Donor Spotlight

Sandra Shane-DuBow: "I can't think of a better way to spend an evening."

A strong supporter of the arts, Sandra Shane-DuBow has found many unique ways for the theater to enrich her life. 
 
After retiring from a successful career as a psychologist of law, researcher and author of several books and articles on judicial decision making, Sandra decided to go back to school. She became certified as a mediator and now works with a variety of business and not-for-profit clients.
 
Sandra spends as much time as possible on her farm in bucolic Spring Green, Wisconsin, and has been deeply involved with the area's American Players Theatre since its inception.  After seeing many of the 14 productions James Bohnen has directed at APT, Sandra followed him south to Lincoln Park and Remy Bumppo Theatre Company.
 
Finding a commonality between the ensemble based-work created by APT's Acting Company and Remy Bumppo's Artistic Associates, she says "when you build a core company like this, the actors grow together, become aware of each other, and can anticipate each other. It enriches the dramatic exchange, and makes for more resonance in the timbre of the drama."

Sandra, a seven-year subscriber and generous supporter, thinks Remy Bumppo's tagline, "think theatre", is very apt. "You walk away [from a Remy Bumppo performance] thinking hard. It's not just one evening. You go back to the performance in your mind, and the experience continues. If I see something at Remy Bumppo with someone else," Sandra adds, "there's always a thoughtful discussion driving home or over coffee."
 
"The Island knocked my socks off," Sandra raves about Remy Bumppo's recent production. "I hadn't seen the play or read it before. But I came home, stayed up late and sent an email to 30 or 40 friends telling them 'you have got to see this.' It was just a superb play, superbly directed and superbly acted."
 
Sandra found another unique way to support Remy Bumppo by hosting an event at the Cliff Dwellers club last month. Artistic Director James Bohnen and Artistic Associate Shawn Douglass performed excerpts from Night and Day and The Importance of Being Earnest, and discussed the season's theme: Secret Lives, Public Lies.  "I see this all as seeding potential audiences," Sandra notes.
 
A literature major as an undergraduate, Sandra says she has always loved to read and loves to discuss what she reads. She has recently participated in two courses offered through Studio Bumppo, Remy Bumppo's series of courses for artists and arts-lovers: The Remy Bumppo L.A.B. (Literary Advisory Board) and Play Reading for Play Lovers and Playwrights. 
 
Each course meets once or twice per month, and focuses on studying the texts of a variety of playwrights, learning about dramatic structure and the different uses of theatrical language.  "I can't think of a better way to spend an evening," Sandra says.  "It's fun, it's educational, and you come to the theater later on more equipped to take on the dramatic experience."
 
Remy Bumppo is honored by the support of Sandra Shane-DuBow, and supporters like her, whose belief in the power of great theatrical language to provoke conversation and debate keeps the Theatre thriving.

For more information about The Remy Bumppo L.A.B. and other classes for artists and play-lovers, view our Studio Bumppo Class Listings.