December 10, 2003
Hall of fame homage
Phoebe Collins and Ken Parker recognized by Old Town Playhouse
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Celebrating in the House that Phoebe Built, fifty people assembled to honor two additions to the Old Town Playhouse and Traverse City Civic Players Hall of Fame: Phoebe Collins and Ken Parker.
Held Saturday afternoon, the ceremony honored Collins, who died in the late 1980s, and Parker - both of whom poured their heart and soul into maintaining an outlet for civic theater. The ceremony is the fifth annual induction of key playhouse contributors into the Hall of Fame.
Collins was instrumental in the transition to a permanent home, noted June Neal, a longtime playhouse veteran and friend of Collins. Neal recalled the days in 1973 when the organization's leaders found, negotiated the purchase of and facilitated the special permit needed to occupy their current home. Collins was president of the Traverse City Civic Players during this crucial transition period: beginning her tenure at the last show at the Park Place and ending it after the first show at the new home.
Through her indomitable will, Collins helped persuade neighborhood residents and elected city officials that the playhouse was a good idea.
"With signs in hand, Phoebe took on City Hall," said Neal. "Traverse City Civic Players and the Old Town Playhouse would not be what it is today without Phoebe Collins."
"Phoebe never took 'No' for an answer," Neal added. "She was instrumental in securing this new home."
Another Collins' saying, Neal recalled, became one of her trademarks. While holding one of many leadership roles at the playhouse over the years, other volunteers often received a call from Collins starting with "Are you sitting down?"
"Those four little words meant that something had gone wrong," said Neal. "One time we had a lead who left town and another time the director was arrested."
Another playhouse veteran, Phil Murphy, summarized the accomplishments and contributions of Ken Parker to the organization. Murphy noted that Parker and his wife, Betty, have been involved in the playhouse for 34 years. Parker performed in numerous productions from 1969 through 1982, when he last was seen onstage during a production of "Kismet."
Parker is now retired from a lengthy career in the news business, which included a 20-year stint as a reporter and columnist for the Traverse City Record-Eagle. Parker began his involvement in civic theater by founding an organization in Bellaire, Murphy noted. There, in characteristic Parker overdrive, he wrote the script, printed the program and found the band for the production.
Parker's energy and multi-tasking, coupled with his modest but inspiring financial support over the years, make him an invaluable part of the organization's history.
"Ken Parker has provided us with a gift at the Old Town Playhouse: the gift of himself," Murphy said. "His offstage support of the playhouse continues to this day."
For Parker, his decades of involvement can be summed up in one word: family. In every production, intense bonds of friendship form to create a shared community spirit backstage.
"There was so much emotion when a show ended everybody felt like they'd been on drugs," Parked joked. "Of course, the only solution was to do another show and many of us did just that."
"I've had a lot of fun in the theater in so many different ways," he noted.
Parker was surprised to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and pleased at the recognition of his peers. A modest man with a vast but subtle sense of humor, he paraphrased the saying that "old soldiers never die, they just fade away" by concluding his acceptance speech with his version of the adage:
"Old hams never die, they just break the other leg," he said to great applause.