A Celebration of Life

SERENA KREAMER didn't start out in theater, but she's there now-thanks to a love of education, and her husband, Joel.

Kreamer was running a tutoring service when their middle son began performing with a theatrical group, and she became a parent volunteer. Fifteen years into it, though, tutoring was beginning to take its toll. When she was offered an assistant coordinator position with the newly formed Solano Youth Theatre, she took it. "I knew how to run a business," Kreamer chuckles, "but not theater."

As she watched her son and the company grow, she realized, "There were lots of things I'd want to change if I had my own company." In June 2003, with one vocal teacher, six students and the help of her colleagues, the MISSOURI STREET ARTS ACADEMY was born.

Within six months Kreamer had dedicated herself fulltime to the academy. Today it has more than 200 students, and its noncompetitive, technique-based classes offer individual attention. Programs cover all ages-preschoolers to teens-and disciplines: acting, music, film and video, comedy, dance, stage combat, even a self-esteem class for teenage girls. It is also home to the Missouri Street Theatrical Group and the Solano Repertory Company.

Kreamer's devotion was not without sacrifice. That's where Joel came in. "He was behind everything," Kreamer says. "He gave me the OK for not bringing in a paycheck for three years." Because although it was Serena's baby, the project was also important to Joel. He had long been on the corporate ladder, after having had to reevaluate his career aspirations in recreation. "He always wanted to work with kids again. Anytime we had a show, he gave out tickets and programs, did all kinds of schlepping around." Although Joel had bit parts on stage, "he never wanted to memorize more than three lines."

Healthy throughout his life, at 54, Joel had an unexpected heart attack on Sept. 27, and died on Oct. 6. Serena struggles to get through the day without him, but never fails for words to describe him.

"He was the rock," she affirms. "I couldn't have had my vision without him. He could look into the future and see the light at the end of the tunnel, and make me work even harder."

Which was also Joel's goal for all "his" kids: to help them realize that a career that inspired day-to-day passion was more important than just any old job. The teens and young adults-who called him Father Joel-related many such stories at his funeral. One young man that the Kreamers hadn't seen for years flew in for the day from his position as a Navy fighter pilot.

"I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for Joel," he told Kreamer.

"That's the way Joel was," Serena says quietly. "He didn't know how many people he influenced. He didn't see color, religion, sexual orientation; he never passed judgment. He just let them feel special.

"When you learn about different people through theater, you live their lives; all preconceptions disappear." To that end, the Joel Kreamer Scholarship Fund has been established-a legacy for which the Kreamers and the theater can be proud.-A.C.

Missouri Street Theatre & Arts Academy is at 1125 Missouri St., Suite 1000, Fairfield. For more information, call (707) 422-1598 or visit Missouristreettheatre.com.