Oh, my God!!!!!!!! Randi Kleiner!!!!!!!!!! Randi Kleiner!!!!!!!!! Darlings, let me tell you about Randi Kleiner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Back in 2,003, there was this film called "Camp," a very entertaining, narrative account of a group of teens at a summer camp specializing in the performing arts. Everyone said this film was MADE for me, and, honey, it was!!!!!!! This is the place you go to if you are not mainstream, gay, lesbian, or not a jock or jockette!!!!!! Which means it was pefect for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Had I been afforded such an oppotunity when that age.......but let's not go there.
Three years later, emerged a film called "Stagedoor," which nearly slipped my radar. No, girls, this is not another film of the Kaufman-Ferbar play--the one where I play the Andrea Leeds role!!!!!! The most interesting thing in THIS film is the mother-daughter dynamic between Randi and Mrs. Kleiner. Sweeties, it would take "Gypsy" to rival it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mrs. Kleiner works at the camp as a registar, so she can keep an eye on HER Randi, and see that HER daughter gets everything she wants!!!!!!!!! Excuse me, I should say "MY Randi!", because throughout the film, that is how the mother refers to her. "My Randi is going to get the lead in the play!" "My Randi is going to college!" "My Randi is going to Cornell!" Meanwhile, Randi has this "deer in the headlights" look, suggesting blind panic at the thought of doing anything displeasing to Mother. It makes me wonder what is going to happen to her.
Honey, I know. It is just like Mrs. Dykeman, back in Highland Park, New Jersey, who put her own daughters, the Misses Debra and Diane Dykeman, on fashion runways when they were 12 years old. I know, because I saw the photos, in the Daily Home News, back in the Fall of 1967, when we were all in seventh grade. And both of them came to bad ends--Debbie dying six years ago of addictions acquired over being unable to deal with the fact that she was no longer Queen Bee,, once she graduated from high school. Diane had the same problem, did not wind up addicted, but is reduced to living a nothing suburban life in the Godforsaken state of Georgia.
I just cannot see a future any different for Randi. Who knows, it may be happening, or has happened, already. Just ask Lindsay Lohan!!!!!!!!!!!!
It just goes to show, darlings, being Alpha does not guarantee happiness. Only adhering to the dictum of the Raving Queen does.
Kiss kiss, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
her mother never said my randi is going to get the lead in her play. And, her mother still works at stagedoor to this day because she loves it. NOT because she wants to keep an eye on Randi. I would know because I was a camper there for the past 3 weeks. Randi's mother is an extremely nice woman and not anything like mama rose. Dumbass.
ReplyDeleteOh, honey, I just read your comment recently!!!!!! Calling me a dumb ass, hmmmm? Remember that old margarine commercial of yore, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!"
ReplyDeleteThat said, remember I am only going by what the film portrayed. I recall vividly thinking, during the Randi scenes, "That girl is gonna crash!" Time will tell, darling!!!!!!!!!!!
RQ,
ReplyDeleteIn a moment of nostalgia on a July evening, four years after you posted this, I googled a handful of childhood friends from my former summer camp in Pennsylvania. Debbie and Diane Dykeman (unidentical twins) were among them, and I was directed here.
Did you and I know the same Dykemans I wonder? If so, your where are they now summary makes me sad. I remember both girls as being quite popular and beautiful. I did not know they had the mother you describe, or done child fashion modeling, but could see it. They made an impression on me though, and on you too it seems, if you remember them after all these years.
Something I find ironic. The camp asked my parents not to return me after my fourth summer, when I was found smoking weed there, aged 15. I was a melancholy rebel artist, while Debbie Dykeman was spanky clean and well behaved. It's been decades since I did drugs, yet apparently the Debbie you knew became an addict. The course of a life can change in ways we never could predict. I'm not a praying person, but the Dykeman twins are on my mind tonite.
Thank you for filling me in, internet stranger. My best to you.
ReplyDeleteGreenhorn,
Your comments grabbed me. Were the Dykeman girls you refer to
from New Jersey? We were all from Highland Park, New Jersey. I
did not meet them till seventh grade, because we did not go to
the same elementary school.
I had them both in Biology class, sophomore year, and in the
course of study, their twinship came up. I remember Diane saying
they were identical. BUT they did not look it. You coud distinctly
tell them apart. Debbie had golden yellow blonde hair, while Diane's
was more rust colored. So, I am not sure if we are talking about the
same girls. Though what are th odds of two sets of girls with the same first and
last names?
Both eventually ended up in Georgia. I beleive Debbie was living in Norcross
or thereabouts, when she passsed away ten years ago. Dioane i s married to a guy named Jim Barker, and is somewhere near there, too.
Let me know if this makes sense to you. I had no idea if they went to camp or not. They were very WASP-y, and it is interesting if someone whom I do not know--yourself--connected with these memorable figures from my past!
have a great day!
RQ,
ReplyDeleteWithout question, this was them! They were from NJ. Debbie, blonde, and a little smaller than Diane, a reddish strawberry blonde, parted in the middle. This was also about the same time that you would have met them in 7th grade. 7th graders are 12-13, a tough age. I knew them from age 11-15, and I just turned 61.
So strange to ‘meet’ someone who also knew them then. The camp (Camp Robin Hood) was definitely WASPy. It was also weirdly religious. The director was an elderly southern woman, of some brand of fundamental faith, Baptist maybe. There was a LOT of emphasis on Christian hymns, Bible stuff, and behaving in well-mannered ladylike ways, in the Southern sense. My parents were worried because I had few friends and spent so much time alone in my room, smoked, swore, idolized Janis, Jimi, et. al. They hoped camp might snap me out of it, but I just got more bad there.
I remember Diane and Debbie because even though they were popular wholesome campers, masters of every possible camp skill–riding, tennis, swimming, etc.- and I wasn’t, and couldn’t do any of that–they still wanted to be friends with me. It makes me sad that they grew up to be troubled and that Debbie died young in a crappy way. Perhaps they were unhappy back then, but didn’t wear it like I did. Things turned out the reverse for me. After all my youthful suffering and acting out, my grown up life is good, and I relish it.
Thank you for filling me in with more detail. Since your internet id is The Raging Queen, perhaps your high school days were not much more fun than mine, yet you seem to be doing well now. If there is such a thing as karmic revenge, maybe this is it.
I wish you the best of luck on the rest of your journey :)
Greenhorn,
ReplyDeleteI was happy to hear of your confirmation. I knew kids back then who went to camp, but I never knew the Dykemans did. What I can tell you is, to this day, if you attended any of our reunions (we were the class of 1973) and heard the name "Dykeman" mentioned, it would elicit some kind of reaction--plus or minus.
You are right; high school was not great for me. The group I so much wanted acceptance from never gave it to me, and I never got the recognition/attetnion I felt I merited. Biggest Scar to this Day--Not being elected to the National Honor Society, though I had the grades and activities.
I came to blame it on everything from my parents to the elementary school I was sent to.
Now, I, who will be 61 in November, arrived long ago at the realization that none of this might have made a difference--things would have played out the way they did.
As for now, I am with a partner I love, living where I am happiest, and cherish every day.
I survived, as did you.
My Best To You!
The Raving Queen
Me again :)
ReplyDeleteI've really enjoyed our exchange. Thank you for taking the time to type. What you said about how things play out the way they play out is so true. I've come to think of it as what it cost to become ourselves. You sound good, in possession of the most important things.
Something that occurred to me–one day, Diane might google herself and land here, as I did. If that happened, she might wonder who from Camp Robin Hood had inquired about her. My camp nickname was barnesy. She'll know it was me.
Hello... I came across your page while "Googling" my mother, Debra Dykeman (maiden name of course). Anyway, while some of your facts are correct about my deceased mother (10 yrs tomorrow) and my aunt; not everything you have said is correct. And you failed to include decades of both their lives. You jump from HS to current - that is a long stretch of time to not include anything positive about either one of them. I am both hurt and saddened that someone could spend as much their free time as you have commenting on 2 womens lives that you know about through different news outlets. I would be more than happy to give you or anyone else as many correct details of their lives I possibly can. No one should have to have this hanging over their head or grave...
ReplyDeleteSincerely, Heather Brown
Hello... I came across your page while "Googling" my mother, Debra Dykeman (maiden name of course). Anyway, while some of your facts are correct about my deceased mother (10 yrs tomorrow) and my aunt; not everything you have said is correct. And you failed to include decades of both their lives. You jump from HS to current - that is a long stretch of time to not include anything positive about either one of them. I am both hurt and saddened that someone could spend as much their free time as you have commenting on 2 womens lives that you know about through different news outlets. I would be more than happy to give you or anyone else as many correct details of their lives I possibly can. No one should have to have this hanging over their head or grave...
ReplyDeleteSincerely, Heather Brown
Heather,
ReplyDeleteI only knew your mom and aunt for a few years, and during the summertime, at a girls sleep-away camp in Pennsylvania. I have only good experiences and fond memories of both of them. After camp, I never knew what happened to them, or to a few other girls (now women) who had befriended me. We were young, from different states, and only knew each other as fellow campers. Like you, one nostalgic night I googled them, and was led to this blog.
I am so sorry you lost your mom. I lost my mom too three years ago, and I still miss her every single day. I'd hate it if someone said bad things about her. I did not do that with your mom though. She was so nice to me, made me laugh, and wanted to be my friend, even when most other girls at camp did not. She was popular and talented, athletic and beautiful, someone lots of girls wanted for a friend, so I was kind of surprised that she liked me. Same thing with your aunt Diane. If you ever see her, tell you her you ran into Barnesy from Camp Robin Hood on the internet.
I hope this eases your mind, knowing that no ill will, only fond memories of your mom generated my inquiry and ensuing discussion. I wish you the best.
I was lead here by a FB post, and I would like to fill in some of the blanks for Diane Dykeman. She has been a beautiful, generous friend for almost 20 years. In that time, she has been an active and valued member of the volunteer community, working with athletes with all sorts of disabilities. She rose through the ranks of the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association, the largest community-based tennis organization in the world at 70,000 members, and served as President and Chairman of the Board. She has been awarded many honors in the process and has mentored women alonv the way. In short, she is a most respected member of this Atlanta suburb, consistently chosen among the top 10 in the nation. She is most definitely NOT wasting nor pining away in some Godforsaken part of Georgia. She is a successful, productive part of our community.
ReplyDeleteAs for her sister, may she rest in peace, shame on you for making assumptions and spewing vile speculations that can only serve to hurt her family. Precisely what have you gained from this, because it wasn't enough to damage the memory of someone you haven't known in 40 years. In the future, if you just must make cheap shots to get a laugh or whatever, have the grace not to drag people, by name, through the mud.
I know what I know, darling! I went through grades 7-12 with them, and they were never nice to me. And I was pretty open in being friends with anyone. One thing I will grant Diane; she was willing to give credit when credit was due. If we did reports, speeches, or presentations in whatever class we were in, she would often complement me on mine.
ReplyDeleteBut I am sorry people like she got all the attention at the expense of others.
I am not disputing what you say. But the past cannot be changed. And the excuse that we were all just children does not hold up with me.
I don't write about her/them all the time. One thing can be said, they did make an impression on me, so if I happen to reference them it is because of that, not to get a cheap laugh or anything.
As For Georgia, I wouldn't bee SEEN there!
To Heather Brown,
ReplyDeleteI remember when your mother passed; it was
big news among the class. I lost my mother
when young, and she was young, though older
than yours at her passing. I am sorry for
your loss, and of course, hers. I was not
a fan, but I never wished anyone ill.
They just, unfortunately represent some of
the worst aspects of my adolescence. And there
were plenty of stories that went around!
I wish you only the best!