Educational Outreach
Strengthening the School Through Theater Arts
Strengthening the School Through Theater Arts is a program that serves students, their parents and teachers in inner-city elementary schools through training in the theater arts. It enables students to increase their cognitive skills development; it equips teachers with strategies to improve classroom management; and empowers parents to help their children become avid learners.
Teacher Evaluations:
"The students loved the experience. More importantly, it helped them gain empathy and a deeper understanding for the novel we were studying and the issues/struggles the characters faced."
"I think it really helps students get a better understanding of the subject matter and it makes it more enjoyable."
"Thank you Ms. D. for the wonderful job you did this year with my class. It has been very beneficial and you are a wonderful instructor. The kids love you and so do the teachers. Thank you for making this such a positive experience and can you please come back next year? You are a wonderful, beautiful and caring person. It has been a pleasure working with you."
Arts for Parents in School Communities
Arts for Parents in School Communities concentrates on motivating parents to give their children more time and attention and teaches them problem solving skills and positive methods of discipline. Parents are empowered toward self-sufficiency, stronger school involvement and teacher interaction. Their language skills are enhanced by writing their own works, which are presented at a parent production attended by their families.
Parent Evaluations:
“I love the fact that now I can encourage my child to strive for excellence in the class. And now that I have been taught how to approach situations with a positive attitude, I can pass this on to my child.”
“I have learned that listening to my child with patience helps me to better understand their needs.”
“Listening and concentration skills, all employed in performing , can help me be a more confident , therefore more effective, parent.”
“When my child comes home from school, we’re able to sit down and talk about what they learned in school …”
New Directions
New Directions serves teenage wards of the state, assisting them in their transition to adulthood and independence. New Directions uses theater arts to help develop their self-esteem, self-respect, and work skills. This program also enhances their survival skills and helps then to prepare for self-sufficiency through job readiness in preparation for their transition to independent/semi-independent living.
Participant Evaluations:
"I have learned that every chicken has its feathers and as a chicken grows, some feathers may fall out. And new ones shall grow in. The program has helped me to realize not to fret over lost feathers, but to recognize the blessing of the feathers I have left."
"How should I start? Really didn’t have no friend. Came here, felt like I had a home…."
"I learned that everybody has transitions and it helped me to understand I don’t have to change to fit everybody else, I can be myself. In the beginning I was always trying to fit in with the girls at my school. Now, in the end, I don’t care how they feel about me because I am me."
Plays With A Purpose
Plays With A Purpose is a series of four interactive musical plays designed to teach elementary school children positive life lessons and values. Teachers are provided with workbooks and activities to reinforce the lessons taught in the plays. Students see these productions each year at the AFC Theater on Chicago’s south side.
Student Evaluations:
"Thank you for letting me come and see the play. I really am happy that you wanted us kids to respect one another and to always have confidence in yourself and don’t let anyone put you down…After the play, I had self-control all day. Thank you very much."
"Dear Jackie Taylor and members of the Black Ensemble Theater: Thank you for entertaining Dett School with that wonderful play “They Keep Talking About Me”. I like the part when you all started dancing. I also like the parts when you played the word games “Focus and Control Your Movement”. Another part of the play I enjoyed is…you don’t always have to let people get to you if you believe that you are special. Overall, what I learned from the play is people might have what you have or look the way you look, but everyone is special in their own kind of way. Everyone has feelings."
"I liked the play, it was great. I really liked the control your movement part… I learned that when you talk about people they feel really sad and you don’t know what is going on in their life. You shouldn’t talk about people because you don’t want people to talk about you. You should try to help people."
Teacher Evaluations:
"Our 4th grade students had the opportunity to see the performance, ‘I Can’t Do It, Yes You Can!” They enjoyed the play very much. I must say, I chuckled to myself many times during the skits. The “teacher” sounded a lot like me sometimes!!!"
"I thoroughly enjoyed your production of “They Keep Talking About Me”. The themes presented in the musical were very relevant to the everyday experiences of my students. The students were very attentive and came back to school singing the songs and begging me to ask them to “control your movement”.
Theater For Special Women and Men
Theater For Special Women and Men are two gender specific programs that use theater to promote the cognitive, socialization and communication skills of developmentally and physically challenged women and men participating in vocational sheltered workshops. These programs are designed to assist these women and men to prepare to join the workforce.
Social Worker Evaluations:
"The clients have learned respect, what it means, how to show and give respect. They have gained knowledge of how to be confident and the qualities that one shows when confident. The clients have been taught professional theater behavior, etiquette…time management. Also the clients look forward to each week of practice, rehearsal and fun. This program is fantastic. The program allows women that would not have this opportunity in everyday life an outlet to express themselves through drama and on stage. These women learn more about themselves and they have a lot to give in the various art forms that theater allows."
Summer Training in the Technical Arts
Summer Training in the Technical Arts is a 12-week program designed to increase the employment capabilities of inner-city, low-income high school students, equipping them with skills that will enable them to have a career in the technical theater arena.
Community Access Program
Community Access Program provides thousands of free and discounted theater tickets to over 45 non-profit and social service agencies that serve the indigent, homeless and disenfranchised populations of the Chicagoland area.
Black Playwrights Initiative
THE 4TH ANNUAL BLACK PLAYWRIGHT'S FESTIVAL DECEMBER 1ST - DECEMBER 7TH 2008
In 2003, the Black Ensemble Theater launched its Black Playwrights Initiative & Script Development Plan. The Black Playwrights Initiative provides a forum through which African American playwrights are trained to write in Black Ensemble Theater’s formulaic style, provides a mentorship structure in which experienced playwrights mentor new and emerging playwrights, and provides opportunities for script development and presentation. Twenty-one playwrights are actively involved in this initiative and meet twice a month. Playwrights of this initiative have developed plays for the Black Ensemble which were included in our Five Play Theater Season of Excellence. These plays include The Story of Nina Simone : The High Priestess of Soul, Don’t Shed A Tear: The Story of Billie Holiday, I Gotcha: The Story of Joe Tex, and our recent production of Memphis Soul: The Story of Stax Records.
In 2007, the third annual Black Playwrights Festival was produced to highlight the work of the Black Playwrights Initiative, expose the community to works in progress and to give the writers valuable feedback about their scripts.
