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Behind
the Scenes
Arts Education Spotlight: Neighborhood Bridges Program
“Donkey!” “Rooster!” “Sledgehammer!” “Screwdriver!” Fourth grade students wave their hands in the air, calling out the names of animals, then the names of tools, while a Children’s Theatre of Charlotte teaching artist records their words on the classroom whiteboard. Later in the class period, students will combine these words with prepositions to make phrases that - despite or perhaps because of their silliness - spark ideas for stories to be written down and acted out.
These students are participants in Children’s Theatre’s Neighborhood Bridges program, now being implemented in four fourth grade classrooms at three CMS schools. Created by the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, Neighborhood Bridges uses storytelling and creative drama to enhance students’ critical thinking, writing, and presentation skills. Thanks in part to support from Target, a first-time funder of the program, this year Neighborhood Bridges will help almost 100 students become better writers and prepare for the End of Grade (EOG) State Writing Test. The program is also funded by the Arts and Science Council.
Now in its fifth year as a Children’s Theatre program, Neighborhood Bridges has proved particularly successful in Title I schools, identified by CMS as higher-need schools based on student achievement. The three schools served this year, Pinewood Elementary, Shamrock Gardens, and Hidden Valley, are all classified as Title I.
“Neighborhood Bridges is one of the strongest in-school programs that we do,” said Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s Education Director Valerie Rhymer. While many in-school residencies last one or two weeks, Neighborhood Bridges has a 15-week curriculum. The longer residency period means that Children’s Theatre artists really get to know the participating students and teachers.
“We take a lot of subjects that students are used to experiencing in their classroom, and use theatre activities to flip them around and make them unique,” says Neighborhood Bridges teaching artist Greta Zandstra, who also coordinates the program.
Artists work closely with teachers to make sure the program aligns with each teacher’s specific classroom initiatives. One classroom teacher wanted to introduce her students to Shakespeare, and Zandstra worked with her to help the students act out and discuss Hamlet. Bringing Shakespeare’s words to life themselves helped students explore the characters and themes of classic literature.
“We don’t want Neighborhood Bridges to feel like something extra to teach or learn,” said Rhymer. “The program is designed to adapt to the classroom environment and support the objectives that teachers are already working on with their students.” Because the sessions are team-taught, classroom teachers also gain the necessary skills to continue using theatre activities in class once the program is over.
“We know the arts have the power to bring communities together and help us see the world from different perspectives; and that’s why Target is proud to support the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s Neighborhood Bridges program,” said Jim Bauer, Target District Team Leader for Charlotte. “This program emphasizes the important link between education and the arts and how this link can improve student’s test scores and reinforce critical reading and writing skills.”
The Neighborhood Bridges program culminates in “Bridges Day” on April 16, when all participating classrooms will gather at ImaginOn. Each classroom will chose a favorite story from those they have explored throughout the year to perform for the other students in the Wachovia Playhouse, and students will see the Children’s Theatre production Goodnight Moon. “I’m really looking forward to the celebration,” said Zandstra. “It’s always great to see what the students are able to accomplish.”
Watch a :30 clip from "Be Our Guest" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast
A Backstage Look at Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Go behind the scenes as Children's Theatre of Charlotte prepares to kick off their 62nd season with an original staging of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast." Meet the Costume and Scenic Designers for the show and learn what inspired their take on the classic story.
Telling Our Stories: Meet CTC Board Chair Stephen Sorenson
From actors to audience members, from long-time donors to students participating in their very first education program, each person involved with Children's Theatre of Charlotte has their own special story to tell. In our "Telling Our Stories" features, some of those people will share their stories, talking about how they became involved with the Theatre, and what they personally value about the organization.
Board Chair Stephen Sorenson is beginning his fifth year on the Board of Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, but his involvement with theatre started long before. As a high school freshman in Laurens, SC, he tried out for the school play on a whim and got cast as the villainous Evil Eye Fleagle in a production of Li’l Abner. He had fun using dramatic hand gestures to throw Fleagle’s famous “whammy” hexes on the other characters. He experienced the camaraderie of being a cast member.
He got hooked. He loved the satisfaction he felt from putting on a production and went on to perform in the annual play every year for the rest of high school. “You start with something raw - the script." he said. "And you get to be part of a team of people coming together with the shared purpose of bringing that raw material to life.”
After high school, Stephen moved away from theatre. He went to college, earning degrees in business and marketing. He started his career at Microsoft, where he has worked for the last 17 years. But he was eventually drawn back to the spotlight’s glow in a different way.
In 2004, one of Stephen’s colleagues at Microsoft approached him about taking her place on the Board of Children’s Theatre of Charlotte. At that time, Theatre was getting ready for its big move to ImaginOn. Stephen was drawn to the idea of a partnership between a theatre and a library, and struck by the parallel to his own personal interests. Not only was he involved in theatre as a teenager, but his high school job was shelving books at a local library.
He learned more about the Theatre from the then Board Chair Linda Lockman-Brooks, a classmate in the American Leadership Forum program. “I was very eager to get out there and get involved with the Charlotte community,” he said. “Becoming part of the Children’s Theatre Board felt like the right opportunity.”
Stephen sees a lot of synergy between the vision of Children’s Theatre of Charlotte and the vision of Microsoft, where he is currently a Director. “Microsoft’s mission is to help people and businesses realize their full potential,” he said. “Children’s Theatre of Charlotte transforms people through the power of theatre. Both places are about using their ‘product’ to help people change their lives for the better.” That common vision makes talking about the benefits of the Theatre with his business and community contacts a natural fit.
During his five years on the Board, Stephen has supported the Theatre through the move into ImaginOn and through the past year’s economic changes. He has also experienced its programming through the eyes of a parent, attending numerous shows with his wife Stephanie and daughters Brooke, 10, and Lauren, 7. Both daughters have participated in Education Classes, and Brooke in particular has developed a love of theatre. She has acted in many productions around Charlotte, as well as a commercial for Mattel's Barbie that will air on Nickelodeon.
When asked what he values about Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Stephen mentioned both the high quality of the Theatre’s work and the excellence of the organization itself. He described the Theatre as “incredibly well-run” and said that he has become increasingly aware of how passionate and committed its management team and staff are to the Theatre's mission.
"When I first joined the Board, I immediately knew I was involved with something good, but through my experience with Children’s Theatre, I have learned more and more about how excellent the organization is in every way – from programming, customer experiences and education to the staff, board and financials,” he said. ”The primary role of board members is to advocate in every way possible for the theatre and it’s so easy to advocate for excellence."
Box Office 704-973-2828
(10 am-5 pm, Mon.-Fri.) | Children's Theatre is located at ImaginOn |
300 E. 7th St., Charlotte, NC 28202 |
704-973-2800
