PEO member stars as Barbie creator
Once again, Schaumburg Chapter P-LK member Lynn Rymarz resurrected a persona from among the 40 characters in her storytelling book and entertained a crowd at the Schaumburg Township Library Aug. 27.
This time, she credibly impersonated Ruth Handler, the creator of the world’s best-known doll, Barbie. Rymarz has previously regaled Schaumburg audiences with portrayals of Julia Child, Nellie Bly and others.
Dressed in vintage clothing accented in Barbie pink and wearing a wig that resembled Handler’s white hair, Rymarz convincingly mesmerized the audience with the story of how she (Handler), the 10th (and last) of the children born to Polish-Jewish immigrant parents, rose from poverty to become CEO of Mattel Corporation, one of the country’s most successful toy companies. Much of the fame and success of the company came with the birth of the Barbie doll, in 1959.
She said that Ruth Handler and her daughter Barbara were inspired to create the doll when they saw a German doll marketed to adults in Lucerne, Switzerland. She realized that girls, who no longer wanted to play with baby dolls only had paper dolls to “dress up.” They had no real dolls that could help them transition to adulthood. Handler created Barbie to fill that void.
It took three years from the conception of the Barbie doll to its birth in 1959, and during that time, Handler had to overcome the objections of other Mattel executives, who did not believe the doll would be successful. The launch in 1959 proved them wrong.
Rymarz has approximately 40 characters she portrays.
In April she will be the star of a fundraiser for Chapter P-LK. She will be depicting Colleen Moore, a silent movie star and creator of the Fairy Doll House, which is on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
The April fundraiser will help support a recipient of P.E.O.’s Lulu Corkhill Williams Friendship Fund, which offers temporary financial assistance for persons who may have an emergency such as with medical bills, lifestyle changes and other challenging situations.
P.E.O. is a philanthropic educational organization founded in 1869. It has helped more than 122,000 women pursue educational goals by providing more than $415 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans. More information on P.E.O. can be found at www.peointernational.org.
For information on Rymarz, go to www.lynnrymarz.com.