Shell Point Life

for most people theater involvessitting in a darkened audiencewatching the actors performon stage. Theatergoers attend aplay and find the actors either

remarkably brilliant or somewhat dull. Theyremark on the amazing or not so amazingplot and the characterization. They excit-edly relive or cautiously criticize the action.And more often than not, they forget aboutthe world of theater that takes place behindthe scenes. Spectators are often unaware ofthe technical craft going on before, during,and after a performance. Granted, whenDracula flies out over the audience and flipsupside down with his billowing cape beforeheading off for his next victim; or when Oz’swicked witch points her glowing green faceand broom at spectators while rising into thesky with her black dress filling the wholestage, they tend to admire what the techni-cians were able to accomplish. But typically,the behind-the-scene technicians are unre-markable, and perhaps that’s a good thing.It means that those technicians are doing

their job well, creating a seamless, plausibleatmosphere, appropriate and believable forthe action taking place and for the viewingaudience.

Discovering TalentsOne Shell Point resident knows the

interesting, creative behind-the-scenes of itall. Marilynn Fowler (Turban) was active inperforming arts as a teen. Participating inmusicals, playing piano, and being an activemember of the debate team, Marilynn knewwhat it was like to be on stage in front of anaudience. It wasn’t until later in life thatMarilynn experienced a hands-on discoveryof the world behind the scenes.

In college she pursued interior architec-ture. In preparing for that degree, candidateswere trained in building scale models, pro-ducing watercolor renderings, drafting andproducing blueprints, and giving an overallimpression of a building’s interior. AsMarilynn remembers, “Those were the talentsin my tool kit, and those prepared me forbecoming an assistant to set and scenic design-

In

Resident Artist Marilynn Fowler Lives a Creatively Colorful Life

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Marilynn Fowler has dedi-cated her life to the arts —from working in thetheater arts to creating afabric folk art phenome-non — and continues toexpress her creativitythrough paintinghere at Shell Point.

While she was inhigh school, Marilynn metDavid Lloyd, a famousAmerican tenor andfounder of the LakeGeorge Opera Festival.Lloyd was passionateabout presenting opera toAmerican audiences, andhe spent time educatingyoung performers andtechnicians at the collegelevel.

While in college, Marilynn remained incontact with the Lloyd family. After shegraduated, she took her portfolio and set offfor New York City, seeking the advice andexpertise of Mr. Lloyd. Marilynn was able tointerview and show her portfolio to thedesigner for the Lake George Opera Festival,and she was immediately hired for that sum-mer (the summer of Woodstock in ’69) as adesign assistant. It was during that sum-mer that Marilynn “cut her teeth” onstagecraft.

Working On SetMarilynn quickly learned that the

hectic schedule of a repertory performermeant just as frenetic a schedule for thetechnician. Hired as scenic design assis-tant, Marilynn had the bonus opportunityof working for Clarke Dunham, well-known New York lighting and stage

designer. The Lake GeorgeOpera Festival ran a repertoryschedule, which meant that forfour consecutive weeks a newshow was built and opened. In thefifth week, the shows would alternatewith two performances each day.Marilynn remembers, “It could be DonGiovanni in the afternoon and then TheMarriage of Figaro at night. Each productioncalled for ‘putting the set in’ and ‘strikingthe set down’ before we would be ‘putting’and ‘striking’ all over again!”

With the helpful advice she acquired fromDavid Lloyd and Clarke Dunham, Marilynnmoved to New York that fall. Her portfolio haddeveloped over years, and Marilynn began seek-ing work as an illustrator. Landing accountswith W.J. Sloane and Barneys Mens Store, sheillustrated during the day, took classes at night,and put her name out as a theater technician.

Spilled Paint

Marilynn beganworking alongside othertechnicians and actors dur-ing the day and socialized

with them after theater hours.She was young and working

through her career options and met aslew of other people doing the samething, like Stacey and Jim Keach, JudyCollins, Tom Hanks, and F. MurrayAbraham. “It was an exciting time as youmade yourself available for whatever thestage and performance needed,”Marilynn explained. “Work as a stagetechnician gets in your blood and underyour fingernails.” She was ready for almostanything. When called about work for Israel

Horowitz’s three one-act plays, directed byJamie Hammerstein, Marilynn was asked,“Can you paint tonight?” Reporting enthusi-astically for the work, Marilynn found herselfsurrounded by a bare 16’ by 20’ stage with a

Marilynn sits in front of a canvasshe painted when she first got intothe business. The canvas has trav-eled through her family, and nowhangs in her home as a reminderof the history of her craft.

Portrait artist, Larry Lip-sky, captured this photo-graph of Marilynn in the

summer of 1969.

“I’ve so loved the business because of the people

behind-the-scenes — it’s allsmoke and mirrors,and that’s entertainment.”

five-gallon can of paint, a ladder, asix-inch brush, and a roller. “I guessedI was to paint the whole stage bymyself, so I just got started,” Marilynnremembered. “Soon I heard a dooropen, and in walked, not anotherpainter, but an actor. When heasked, ‘Do you mind if I come up onstage and rehearse my lines?’ I repliedfrom atop the ladder, ‘We’ll workaround one another.’”

“Working around one another”wasn’t quite what happened.Unfortunately, the actor hit the edgeof Marilynn’s ladder, and her five gal-lons of paint spilled all over him andthe stage floor. An improvisationalskit seemed to take shape asMarilynn and the actor each speedilyaddressed the problem. Marilynnquickly rolled out all the paint, tak-ing care of her mess and getting thejob done. The actor, a young RichardDreyfuss, stuck his head in the sink,stripped to his “skivvies,” and tookcare of his own mess! We’ll assumehe learned his lines well. Coincidentally, andrather humorous to Marilynn and Richard,the name of the one act plays was Acrobatsand Line!

Marilynn didn’t let a little paint spillstop her or dull her fascination with whatwas behind it all. She would continue to dosummer work in Lake George, buildBroadway shows, and create industrial showsfor IBM, GE, 7 Up, and Avon conventions.As a freelancer, Marilynn developed andtrucked three sets all over the country forUp with People. The multi-media produc-tions for industrial shows simultaneouslydisplayed graphics on a full-stage screenwith fifty projectors behind the screen.Other projects included putting light-catch-ing jewels on backdrops for Disney’s Showon Ice, researching for designers, and con-tinuing her freelance work.

Looking BackAlthough her talents were often subtle

and hidden behind those that took the spot-light, Marilynn had a real love for what shedid behind the scenes. And there were cer-tainly a lot of people who experienced per-formances enhanced by her craft.

Today looking back at all of her accom-plishments, Marilynn still says, “I’ve soloved the business because of the peoplebehind the scenes. It’s all smoke and mir-rors, and that’s entertainment!”

Combining Art with Business

When someone asked Marilynn to sewa teddy bear for a gift, she took it as a mes-sage from God and went to work with just$50 and a borrowed sewing machine.Remarkably, at her first home show, thecrafty creations brought in $300. Marilynnreinvested the money and tried her hand atmaking sheep. The project was deemed a

success when people began purchasingentire herds. Upon special request Marilynncreated a life-sized dog for one of her cus-tomers. Marilynn played with the leftoverartificial animal fur for months, waiting forit to speak to her. And then it came to her -a rabbit’s tail.

Once again, her creations were aninstant success. She started hiring help andeventually employed 27 women. After hiring

a professional photographer to capturethe life of her rabbits and running anadvertisement in a craft publication,Marilynn’s business boomed. Whilemost of the autobiographical rabbitcharacters were based on individualsMarilynn had met throughout her life,some of the rabbits were custom cre-ations commissioned by her loyal fans.

The rabbit collections were soldaround the country at “mom and popshops” as well as at high-end retailers.She even shipped her rabbits all theway to Germany. However, in 1992Marilynn began to recognize a shift inthe marketplace. So after eight yearsof building her million dollar business,Marilynn decided to thank God forthe rewarding experience and moveon to other art forms. Today shereflects on her business with joy andgratitude as she looks forward to hernext project.

Shell Point Life

Marilynn, in her home studio, works on a self portrait. In the portrait she is seen painting a canvasstretched across the floor, a technique used to paint large canvases segmented into grids.

A business product sheet shows “Hilda and Henry Harrington” and other popular rabbits from Marilynn

Fowler’s successful Fabric Folk Art line.