ESPrit de Corps

The essential elements in great storytelling are the content of the story and the manner in which that story is conveyed to its audience.  If a director focuses only on the content story and fails to convey that story to the audience in a clear and compelling way, the production will have failed.  If the audience has not been engaged in the story, they have not participated in the theatrical experience.  The foundation of our work at Roundabout is that every good lesson is like a good play.  In transforming classrooms into theatres and theatres into classrooms, our mission is to engage students in learning through theatre across the curriculum.  It is that transformation that puts the student at the center of the experience of theatre making. 

And I love that transformation is at the heart of what we—the collective We in the arts and arts education—do.  I came across this excerpt about my blogging colleague Hawley Hussey that illustrates this point:

I.S. 291 Bushwick: Artist/educator Barbara Neulinger worked with 7th and 8th graders to paint a mural in the school auditorium depicting personal cultural histories. With artist/educator Hawley Hussey they transformed a classroom into an art temple, painting all the walls and adding decorative trim. The installation featured small collected objects displayed in cases and shelves.

What are these Radical Rules?  Read the introduction to Radical Rules.