73. Parky: The Musical

Parky, a musical by Carmino Ravosa, composer in residence from 1978–2011, portrayed Dalton’s founder Helen Parkhurst and was performed for the school’s 60th Anniversary in 1980 and again for the 75th Anniversary in 1995. Shown here are set design sketches, a playbill, and a photo from the 1995 performance.

Parky, a musical by Carmino Ravosa, Dalton’s composer in residence from 1978 through 2011, portrayed Helen Parkhurst, Dalton’s founder and was first performed for the 60th anniversary in 1980 and again for the 75th anniversary in 1995.

“Mommy, I want to go to Dalton!” When Carmino Ravosa asked me to say those words on the way to school one Kindergarten morning, I had no idea how much they would shape the person who I am today. During Parky I discovered that as a painfully shy five-year-old, I could go onstage in front of hundreds of people. During Parky, I learned that through theater I could find my community, my place, and my sense of self-expression.

From performing myths in Theda Detlor’s second grade class to directing a one act play for my Senior Project, the stage (and “the Trench” beneath) became my home. I would go on to concentrate in theater at Princeton, directing several shows, including my senior thesis, and serving on the executive board of the student run theater. For the past six years, I have worked at BAM in the Humanities Department, where I create points of engagement with and context for our main stage productions.

I have come a long way from that moment in my red velvet dress, singing about what it meant to be a part of the Dalton family, yet it will always serve as the foundation for my life in theater. “Mommy, I want to go to Dalton!” I am grateful that I did.
—Molly Silberberg ’07