Siler City Elementary (SCE) and Virginia Cross Elementary (VCE) students and teachers enjoyed actor and playwright Mike Wiley’s solo performance of “One Noble Journey” this past November. In addition to the performance, Mr. Wiley hosted teacher and student workshops at both schools during his week-long artist residency in Chatham.
An Audience-Fueled Performance: “One Noble Journey”
In “One Noble Journey,” Mr. Wiley portrays Henry “Box” Brown, a Black slave who sees no alternative but to mail himself to freedom in a small crate–a tale perilous and somber at times, while humorous and heroic throughout.
The engaging tale was full of audience participation.
Countless students raised their hand for the chance to take part in the play. “I love this energy!” exclaimed Mr. Wiley.
The audience rolled with laughter each time a student or teacher participant joined Mr. Wiley onstage.
“I love involving students so we all feel like we are onstage!” said Mr. Wiley, after the performances. “The empathy that happens when you act it out really helps with learning.”
“I liked that people went on stage and made other people laugh!” one student exclaimed.
Workshops Full of Sharing: Acting and Writing in Persona
Later the same day, teachers from both schools were invited to attend a teacher workshop conducted by Mr. Wiley. The workshop included an interactive lesson intended to create empathy and validate student contributions to the learning process.
Teachers first participated in short scenes involving familiar names from history like Rosa Parks.
“I was reminded that history is a living thing that we can embody, and that can be a powerful way to learn!” said one teacher participant.
Teachers then wrote creative pieces from an object’s perspective–some choosing an object from history, some choosing an object from their own lives.
“Before I was a teacher, I was a quilt…the best part is I’m always needed,” recited a teacher who shared her writing with the group. “I had so much fun!”
As teachers read their writing, both laughs and tears were shared. “This experience was a good reminder that we need to get to know as much about each other and our students as possible,” reflected one teacher after the workshop.
As the week went on, Mr. Wiley and fellow playwright Howard Craft led individual classroom workshops centered around “writing in persona” with the fifth-graders at each school.
Students acted in persona with Mr. Wiley’s direction in front of their classmates.
“I liked when Mr. Wiley transformed into a different person and I was super creative to try something new and be a different person,” shared one student who acted in front of her class.
Then, led by Mr. Craft, students dove into writing through persona by writing through the perspective of an object or different person–just like their teachers did in the teacher workshop.
Students received individualized guidance from both Mr. Wiley and Mr. Craft to make sure their pieces really came to life.
So many students couldn’t wait to share their writing–especially the students at Siler City Elementary, who wrote monologues from the perspective of characters from their class novel Esperanza Rising.
At one point, even a “very shy kid,” according to a teacher, got up to share with props and spoke with feeling, even later inviting a peer to combine monologues and act out one complete scene together.
“I saw students share in class that don’t typically share. I saw one student stand out and perform–it is very outside their comfort zone and they were amazing!” shared the librarian at SCE.
“It’s not about reading that piece out loud, it’s about becoming that character,” Mr. Wiley instructed the students, encouraging them to sometimes read their piece multiple times out loud.
“You need to pursue acting!” Mr. Wiley told one student after the workshop.
Students then continued their writing with holiday-themed lunes that included figurative language.
During the residency “I found out I’m a really good thinker,” said one fifth-grade student.
Students got up to share their writing again and again. “I was creative during it…I loved it,” summed up another fifth-grader.
“What I do is help students find themselves in history,” said Mr. Wiley.
The sponsor for the Siler City Elementary School residency was former dancer and teacher, Elizabeth Bonitz. The sponsor for the Virginia Cross Elementary School residency was the Lily McCoy Voller Stargazer Fund, a community of family and friends who value the arts for health and healing, bridge building, and a vibrant and enriching education. Both Mike Wiley residencies were also supported this year by a grant from the Paul Green Foundation, nurturing the arts and supporting human rights.
Both residencies are part of the Chatham Arts Council’s Artists-in-Schools Initiative in Chatham County Schools.
Arts for Resilient Kids programming is made possible by partnerships with Chatham County Schools, Chatham County, the North Carolina Arts Council, and many individual, foundation, and business donors. If you feel inspired to help us educate kids through the arts, click here to donate.
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