It starts with a little glimmer of an idea, something triggeredby a song maybe or something someone said. Next it evolvesinto a theme. Then he thinks about an era, a decade, a time inhistory. Then he mines all the music of the period, culls the list,and finally matches the songs to the talents of his “repertory”company. And voila! It’s this year’s Doctors Fund Benefit Show.

That’s the creative process that Donald LaBohn has been using for 15 years to assemble one of the most-anticipated Cherry Grove theatrical offerings of every season. The first show was sort of “primitive,” Donald says. The idea of MerylFacterman and Lois McIntosh who wanted to give back something to the community, the first Doctors Benefit – (“Cherries à la Mode”) was on the 4’x4’ stage at -- where else? --Cherry’s.

“It was like a USO canteen show,” he says. The dressing room was in the kitchen. Wigs were piled up on stacks of tomato cans and we had to move the meat grinder to make room for the makeup.”

“But I jumped at the chance to do the show,” Donald says, noting he needed an outlet for his formidable creative talents. His offerings have moved us through many decades – the Fifties (‘”not my favorite period”), “Hooray for Hollywood” (who could forget King Kong’s enormous furry paw cradling Evan?), and this year “Hubba, Hubba,” an homage to the Forties and his special love Betty Grable.

‘That decade is my particular weakness,” he says. “I lovedthe wonderful wartime spirit, the fashions of the period, BettyGrable, of course – and the music, the music -- beautiful,nostalgic, melodic.”

Eventually after the first three or four years, the DoctorsBenefit moved to the Community House stage. “We felt like wewere in Madison Square Garden,” he says. “It was heavenhaving all that room.”

There are unmistakable hallmarks of a Donald LaBohnshow -- glittering sets, gorgeous over-the-top costumes andwigs, the resurrection of great but forgotten tunes, and his oftensidesplitting use of women (remember Bobbie and Dor as “TheHoneymooners” and Joanne singing “Pardon Me Miss, But I’veNever Been Kissed by a Real Live Girl”), the elaborate stage-filling carousel that really seemed to be moving. But while hisfast-paced shows track us through so much fun, the real prizeis always Donald’s finales that would amaze even a Ziegfeld orBusby Berkeley. What a parade of beauties. Oh boy!

It’s paid off for the Doctor’s Fund too. Donald has raisedmore than $95,000 over his fifteen years as director, writer andproducer, a remarkable contribution to the community. Donaldis also on the Arts Project Board (for the second time) and heand Evan have chaired many fundraising events for APCG overthe years.

Donald and Evan are relative newcomers to the Grove.They came here in 1985 as renters on the East end, thenbought their house “Rumania, Rumania” on West Walk in 1992.

“I met Evan in 1982 and it was love at first sight,” Donaldremembers. On a blind date set up by a straight woman whomust have known them both very well, the two met and ...okay, you say it. “Evan is the love of my life,” Donald says, andEvan nods enthusiastically.

Donald was born in Brooklyn and raised in the Bronxwhere he went to the High School of Art and Design, thenfound a career in visual merchandising. “They used to call itwindow dressing,” he says with a wink.

It was Harold Seeley who gave him his first professionaljob in “window dressing” but they lost of touch for many yearsuntil Donald found Harold again here in the Grove creatingsets for Community House productions. It was Harold, as thecycle of fate would have it, who built the King Kong arm forDonald so many years later.

You may not know that Donald has a son and twobeautiful granddaughters in Florida. They all spend timetogether during the winters when he and Evan aren’t doingdinner with friends or theater in Manhattan, or trolling for theglimmer of an idea or a song that will lead to next blockbusterDoctors Benefit.