1. Digital Collections: Daily Times Text 07/29/2010 03:48 PM
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Page 3 of 66 Archive: Daily Times Text - 66 documents found.
Full text: "Malissa Watterson"
- Wednesday, July 28, 2010
City:
State:
Section: ESN
Page:
From:
Source:
Edition:
Publication:
Bond between caretaker, child is told on stage
Poulson, of Onancock, is subject of a play about life, relationships
ONANCOCK --For Chestina "Chessie" Poulson, life is all about human connection.
Throughout her 79 years on the Eastern Shore, Poulson has thrived on making connections with almost every
person she meets, regardless of who they are or where they came from.
By far the strongest and perhaps most unique connection Poulson made has been with Melanie Ehrenwald
Greenhouse, a daughter of Jewish immigrants who moved to Onancock from Czechoslovakia in the 1950s.
For more than 55 years, the native of Bayside, near Onancock, has held a close and relationship with
Greenhouse, whom she kept and cared for shortly after Greenhouse was born.
"I'd never been around another child before," Poulson said, recalling her first year with the Ehrenwald family.
"It was my first connection with a white child."
Their relationship eventually inspired Greenhouse to write the play, "Chestina Vinessa Poulson," which was
performed in May in Noank, Conn., where Greenhouse now lives.
The play tells the story of the Ehrenwald family settling to Onancock and then eventually moving to Pocomoke
City, Md.
It is told in the voice of Poulson, who began working for the family in 1952 when she was 22 years old.
Greenhouse describes the play's plot as "two minorities coming together in a segregated world."
"My goal was to tell a compelling story that was important to me," said Greenhouse.
Poulson and some of her family members were invited by Greenhouse to come view the play during its second
weekend showing, May 14-16, and meet the director and cast members.
When she first learned of the play in 2005, Poulson assumed it was going to be a small production, similar to a
high school play, so she didn't think much about it.
But after arriving to Connecticut and seeing that the play was produced by the theater company, Emerson
http://10.7.216.32/archives/archive/search/_1280432056/?search[view]=detail&search[focus]=3 Page 1 of 3
2. Digital Collections: Daily Times Text 07/29/2010 03:48 PM
Theater Collaborative, Poulson realized it was a much larger production than she had anticipated.
"I was most surprised once we got there," Poulson said.
Poulson was impressed by Greenhouse's writing, which for the "most part stayed true" to the interactions
between Poulson and the Ehrenwald family, as best she can recall.
She also enjoyed watching the performance by Camilla Ross, the actress who played her role.
"She played the part very well," Poulson said. "Some of it was a little bit off the cuff, but it was me and my
connection with the family."
An education
Poulson was convinced to work for Paul and Helen Ehrenwald by her uncle, who was employed by Paul
Ehrenwald at the time.
She was a little hesitant about working for the family because she "wasn't crazy about housework" and she
preferred to work in the fields with her brothers and sisters.
"I told my Daddy that if I don't like it, I'm leaving," Poulson said with a deep chuckle.
But after her first year of working at the College Avenue home, she became deeply attached to the Ehrenwald's
only child and she continued to work for the family for more than two decades.
In 1959, the family decided to move to Pocomoke City, a better location for Helen Ehrenwald's growing antique
business.
Poulson would stay with the family on weekdays and drive to Bayside on the weekends, where she visited her
family and her son, Paul, who was named after Greenhouse's father.
While living in Pocomoke, Poulson mostly chauffeured Greenhouse, driving her to school, as well as to dance,
piano and art lessons.
She also regularly accompanied Helen Ehrenwald on antique road trips, where she would help set up items for
shows.
Through her many travels with the Ehrenwald family, Poulson was introduced to several individuals, which in
turn helped her learn more about life outside of Bayside.
"I learned nothing in school," Poulson said. "I really got educated by working for them and meeting different
people."
After Greenhouse graduated from college, Poulson moved back to Bayside and began working at Perdue Farms
Inc. in Accomac. Years later, she worked briefly at the McDonald's and Wendy's restaurants in Onley.
This past year, she returned to McDonald's and worked in the restaurant's lobby every Monday morning for a
few months.
Poulson mainly decided to go back so she could meet and interact with customers.
"It's nice being around people, to tell you the truth. You learn so much from them," she said.
"But you've got to listen, not speak. You don't know everything."
Remaining close
Throughout the years, Poulson and Greenhouse have still remained close. They call one another weekly and
Poulson has traveled to Connecticut several times to visit Greenhouse, her husband and three boys.
Poulson was even there for the birth of Greenhouse's first son Paul, who was also named after Greenhouse's
father.
When asked why she's been able to remain close with Greenhouse for so long, Poulson responded, "We trust
each other. I always felt like she was mine," said Poulson.
After having such "a steady fixture" like Poulson for so many years, Greenhouse has realized how fortunate she
was growing up with Poulson.
"As a child I think I took it all for granted," Greenhouse said. "Now, when I look back I think of what a unique
and marvelous experience I had."
For the second act of "Chestina Vinessa Poulson," Greenhouse took several lines from the letters Poulson sent
to her while she was in college.
http://10.7.216.32/archives/archive/search/_1280432056/?search[view]=detail&search[focus]=3 Page 2 of 3
3. Digital Collections: Daily Times Text 07/29/2010 03:48 PM
One particular line helped represent Poulson's true love for others.
"I don't care what people are, people are people," wrote Poulson.
Caption:Chestina Vinessa Poulson of Bayside, near Onancock, smiles as she recounts memories of raising
Melanie Greenhouse who went on to become a playwrite and recently wrote a play based on Poulson.
Jay Diem photo
Melanie Greenhouse
Element:
Graphic:
Image:
Resale: Yes
Keywords:
Subkeys: ESN01
Subject:
Day:
Book:
Byline: Malissa Watterson
Freekey:
Country:
DC3 Id:
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![Digital Collections: Daily Times Text 07/29/2010 03:48 PM
Archives Desks Collections Journals Currently logged in as tshockley .
Filter: Menu
Search
Section Letter Byline Page Publication Section New search
B (2) Malissa Watterson (61) 1 (1) The Daily Times (4) ESN (33) Refresh
Carol Vaughn (1) 2 (1) Eastern Shore News (3) NEWS (20)
GREG MERRITT (1) ENTERTAINMENT (4) Actions
Add to Collection
Ceri Larson Danes (1) CB (4)
All results into Collection
LIFESTYLE (2) Create Collection
BUSINESS (1) Find similar documents
LOCAL NEWS - INSIDE (1) Text Print Preview
BIRTHS & OBITUARIES (1)
Page 3 of 66 Archive: Daily Times Text - 66 documents found.
Full text: "Malissa Watterson"
- Wednesday, July 28, 2010
City:
State:
Section: ESN
Page:
From:
Source:
Edition:
Publication:
Bond between caretaker, child is told on stage
Poulson, of Onancock, is subject of a play about life, relationships
ONANCOCK --For Chestina "Chessie" Poulson, life is all about human connection.
Throughout her 79 years on the Eastern Shore, Poulson has thrived on making connections with almost every
person she meets, regardless of who they are or where they came from.
By far the strongest and perhaps most unique connection Poulson made has been with Melanie Ehrenwald
Greenhouse, a daughter of Jewish immigrants who moved to Onancock from Czechoslovakia in the 1950s.
For more than 55 years, the native of Bayside, near Onancock, has held a close and relationship with
Greenhouse, whom she kept and cared for shortly after Greenhouse was born.
"I'd never been around another child before," Poulson said, recalling her first year with the Ehrenwald family.
"It was my first connection with a white child."
Their relationship eventually inspired Greenhouse to write the play, "Chestina Vinessa Poulson," which was
performed in May in Noank, Conn., where Greenhouse now lives.
The play tells the story of the Ehrenwald family settling to Onancock and then eventually moving to Pocomoke
City, Md.
It is told in the voice of Poulson, who began working for the family in 1952 when she was 22 years old.
Greenhouse describes the play's plot as "two minorities coming together in a segregated world."
"My goal was to tell a compelling story that was important to me," said Greenhouse.
Poulson and some of her family members were invited by Greenhouse to come view the play during its second
weekend showing, May 14-16, and meet the director and cast members.
When she first learned of the play in 2005, Poulson assumed it was going to be a small production, similar to a
high school play, so she didn't think much about it.
But after arriving to Connecticut and seeing that the play was produced by the theater company, Emerson
http://10.7.216.32/archives/archive/search/_1280432056/?search[view]=detail&search[focus]=3 Page 1 of 3](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/poulsondailytimestext-100729175045-phpapp01/85/Bond-Between-Caretaker-Child-Is-Told-On-Stage-1-320.jpg){kind=icon}
![Digital Collections: Daily Times Text 07/29/2010 03:48 PM
Theater Collaborative, Poulson realized it was a much larger production than she had anticipated.
"I was most surprised once we got there," Poulson said.
Poulson was impressed by Greenhouse's writing, which for the "most part stayed true" to the interactions
between Poulson and the Ehrenwald family, as best she can recall.
She also enjoyed watching the performance by Camilla Ross, the actress who played her role.
"She played the part very well," Poulson said. "Some of it was a little bit off the cuff, but it was me and my
connection with the family."
An education
Poulson was convinced to work for Paul and Helen Ehrenwald by her uncle, who was employed by Paul
Ehrenwald at the time.
She was a little hesitant about working for the family because she "wasn't crazy about housework" and she
preferred to work in the fields with her brothers and sisters.
"I told my Daddy that if I don't like it, I'm leaving," Poulson said with a deep chuckle.
But after her first year of working at the College Avenue home, she became deeply attached to the Ehrenwald's
only child and she continued to work for the family for more than two decades.
In 1959, the family decided to move to Pocomoke City, a better location for Helen Ehrenwald's growing antique
business.
Poulson would stay with the family on weekdays and drive to Bayside on the weekends, where she visited her
family and her son, Paul, who was named after Greenhouse's father.
While living in Pocomoke, Poulson mostly chauffeured Greenhouse, driving her to school, as well as to dance,
piano and art lessons.
She also regularly accompanied Helen Ehrenwald on antique road trips, where she would help set up items for
shows.
Through her many travels with the Ehrenwald family, Poulson was introduced to several individuals, which in
turn helped her learn more about life outside of Bayside.
"I learned nothing in school," Poulson said. "I really got educated by working for them and meeting different
people."
After Greenhouse graduated from college, Poulson moved back to Bayside and began working at Perdue Farms
Inc. in Accomac. Years later, she worked briefly at the McDonald's and Wendy's restaurants in Onley.
This past year, she returned to McDonald's and worked in the restaurant's lobby every Monday morning for a
few months.
Poulson mainly decided to go back so she could meet and interact with customers.
"It's nice being around people, to tell you the truth. You learn so much from them," she said.
"But you've got to listen, not speak. You don't know everything."
Remaining close
Throughout the years, Poulson and Greenhouse have still remained close. They call one another weekly and
Poulson has traveled to Connecticut several times to visit Greenhouse, her husband and three boys.
Poulson was even there for the birth of Greenhouse's first son Paul, who was also named after Greenhouse's
father.
When asked why she's been able to remain close with Greenhouse for so long, Poulson responded, "We trust
each other. I always felt like she was mine," said Poulson.
After having such "a steady fixture" like Poulson for so many years, Greenhouse has realized how fortunate she
was growing up with Poulson.
"As a child I think I took it all for granted," Greenhouse said. "Now, when I look back I think of what a unique
and marvelous experience I had."
For the second act of "Chestina Vinessa Poulson," Greenhouse took several lines from the letters Poulson sent
to her while she was in college.
http://10.7.216.32/archives/archive/search/_1280432056/?search[view]=detail&search[focus]=3 Page 2 of 3](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)