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I n c i t e /I ns i ght
Pre K - 8 Network Spotlight
W i n te r 201 8
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In c it e / In sig h t
W int e r 2 018
Student-Driven
Productions Are
Their Own Circle
of Life
W R I T T EN BY MAREN OOM GALARPE
T
heatre elicits
empathy.
It inspires
connection.
It invites the
audience to perceive the
world from another person’s
point of view. That, in turn,
ignites learning and growth.
As teachers, we delve even
deeper, asking reluctant or timid
students to take a chance, to
stretch outside their comfort
zone, to become someone they
never thought possible. Theatre
provokes not only the audience,
but the cast and crew members
as well.
While some stories we stage
may be fiction, the real story of
what happens on that stage
(and behind it) can be even
more moving. Rehearsal is
a story of cooperation and
collaboration, of overcoming
obstacles with ingenuity and
creativity, and of trust, teamwork
and personal accomplishment.
This experience can be powerful
at any age, but especially at
the elementary and middle
school level where students are
cultivating imagination and
self-intrinsic motivation, through
inquiry and exploration before
developing more specific skills
and interests in high school.
“I saw the power of
theatre to change lives.”
– Julie Taymor
Photo Credit: Tory Taylor