Contra Costa Times: Berkeley Entertainers Bring Cheer to S.F. Hospital Psych Ward

2000-02-20, By Robbie L. Flowers, Contra Costa Times Staff Writer

SAN FRANCISCO -- Entertainers donning sombreros, rainbow-colored beanies and leaf dresses visited a hospital Thursday evening to bring music to 50 psychiatric patients' souls.

"This is a gift of voice and spirit to the patients. I want to share the sunshine outside with them," said Julia Carter, 37, an El Cerrito resident and member of Berkeley's Gorilla Choir.

The visit from the choir, along with a belly dancer, to San Francisco General Hospital was the first performance by Project Chrysalis. The Berkeley-based group enlists volunteers to help brighten the lives of young and old alike.

"We want to go places that need some positive energy and love," said Alan Moore, project founder and a member of the Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission, which is an advisory board to the City Council.

Moore, 54, said he hopes to have the project travel to youth homes, hospices, schools, senior centers and hospitals throughout the Bay Area.

Its debut Thursday apparently was well-received.

"This (program) is good because of the participation and stimulus it gives to the patients," said Karen Griggs, a 59-year-old psychiatric unit technician, as she watched the group perform. "It gives them contact with people outside the unit and brings reality of the outside world in."

The project is one of seven programs that Moore has in store for a Patch Adams Center for Peace and Justice he is proposing in Berkeley. Another program he would like to incorporate into the center is his Butterfly Gardeners Association, which encourages the preservation of these delicate life forms and promotes organic gardening.

At the hospital, choir members draped in tie-dyed shirts and funny hats formed a U-shape around a candle at the front of each room they visited, captivating the patients with their festive ensembles.

While the choir sang "Born Free," "When You Wish Upon a Star" and other familiar tunes, patients relaxed and enjoyed the music. Some hummed softly to the melodies, others tapped their feet and some just smiled.

The rooms reverberated with the sound of patients shaking rattles and gently beating gongs to the rhythm.

Then the mood shifted. Dressed in a bright yellow dress and purple sash, "Latifa" of the Dancers of DeNile began to playfully twist and turn her way around the rooms. Patients mesmerized by her whirlwind movements clapped and marveled at her flexibility and skill.

"I think the performances engage the people," said Latifa, a Sausalito resident whose real name is Melinda Cespedes. "When people come out and do something for others, it really heals."

As the show ended and the patients began to leave, a choir member encouraged the audience members to keep the performance in their hearts.

"May the pure light within you guide your way home," said Keith Stafford, 48, of Berkeley.