Making the newspaper!
March 25, 2009Everyday at the Department of Education somebody is responsible for going through all of the newspapers in Maine and compiling the links to the education articles. I receive the list in my email box and I take a few minutes and scan the titles to see if there are any about arts education. It’s another way for me to “keep in touch”.
Today there were two. The first entitled “The day, Not Winning, is the Thing at the Maine Drama Festival” is an article about the opportunity that kids have to participate in the drama festival. This past Saturday, I had the chance to attend the Class B State Finals in Rockland for the afternoon and evening performances. They were all OUTSTANDING! The judges had a difficult job!!
For several years I have attended the regional event but this was my first state event. I was very impressed with the performances! I am always interested in watching the kids dismantle the set in their limited time period at the conclusion of each performance. I learn a lot about the students, the directors, how they collaborate and work cooperatively. In an odd sort of way this tells me so much about the learning that has taken place for each participant. It is often like a finely tuned machine, a part of the ‘whole experience’ that is crucial to the success of their show. Because if they don’t make it in the time allotted, they are immediately disqualified.
Most of the audience watched intensely at the conclusion of Ellsworth High School’s performance of “Metamorphosis” because they had a set that contained a pool of water that I am guessing was 8’x8′ and about 15″ deep. They used the water throughout the performance in a variety of very creative ways. They began to remove their set, each with their designated tasks, moving swiftly from on the stage to off the stage with each part, with ease. The water removal was the largest part of the take down. There was a snag in removing the water and I heard the director shout “bail”. The scene moved into fast forward as kids started scooping water with whatever they could to remove it. The audience, mostly standing at this point, reacted in a variety of ways. Some clasped their hands, others held their breath, all seemed to be sending them energy to go faster to complete their task in the time allotted. We heard the timer shout 1 minute and my heart skipped as the task seemed larger. A big sigh of disappointment went out as the timer called “times up” as the cast and crew were lugging out the carpet filled with heavy water.
The audience shared in their disappointment. As I wiped a tear from my cheek I couldn’t help to think about the power of arts education. The opportunity this experience provided for these students is one that they will never forget! The learning that took place may not seem worthwhile at the moment but hopefully over time these students will reflect on this incredible learning experience and put it in perspective. We all know, it really isn’t about the winning. The title of the article says it best: The day, Not Winning, is the Thing at the Maine Drama Festival”.
CONGRATULATIONS to all the students who participated and THANK YOU to all the theater educators for your dedication and passion to guide young people in this unique opportunity!
If you want to read more about the festival you can click here and read the 2009 Maine Drama Festival results and you can click here and read the article from the Bangor Daily News.
We, as educators, all know the article title to be true, and yet it is in fact the winning that draws public support and attention to competitive events and increases the intensity of the participants. As an analogy follow the revered sport of high school basketball, where a winning team will have a gym full of spectators and a losing team will have plenty of available seats.
What can we do about this? There are many less-pressure events and “contest” possibilities that can be shared among schools. The recent “Mall Show sponsored by the University of Maine Museum of Art” and the Art in the Heart group of Bangor area educators awards recognition to each school that participates and students are able to “share” the sense of winning and of school pride.
Competitions are not a bad thing, for what they bring out in students under real-world pressure there is no substitute, but shouldn’t we temper this with events that are more all-inclusive? I have a feeling that we already do that in many ways, and I’m sure readers can cite many examples!
I agree, Charlie, that competitions have something to offer our young people for growth and development. In the case of Ellsworth High School students, at the point when they were working to get the set cleaned up, it was about insuring they would make it off the stage. I don’t think it was as much about the competition with anyone but themselves. If was as if they had moved to a higher level. I bet other arts educators have something to add to this conversation!
Now all we need is to get a middle school level competition!!!!
Have you spoken with anyone about this idea? The Maine Principals Association sponsors the state high school event.