The Gin Dance Co. entertains in “Hello! Goodbye.” Photo by Bonnie Hobbs.
Westfield High 2006 grad and Virginia Tech victim Reema Samaha loved both theater and dance, both of which range from funny to deeply serious and moving. And the 10th annual Remembrance Cabaret in her honor contained all these emotions within skits, songs and dances.
It was held Saturday, June 17, on the Westfield stage where Reema once acted in shows such as “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Arsenic and Old Lace.” And making it even more special was the fact that – as has been the case each year – participating in the cabaret were both Westfield alumni and dancers from Virginia Tech’s Contemporary Dance Ensemble (CDE), with whom Reema used to perform.
However, the emotional highlight of the evening came when the four people who’ve been Westfield’s theater directors joined together at the podium. There, Scott Pafumi, the school’s first theater director – from 2000-2010 – read the senior essay he’d had Reema write, reflecting on her time in Westfield Theater and her hopes for the future. Standing next to him were former Westfield directors Zoe Dillard and Susie Pike and current director Rachel Harrington – who was a Westfield student when Reema was and who also performed in the cabaret.
The event raises money for the Reema J. Samaha Memorial Scholarship Fund, as well as Angel Fund, which supports the safety and wellbeing of youth and school-aged children. And at the end of Saturday’s show, Reema’s father, Joe Samaha, addressed the crowd.
He noted all the work Angel Fund has done in the past decade to make schools safer. And he praised its past president, Lu Ann McNabb, for getting four pieces of legislation passed toward that end, during her tenure. In the past 10 years, said Samaha, “We’ve given about $60,000 in scholarships to Westfield and Herndon high school students and $15,000 to $16,000 to Actively Caring 4 People,” a positive-reinforcement program in schools.
He also expressed gratitude toward CDE and the Westfield theater alumni who’ve returned every year to honor his daughter, including sisters Ashley and Phoebe Dillard who produce and direct the annual cabaret. Said Samaha: “To all of you who’ve come back each year and supported us, our heartfelt thanks.”
Also speaking was Reema’s mother, Mona Samaha. “Besides the hardship of losing Reema, we’ve learned that love is the essence of life,” she said. “And these remembrance events have been so special because they’ve been full of loving, giving and receiving. [And through them all], Reema is still alive and kicking.”