Alissa Rowan’s From Story to Stage kicks off the new year.
The students at McCurdy Elementary, in the Hazelwood School District, participated in From Story To Stage, a 5 day Springboard residency funded by the District and their PTA. Using the actor’s tools of the body, voice, imagination, concentration and cooperation, the 2nd grade students in nine separate classes transformed into characters and brought a story to life. Together We Will Build This House, a play written by Springboard Teaching Partner/Artist Alissa Rowan, is based loosely on the Norwegian folktale of the Ram and the Pig. Missouri animals, including white tailed deer, beavers, cardinals and skunks, share their special talents to build a house to protect themselves from humans. When the bobcats arrive to prey on them, the animals must proactively solve the problem by working together. As the character of the Pig explains “we may not be strong individually but together, as a group, we are very powerful!” Under the direction of Rowan, 2nd graders practice positive character education principles such as demonstrating respect through enunciation, projection and eye contact and working cooperatively to act out the story.