Day 2 :: Feb 3

 In the morning the ensemble gathered for bonding and theater games.  Focusing on techniques to prepare them for the 24 Hour Plays, the group played games which build character skills, focus, listening and responding, and creating physical environments.  

 

 

Writers hand in their scripts; do a critique and revision session with New Design English Teacher Avi Kline; rewrite and print.  

 

 

Urban Arts Teaching Artist Julia Grob leads actors through character building exercises designed to prepare them for the daunting task ahead.  Students create character profiles.  

 

 

Guest Directors Rosie Perez, Michael Kenneth Williams and Gaby Hoffman work on scripts with their casts focusing on character breakdowns, conflicts, and exploration & memorization techniques with actors.

 

Day 1 :: February 2nd

3 writers, 10 actors and the production staff gather for orientation.  

Each participant writes and descriptive bio, selects and prop &  then shares these and their hidden talents with the group.   

 

 

Writers and actors split up for day long workshops in their respective discipline.

 

Guest Playwright Harrison Rivers leads a short-form writing workshop and then each writer (using material from Orientation) is tasked with composing a 10 minute play by the end of the day.

 

Harrison Rivers leads playwrights in a workshop.  

 

Actors observe a scene study class with Acting Coach James Tripp at Stella Adler.

 

Actors bonded and ready to see their scripts after Stella Adler master class.

The 24 Hour Plays at New Design High School in a Nutshell

 

13 dedicated students hone acting and writing skills through a series of rigorous workshops where they conceive of, write, rehearse and perform 3 original works in the span of 24 hours. 

 

This is our second year working during Intersession at NDHS and this year our program runs over the course of three days.  Part-master class, part-production workshop, part-zanny ass-kicking adrenaline high, the 24 Hour Plays in the Schools is an experience not to be forgotten. 

 

Joining forces for the 2nd year in a row, New Design English teacher Avi Kline and I are working with Sydney White and Maxine Batchler, 2 sophomore Life Stories writers, Maynor Alas, Life Stories alumni 2009, and nine New Design seniors with very little acting experience.  Playwright Harrison Rivers, who received his Broadway debut at the 2009 24 Hour plays on Broadway, joins us as playwright in residence.  Our guest directors and master artists are Rosie Perez, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Gabby Hoffman, all of whom have acted in the 24 Hour Plays on Broadway!

 

No one really knows what they are getting into.  But over the course of the next 3 days, they will be transformed from ordinary HS students,  into seasoned actors and writers, and complete their first 24 Hour Plays...all in the span of 24 hours!  Lets go!!

 

The earthquake hit Haiti during the last week of classes at Facing History High School. Knowing I'd get some grumbles, I decided to forgo a party, and take some action. With one class period of the semester left, it had to be something that could happen in an hour and 10 minutes.

 

I did some thinking about how to most effectively engage youth in relief efforts, knowing that:

 

a) most youth are not making much money and

 

b) won't be traveling and

 

c) asking other people to donate is fine, but they are their own "target donation audience." plus,

 

d) it is empowering to be able to make the contribution out of your own pocket, which often youth aren't able to do.

 

 

 

Here is how high school students can engage in a one-shot class in helping Haiti:

 

1. Begin with reading an article about Haiti and showing photos of the devastation. Discuss. In my experience, the photos are where the "story" becomes real. Very, very important for students to have a visual understanding of the devastation in order to connect.

 

2. Offer the perspective of "little ripples" making big differences. You might want to share the ideas from my 2009 project, "The Little Ripple Project" (see short video) or Sallome Hralima's iPromise campaign.

 

3. Share information on how to donate SMALL AMOUNTS through text messages. This engages the youth where they are at (technology) and a price they can potentially afford. Two organizations you can do this with:  Text message "YELE" to 501501 to donate $5 to Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti organization. Text message "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross.

 

4) Make handmade flyers with this information on them to pass out. Each student commits to giving at least one flyer to a friend and asks that once the friend makes their contribution, to pass the flyer on to another friend. The idea is that if each student makes five flyers and the flyers pass through 50 hands of people who see how easy it is to donate... well, do the math!

 

I hope this helps you to engage your youth... or friends... or anyone.

 

 

.

 

Class: Humanities/Photography Integration

Teaching Artist: Caitlin Meissner

Got Education?

This semester students in the Humanities/Photography Integration class examined how photography relates to human rights efforts. The Got Education? video was a student-driven project created out of an artistic examination of educational rights during the Enlightenment period as compared to modern times. Students created their own education slogans, did research, created posters and took their messages to the streets!

 

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