PerformInk: Emerald City Theatre has announced the revival of a partnership with author Mary Pope Osborne and her Ms. Osborne’s Classroom Adventures Program. This latest partnership, with support from KPMG’s Family for Literacy, will provide an opportunity for over 60,000 Chicago Public Schools 2nd and 3rd-grade students to receive a free viewing of “Magic Tree House: Showtime with Shakespeare” and a free companion Magic Tree House book.
3 comments:
Emerald City Theatre has made really brilliant strides for children's theatre in Chicago. Recently one of my friends played Dorothy for their version of The Wiz and they had really awesome ticket discounts for students. It's amazing how much theatre can do for the world when it's used in the right ways.
I truly believe that exposing small children to theatre in inner cities can teach them lessons that they might not learn otherwise and in some cases help them get out of a cycle of abuse. I know that when I was younger I loved the Magic Tree House Stories and the ability to be in a different world. Add that into the spectacle of the theatre and the CPS children will leave with something I didn't have as a young CPS child: the knowledge that theatre is a tool for healing and expression when used correctly.
In general Chicago students deserve better than CPS gives them. But with Chance the Rapper and theatres like this investing in children's futures I think we can one day have a Chicago that is conducive to raising children.
I remember The Magic Treehouse books from my own childhood. Beyond simply being glad that they have weathered the test of time and are still around today, I am quite happy to see that they are being used in such initiatives. This series of books - while not solely responsible for my love of reading - definitely helped turn me into the avid reader I am today, and also helped me advance in critical areas such as vocabulary and the development and progression of written work. The books were able to do that for me on their own; I think pairing the books with a theatrical event will only boost the series' power to inspire children towards greater literacy. This seems like a really well-rounded event; it draws on technology by way of the streaming, as well as the creative arts, in addition to reading. In having such a multi-faceted event, I believe this initiative will entice many kids into the world of The Magic Treehouse and beyond by way of the written word.
When I was first learning how to read I LOVED the Magic Treehouse books. I think I still have the entire collection packed up in a box in New Jersey somewhere. The series is great because it teaches the reader so much about specific time periods and events in history (I still vividly remember learning about Pompeii from these books as a first grader). I didn’t know that there was a live production of one of these stories, but it makes a lot of sense. It’s even better that this production will be live stream-ed to kids in the Chicago area. It’s a great way to engage kids in theatre, learning, and reading. It would be better if they could find a way to bring these schools to the live performances, but I understand that’s a whole other level of challenges. Hopefully this production is successful and leaves a lasting impact on the children who will get to see it.
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