Focus on TUSD - April 2007

Wright Elementary Stories Appear on Stage
The only thing more exciting than stuffing your story in the Magic Box is having it performed on stage.

Thirty authors at Wright Elementary School had that pleasure on March 30 when seven University of Arizona students brought their tales to life on their school's outdoor stage.

Lots of imagination fueled the production because the actors, dressed all in black, used only minimal props and supplemental clothing. A drummer and keyboarder added live music to the stories, as well as the troupe's opening and closing group number.

Authors whose stories were chosen from the 265 submissions watched wide-eyed and incredulous as troupe members spoke the words they had written. For all of them, having their stories performed was a surprise that day.

Second-grader Angel Darton wrote about a dog named Pal, who was her constant companion. One troupe member portrayed the author while the other one was the dog who ate with her, played with her and even brushed his teeth alongside her. Angel, however, said she has only a stuffed animal dog named Pal that she plays with outdoors.

"I felt impressed when I saw my story," she said after the performance, "I said to my teacher when it was happening, ‘That's my story. I wrote it. I did that.'"

Another second-grader, Anayela Oliver, said she was surprised, too, to see her story on the stage. "I said to my friend, that's the person in my story.'" She penned a story about a child whose mother taught her to swim, and then went on to be a famous swimmer who still kept her trophies and the pictures of herself with her mother by her side. "It was a true story," Anayela said. "I dream about it lots of times."

And Jubi Lopez, a fourth-grader who wrote a story about a fat man and a thin man who were heroes, said "It's OK to be fat or thin. You don't have to be perfect."

Most stories were jam-packed with action, telling tales of apes, vampires and bad guys, including a dance-off between a gigantic lizard and an orangutan. The audience giggled and clapped as the troop enacted a fake food fight in one story, and in another story, when an actor wearing a hood ran through the crowd on a stick horse while the narrator talked about rodeos.

Principal Lisa Howells called the actors "marvelous performers," and said the format is a great way to inspire kids to write.

Monique R. Martin, an aide to Tucson City Council member Nina Trasoff, said the program encourages creativity, confidence, reading and writing skills. "All those ideas are swimming around in their brains and come to life on stage" she said. "They really hold their attention. They're totally tuned in."

-- By Sharon Dunham
Communications & Media Relations

TUSD - Proud Supporter of Small Classes

All photos in the April issue by Jes Ruvalcaba of Communications & Media Relations.

The deadline to submit material for the May Focus is Friday, May 4. The Focus will be published Friday, May 18. Email submissions to Chyrl Hill Lander or Sharon Dunham in the Communications & Media Relations Department or use the Focus Online Submission Form.