Kids inspired by kid actors

There's something special about a kid watching other kids do things often reserved just for grown-ups. And that's why I love attending theatrical productions at The Neighborhood House in St. Paul where all of the actors are kids.

Getting out the wiggles before the show

In November, we caught one of the last shows of "The Miracle Worker." We had been studying Helen Keller (part of our FIAR rowing through "Lentil" by Robert McCloskey), so I jumped at the chance to get student-priced tickets for "The Miracle Worker." We had run several books about Helen Keller and watched "The Miracle Worker" on Netflix, so we were familiar with the story before we went. But we still learned new stuff! (I was especially interested to learn that in addition to running a farm, Helen's father published a newspaper!)

"The Miracle Worker" was presented by CB Productions at the Neighborhood House Oct. 31 to Nov. 9, 2014. CB Productions is a literature-based theater company that has been producing fully staged shows since 2003, each show selling to nearly sold-out audiences. All of the student actors participate in a rigorous and progressive actors training program taught by CB Production's artistic director Carla Barwineck and theater professional Joy Carlson. The students performing ranged in age from 10 to 18. PLUS students provide the technical assistance and lighting!

According to the program, the actors were asked to focus on several issues at one time: "What does my character want and how does he go about getting it? What obstacles are in his way and what tactics does he use to reach his objective? In order to accomplish this, the performers also need to decipher and understand the struggles of the other characters, as well. This process leads to many hours of discussion of how we, as humans, operate. We find that words and actions can be used to tell the truth or to hide it. A well-scripted play acts as mirror to reality. It allows us to get into the complicated minds of human beings and gives us a better understanding of how others thing... Ah, there's the true miracle!"

The actors lined up on stage to answer questions after the show and talked about how each prepared for his/her role. They mentioned just how tough the food scenes were to get just right!

WHAT'S NEXT AT CB PRODUCTIONS?
- An 8-week Tuesday Night "Enlighten the Artist" scene study for ages 13-18 begins Feb. 3.
- The next play is "A Legend of Young King Arthur" April 10-19.

MORE @
http://cbproductions.org/