Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Wolves! Possums! Skunks!

The wolves have arrived!





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The multi-talented Oscar Fuentes (actor/director/musician/poet) got the kids awake fast with a great theater workshop that included some pantomime, some acting, some rehearsing, and a performance! Hard to believe he could get the kids so into acting and performing on an early Saturday morning. And so quickly! He started the kids off by showing them how to mime their way into, and then out of, a box. Some of the kids pretended they were circus strongmen. Then Oscar did a pantomime of someone bowling.



The kids really loved it. And then tried it too. And, as Oscar remarked, made it their own, with their own little touches. We were in a space in the South Florida Historical Museum (big thanks!), that Oscar had dressed to look like a theater, colorful backdrop and all.



The kids then rehearsed a play based on a Native American myth. When Oscar felt that they had a good rhythm, they broke into groups to make their own costumes. There were wolves, possums, and skunks.







I don't want to reveal the surprise ending, but let's just say that everything works out in the end, and the kids learn a great lesson about family, community, and cooperation. The kids really performed for Oscar-he was very inspiring in the way he managed to get the kids to overcome any shyness and really let themselves go. An amazing feat in such a short period of time!





The kids had worked up a good appetite by now, and they plowed through some great shu mai, edamame, pad thai---another delicious lunch provided by World Resource Cafe. The kids chatted about the play, and acting, and how amazing it was to create different costumes out of simple baseball caps-great idea, Oscar!







Ms. Manuela Moeller brought dessert again, and the kids were definitely not shy about getting their slice of cake!



Thanks Manuela. And thanks to Oscar for a truly riveting workshop, rehearsal, and performance. The kids laughed a lot; and also managed to take away some important lessons.



Oscar rehearses the kids, then calls for a new bowling ball!

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