Make Strong Choices!

Ali let me loose on my own group of 4th graders! I was to run my very own "Books Alive!" workshop. Please believe me when I tell you that I am a seasoned teaching artist and I've been working with children in theater for almost 5 years now, and yet I still get butterflies in my stomach whenever I start with a new group or with a new company, as InterAct still is to me.

Our "Books Alive!" workshop uses a children's book as the vehicle with which to engage young people in the world of drama! We tell the story and encourage the children to use their voices, bodies, imaginations, concentration, and cooperation to bring the story to life in a dramatic reenactment that turns everyone into characters in the story.

When I got to the school and entered the classroom, the children were thrilled to see me. Their regular teaching artist, Mr. Ben, was out of town, and I heard calls of "Our teacher is new!", "She's a girl!", "I hope she's like Mr. Ben!", and "I want to hear a new story!". I caught their excitement quickly and couldn't wait to get started. I introduced myself as Ms. Bess and immediately focused them on warming up their bodies and voices, imagination, concentration and cooperation.
I am always fascinated at the way children of this age group can let go of themselves in a way many adults cannot. Children don't need to give themselves permission to take on the body of Anansi the Spider or roar with the voice of Lion or laugh with the charisma of Hyena, the way adults do. They are uncensored because they don’t yet know, or maybe just don’t care, about what is proper versus silly, weird versus normal, or calm versus disruptive, and in a class like this silly and weird and loud are all some of the best things you can be! Kids simply need to be invited to do it, and when they don't hold back the results can be inspiring to watch!

I really think many adult performers (and maybe just adults in general) can take a cue from these lively young 4th graders! In the world of theater it is better to make a strong choice than no choice at all, and maybe that’s true of life in general as well!