8
I n c i t e /I ns i ght
Our department specializes in
arts integration, and often our
work lives in classrooms where
participation is a requirement,
not a choice. This often means
needing to spend a bit more time
building trust with our students,
encouraging them to go along
with us as we introduce them
to warm-ups, theatre games,
and Wilson’s life and work. While
there may be some students who
are interested in theatre or have
been in plays before, it’s more
likely our classes are comprised
of students who have never
seen a play, let alone choose,
memorize, rehearse and perform
a monologue themselves.
As fellow theatre educators,
I’m sure you’ve discovered that
magic exists.
It’s the moment our quietest
student chooses to answer a
question or lead a warm-up
for the first time. It’s when our
English Language Learners (ELL)
student finally understands the
meaning of an English word
she’s been grappling with and
is able to infuse that word with
so much intention and emotion
that you find your arms covered
in goosebumps. It’s the student
who works 40 hours a week, who
spent the first few weeks trying
hard to sleep through class, but
then suddenly discovers a bit of
himself in his character, relates
to the experiences he’s going
through, and perhaps even then
wins his school competition
with his performance. It’s
every student who experiences
debilitating stage fright,
convinced they cannot possibly
get up in front of an audience
and perform, who then charges
through those barriers, performs
their monologue with grace
and power, and then selects the
theatre class again, no longer
W i n te r 20 1 9
Sarah Purvis, 2nd Place Winner in 2019 Boston
Regional Finalists of the Huntington Theatre’s
August Wilson Monologue Competition.
Photo Credit: David Marshall
afraid to lend their voice to the
work.
It’s our students of color leaning
forward when they discover
August Wilson has created worlds
in which they can see themselves:
Their mothers, uncles, brothers,
fathers, friends; their discovery
of his work, the representation of
their lives, and no longer through
the lense of a white writer.
It’s the women in class who
find their own strength as they
navigate Rose. Vera. Tonya. No
longer afraid to stand up for
themselves because they have
representation in the work that
provides them with a direct link
to their lives. Or, the student who
falls in love with Gabriel and finds
the power of his faith through the
lens of a man who truly believes
he’s already met St. Peter. It’s the
young black man who connects
with Boy Willie and stands tall
because he sees, through the
representation in Wilson’s work,
that he is just as important as his
white counterparts, that his power
is real and good and beautiful
and necessary to the community
around him.
It’s our students wanting to
stay later at a student matinee
performance of Ma Rainey’s
Black Bottom or Fences for a
few more minutes with our cast
to ask them more personal
questions. It’s that same cast
staying past the formal ending
of our post-show discussion to
answer those questions, share in
that experience, and share in that
connection.
How do we create the space
for our students to have these
discoveries? Our department
specializes in arts integration.
Most of our programming
includes partnering with an
English or Humanities teacher
and elevating their curriculum
through the art and exploration
we bring to their theatre classes.
Our August Wilson Residency
is a highlight of this work.
Our teaching artists work in
partnership with their classroom
teachers to plan their 7-10 week
residencies with the students
at the center. This allows us to
provide each student in the
residency the resources they
need to not only feel represented
in the work but to be as
successful as possible in their
monologue performances.