifyou keep focusing on what's
(36:41):
wrong rather than what's right,you get a lot of wrong stuff.
You know what?
There's another one here, herecomes another one.
The universe always says yes,no matter what you put out there
, you know, oh, you think this,oh, okay, well, you're more of
that, you know.
So those are just a few of mylittle things that I live by.
(37:05):
That I was, that I grew up beingexposed to, and and my that was
, you know, more from my dadthan my mom.
But my mom, uh, she wasinspirational.
She actually here.
She was lost, her husband at 50, had two little kids, a fifth
(37:26):
grader and a fourth grader, andum went back to work, went back
to college, got, you know, gotcertificates and, you know,
ended up working until she was70 and just blossomed.
I just watched her blossom andbecome more of herself.
(37:50):
Talk about stepping out of thebox.
You know she really did.
And yet we always had, you know, wonderful Christmases,
wonderful family gatherings, allthose kinds of things that that
she really made sure that wehad everything we needed.
We never, you know, lacked foranything.
Yet I'm sure she was pinchingpennies all the way.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Yeah, but what I'm hearing from both of you is that
you both really had profoundmodels in your life of people
who went forward, had theobstacles and, like, found a way
, just kept going and found waysof exploring and doing what
(38:36):
inspired them, filled them up,kept showing up, kept making it
happen, and certainly that's youknow true of the both of you
there's.
You two are Energizer bunnies.
Keep going.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
Yeah, when I had that , I dealt with a couple of
physical things.
I had like a subdural hematomathat I had to have removed.
That I actually lived to tellthe story about, you know, and
that was pretty traumatic.
And then I dealt with um cancer.
(39:12):
During the um, during thepandemic, yeah, I had lymphoma
and looking at it as not a cursebut as a blessing and something
to I'm going to learn from this, I'm going to grow out of it,
I'm going to not so much beat it, but I'm going to learn from it
(39:33):
.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
And incorporate it into my life.
And Paul was probably my, notprobably.
He definitely was my biggestcheerleader and my angel.
He stood by my side.
I mean talk about rock solid.
I mean I just our relationship,even even that, even more close
(39:58):
than it already was.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
And watching from the outside again.
I mean, I was not part of yourlives during that time, but I
definitely saw from theperiphery.
You did that all with suchgrace and I guess I kind of want
to know and I think otherpeople might want to know this
idea of like.
Well, the universe always saysyes, so I just always think
(40:23):
positively and I just live inthis positive, sunshiny state of
mind.
That is what I see of you.
But I'm curious is there like abattle sometimes inside of you?
Is there ever this doubt that?
Well, I know the universe saysyes, but maybe this is the one
time it's not going to say yes.
(40:43):
You know, I'm curious aboutthat, is there?
Speaker 1 (40:47):
Or what is this nonsense that's just shown up?
I didn't think this into being.
Speaker 4 (40:53):
There again, you have a little monkey mind that you
know throws in all the doubtsand insecurities.
We all deal with that.
But you know that you have tomind your mind and get rid of
that stuff, yeah, out of it.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
When those things come up.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
Sorry, diana, when those things come up, you
acknowledge them, you knowthey're there and for me, I can
set those aside for right nowand focus on the task at hand,
what needs to be done, becausesome of those things are very
large.
As we know, there are eventsthat happen in our lives and the
(41:35):
people that are listening.
We can each point to one or twoor three, or maybe even five
that could have taken us to verydark places.
We've lost family membersbecause of it, but the choices
that we make on the paths thatwe want to follow are our
(41:56):
choices.
Still so, even when things getrough, there are times that you
can work on it for yourself andwith the great people that are
around you today, that you canconsider friend and family
members that you can say youknow, I'd just like to talk for
(42:17):
a little bit.
Could you just need someone tolisten?
Those are some of the timeswhen you can let go of those
dark moments, you know, sharethem and release them and then
go back to what you can do.
It's kind of it's the conceptfor me of being able to shine a
little bit of a light.
If I can shine a bit of a light, then I'm doing some good.
(42:39):
And if the person next to meand the person next to them and
the person on my right and left,if everybody's shining a little
light, pretty soon it's lookingpretty good where we are.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
It just brings us back to that community.
It's in building the community,and then that community is also
there when the times are hard.
You've got that Now I rely on.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
The theater community was amazing the lanes.
Every time I went in for atreatment there'd be some little
basket on my front door with ablanket and a book or you know,
or some pajamas or candles orsomething to munch on.
You know, so thoughtful and soappreciated, so much appreciated
(43:31):
.
And you just, the people inyour lives, your family and your
friends.
They just uplift you.
So you are lifted up above thatproblem and you have a
different perspective.
You can look down on it and say,ok, you know, you can get a
(43:52):
handle on it a little bit betterif you have that support
community right and diana tomake a point.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
It does not discount it.
It's not to discount it.
It's just, as karen said, tomaybe rise above or move away
from it.
It's not to ignore it and notto discount it.
But I'm not going to stay there.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
Yeah, right.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
Yeah, and that's a lot of what we're talking about
here and why we're doing thispodcast it's this whole hope,
through idea that that all ofthese things do exist and we
don't pretend that they don't.
And we feel all that we feeland we also make certain choices
.
And we find all that we feeland we also make certain choices
.
And we find that hope throughwhatever it is, whether it's
(44:42):
action or dance or surrender orcommunity, as we've been talking
about.
Speaker 3 (44:49):
Ukuleles yeah ukuleles.
Oh through ukuleles.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
Val de Buque, everyone yeah, tonight.
Speaker 4 (44:57):
We have tonight.
There you go.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
Everybody come on down.
So here let me ask you thisthough you two you have this
community didn't just happen.
You didn't just magically plopinto this wonderful community.
You were very intentional aboutbuilding it.
Not that you worked to createthe community, but you worked to
(45:19):
create the space for community.
Yeah, so if you were to go backto your you know those 10, 12,
13 year old selves that you oncewere, what do you think they'd
say and think about what you'vecreated and where you are today?
What would be their perspective?
Speaker 3 (45:42):
My 10-year-old self would say what, what?
You're not going to be surfing,you're going to be living at
the beach.
Speaker 4 (45:54):
Yeah, that's true, I do miss the beach.
Yeah, that's true, I miss.
I do miss the beach.
I'd say that was a that wasquite a journey that you've had
so far, karen yeah quite ajourney and you're, and we're
happy.
I mean, we talk about it.
We just talk about it.
The other day, we just saidwhat a great life we have.
(46:17):
We really do, you know, andbecause you know, because of
choices, because of who wesurround ourselves with, the
community, your community, goodpeeps.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
Yeah, and some of the choices that we've made as we
become adults and then becomeeven more mature along the way.
I can share that.
On my 30th birthday, the gift Igave myself was the permission
to be quiet.
(46:50):
You can go ahead and be quietand listen for a while, Paul.
You don't need to share youropinion on everything.
Speaker 1 (46:59):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
One of the greatest gifts I've given myself.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (47:04):
Interesting.
He was kind of a know-it-allfor a while Because he knows a
lot he did know a lot, you know,and he just wanted to share it,
but listen to have thatunderstanding and that we're
with all at 30 is pretty amazing.
Speaker 1 (47:21):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:24):
So I don't know about you all, but I always say I'm
going to live well into myhundreds.
I've said that since I waslittle and I warn my kids all
the time that they're with mefor many more years and I warn
my kids all the time thatthey're with me for many more
years.
So at the end of this journey,however long it lasts, well into
your hundreds, because you'vegot such a strong community
behind you, how do you want tobe remembered?
(47:46):
What's the legacy you want toleave behind?
Speaker 3 (47:52):
I think that he cared .
He cared yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
Well, that one's already done, I promise you that
is how you are seen andunderstood now we know that she
brought joy into my life.
Speaker 4 (48:12):
Yeah, in some way.
Speaker 2 (48:14):
Yeah, and so important, especially when
there's talk in the world aboutis empathy a good thing?
Is it a bad thing?
You know, I I'm here to sayit's 100 a good thing, not even
a question.
Yeah, it's like.
Speaker 4 (48:28):
It's like this whole dei thing diversity yes included
.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
Inclusion yes, equity yes yes I mean they love and
fellowship and welcome and theseare all always awesome those
are.
Speaker 4 (48:45):
That's what makes us humans and humanity.
You know, that's.
That's all the good stuff yeah,for sure yeah, for sure passion
.
Yes, for sure Passion.
Speaker 1 (48:56):
Yes, love, yes.
So here's a little theatermoment that, paul and Karen,
you'll both appreciate, andyou've not seen our little
current show yet, which is HouseRock live Once again.
We've done it before a coupleof times, but here it is again
and, given the currentconsciousness, there's some
(49:19):
challenges out there in ourworld right now.
There comes a moment in ourshow when the kids are singing
the Great American Melting Pot,who throws on a Statue of
Liberty costume and stands on abox with a flashlight and a
peachy folder, and all the restof the cast pull out little
(49:42):
international flags and theycircle around singing about
lovely Lady Liberty and about,you know, liberty and immigrants
.
What good ingredients.
And you can hear everyperformance.
There are gasps and tears inthe audience as people share
(50:04):
that moment of remembering.
Oh yes, this is who we are,this is who we are and we are
community and we do belong to,and that's the consciousness.
Speaker 4 (50:14):
We want to, yeah, add fuel to to grow.
I mean, we want to grow thatconsciousness, yeah.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
And you do yeah.
You both, yeah, and to see.
Speaker 4 (50:28):
You have to do it in your own way, in your own little
way.
A thousand little lights, likePaul said.
You know we have the light.
So if we're, you know there's astrength in numbers.
Speaker 2 (50:40):
I'm curious and, speaking of numbers and you
probably don't have thesenumbers, but I would love to
know how many kids have beeninvolved in the children's
theater, how many families, andto have those numbers over 40
years and then to look at.
Then our education numbers yesand then and the adults.
Speaker 1 (50:58):
You know, there's adults and children alike.
Speaker 2 (51:00):
But this started with that little.
I think it was your son.
You said Jeff was his nameright, Jeff is his name and that
he wanted to act.
Speaker 3 (51:09):
And so you said, yeah , let's do this thing 40 years
ago, and now here he is bringingthis to so many people in
Washington and New York andwherever else he's been, and you
just think of all of them?
Speaker 2 (51:24):
Yeah, and so you think of this one, paul, you
talked about that flashlight andif you can just turn on the
light a little bit and somebodyelse joins you, and to just
think of how many kids have beenimpacted in the last 40 years
and how that's rippled out fromeach of them going out into
their communities and the worldand continuing to be this light,
(51:46):
it's yeah.
Speaker 4 (51:49):
And the skills they learn are.
You know, theater skills arenot just applicable to theater
they're applicable their lifeskills, so being able to stand
up and present yourself, orbeing comfortable doing that,
being able to listen to othersand wait for your cues, so
there's a focusing workingtogether for, you know, a
(52:14):
complete show I mean, the listgoes on uh, how to move.
You know, uh, there's so manypluses to theater, yeah all of
it that are that enrich yourlife and make it easier for you
to go forward.
So just giving kids those uhskills and those that confidence
(52:36):
, confidence building, that ithas, you know, and it's OK to
take risks and it's we createthat safe environment for them
to do that and then they can doit out there in the real world.
Speaker 2 (52:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (52:51):
Yeah, yeah, not just in the theater world, yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:56):
Well, we're aware that we've been keeping you
talking for a long time and weshould probably we'll, we'll
jump into our little rapid firequestions now.
How about that?
Yeah, easy questions, and justfirst thing that comes to mind,
you throw it on out there.
Yeah, yeah, and maybe one at atime?
Speaker 2 (53:14):
Yeah, yeah, but, but I think we want to hear from
both of them, right.
So, at a time, yeah, yeah, butbut, but I think we want to hear
from both of them, right sowhen we ask perfect, so here's a
fun one.
Speaker 1 (53:22):
So you know baseball.
You're the pitcher who walksout to the mound.
What is your walk-in song?
Or, wherever you are, what'syour song?
Speaker 3 (53:33):
thus sprock zarathustra there you go okay,
and it'll be apes.
Speaker 4 (53:40):
Oh, oh, my gosh, I am not good thinking at this stuff
like this.
Speaker 1 (53:44):
Um, let me see uh I know what your song is.
You think of another one, but Ithink of you walking on
sunshine.
Speaker 4 (53:52):
That's your song yeah , something positive and fun.
Speaker 2 (53:56):
There you go.
You thought of my song.
Oh, no, no, no.
Speaker 4 (53:59):
Walking on sunshine.
Speaker 2 (54:04):
It's so new, it is.
It feels good, it's a good one.
Well, we'll, we'll let you havethat.
Donna helped you out there, butwhat book changed you?
Speaker 4 (54:23):
Let's see.
Speaker 3 (54:26):
Well, she's thinking I'll share Alice in Wonderland.
As a boy and a teen, I readthat every year and picked up
something new each time.
It was a very important book inmy development.
Speaker 1 (54:43):
It's a layered, layered book.
Speaker 3 (54:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:46):
I did my college thesis on Alison Woodrow.
Speaker 4 (54:49):
The first book that I just absolutely loved was the
Secret Garden.
I just loved that book, a goodone.
Speaker 1 (54:58):
Yeah, gorgeous book, all right.
What movie lives rent-free inyour, in your brain?
Speaker 3 (55:06):
princess bride uh um, let's see.
Speaker 4 (55:11):
Uh, my big fat greek wedding is always a good one, or
, miss Congeniality?
Those are my two go-to laughterI could see that.
Speaker 2 (55:22):
I could see that.
What did you love doing as akid that you still love doing
today?
Speaker 3 (55:33):
Taking a hike.
Speaker 4 (55:35):
Yeah, walking in the redwoods or in the mountains or
on the beach I I love when youshare your pictures of your
adventures like that.
Speaker 2 (55:44):
It's always nice to see those, those travels yep,
you guys have a lot ofadventures.
Speaker 1 (55:49):
What in your world is lighting you up right now?
Speaker 4 (55:54):
I think getting ready for a big trip to go see all
our grandkids and we're going tocelebrate our 50th wedding
anniversary coming up in JulyBeautiful.
Speaker 1 (56:09):
Congratulations.
Speaker 4 (56:11):
Lighting us up right now.
Speaker 3 (56:14):
My choice would have been our grandkids as well.
Speaker 2 (56:16):
They're just joys for us.
Speaker 4 (56:20):
Yeah, I've only met one the kids are my bad
grandkids or something yeah, thegrandkids are great and they're
all so different and so muchfun yeah, oh, they're very cute,
they are okay, so what color ishope?
Can I pick rainbow?
(56:45):
You can.
You can, because the world is arainbow.
Yep.
Speaker 3 (56:52):
My color would be green because it continues to
grow.
Speaker 2 (56:57):
Yes, I like that.
What does hope sound like?
Speaker 4 (57:06):
Laughter.
Speaker 3 (57:10):
That's a great choice .
I think the best one would bethe final movement from
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
That is my hope.
Speaker 2 (57:24):
Wow, I love that answer.
Speaker 1 (57:26):
Yeah, all right, so complete the statement.
Community is.
Speaker 4 (57:34):
Family, family.
Speaker 3 (57:38):
Community is where I want to find myself.
Speaker 2 (57:42):
Yeah, nice.
How about connection Connectionis?
Speaker 4 (57:48):
Connection is community.
We're going in a circle here.
Speaker 3 (57:53):
Connection is making yourself available mentally,
physically and spiritually.
Speaker 1 (58:02):
Beautiful.
The meaning of life is A greatmovie, but don't do that.
Speaker 3 (58:12):
It's 42.
We know that.
Speaker 4 (58:16):
It's 12, right, still a line from Fools.
Speaker 3 (58:20):
That was 17 in.
Speaker 4 (58:21):
Fools, I thought it was 12.
Speaker 2 (58:25):
That could be the meaning of life.
Speaker 4 (58:27):
The meaning of life?
I don't know.
We're ageless spiritual beingsand having a human adventure, so
we just are here to learn andgrow and connect.
Speaker 3 (58:40):
Yeah, being something greater than yourself.
Speaker 2 (58:45):
Yeah, yeah, and we'll .
We'll wrap it up with hope.
Hope is what.
Speaker 3 (58:55):
Turning your dreams into reality.
Speaker 4 (58:57):
Yeah, hope is that feeling inside of you that
inspires you to move forward ina positive way.
Speaker 3 (59:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (59:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (59:09):
Beautiful you wonderful to beautiful Paul and
Karen Larson.
I love you so much and I'm sograteful for you.
Thank you for spending timewith us now and sharing your
light and your hope with us.
You've built an extraordinarycommunity and I will say to
anyone again the reason thiscommunity exists as it does is
(59:33):
because you two started it inthe way that you started it,
with the love that you startedit with okay, can you share?
Speaker 2 (59:42):
then, talking about the community and community
theater, can you share witheverybody where they can find
the theater, where they can findy'all and the work you're doing
?
Is there a website?
There is.
Speake (59:59):
Chinocommunitytheaterorg .
Chinocommunitytheaterorg.
Chinocommunitytheaterorg .
Speaker 1 (01:00:03):
Theater with an R-E yes, Theater with an R-E.
Speaker 4 (01:00:07):
Where are?
Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
you now Perfect.
So the two websites and onFacebook as well, Facebook.
Speaker 1 (01:00:13):
Insta.
Speaker 2 (01:00:13):
Awesome.
I will just say again, I'veonly been really involved in one
production and on the sidelinesin a couple of others, but if
anybody is in SouthernCalifornia anywhere, it's a
theater that they should govisit.
Even if they don't havechildren performing in the
(01:00:34):
theater, it is an amazing placeto be.
Speaker 1 (01:00:38):
And you think of it as children because through I've
done so much there, but it's anadult.
Speaker 4 (01:00:43):
Yes, theater as well and which is right, I'm just
gonna say, after donna'sfabulous show closes this
weekend, then we gear up forlittle shop of horrors, which
will be another fun show rightthey're, they're all fun.
Speaker 2 (01:00:56):
All of them are fun.
Yeah, they are Right.
Speaker 1 (01:00:59):
You guys have any just real quick.
Do you have any idea how manyshows have been done in those 40
years?
I've heard the number, but nowI don't remember it.
Speaker 3 (01:01:07):
Yes, we're at.
I think it's 234 communitytheater productions and about
178, 179 children's theaterproductions amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:01:19):
Countless summer camps and classes, workshops and
cabarets and events zoomclasses.
Speaker 2 (01:01:27):
Yeah, oh my gosh, you guys.
Yeah, and this is just thebeginning.
Speaker 4 (01:01:30):
You're only 40 years into it, so oh yeah, that's all
started with a handshake and wewere just babies when we started
it.
Speaker 1 (01:01:37):
Yeah, oh my goodness you guys, thank you so much for
taking this time with us.
We sure appreciate you and loveyou so much.
Go out and have some fun yes,go play the ukulele for having
us on the soul, sisteries.
Speaker 3 (01:01:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (01:01:54):
Yes, exactly what I was going to say.
Yes, thank you so much forgiving us this opportunity to
share.
Speaker 2 (01:02:01):
We're blessed.
Thank you, Bye guys.
Thanks for joining us today onSoul Sisteries.
Speaker 1 (01:02:07):
And thanks for sharing stories with us.
We'd love to hear your storiesas well and keep the
conversation going, absolutelykeeping the hope going.
So we're really hopeful thatyou'll connect with our guests
as well, who have great storiesto share.
Go ahead and follow them invarious social media platforms
or live venues, wherever it isthat they're performing and
(01:02:31):
sharing what they do.
Speaker 2 (01:02:33):
We would love to have you follow us on all of our
social media platforms,subscribe and rate, as that will
help us get our message of hopeout to others.
Thanks for listening to SoulSisteries.
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