In January, Pittsboro Elementary School’s fourth-graders transformed into lively springboks, fierce opossums, armored armadillos, and gentle monarch butterflies under the excellent tutelage of actors Serena Ebhardt and David zum Brunnen of Ebzb Productions.
Serena and David used learning tools from the dramatic arts to develop child-generated choose-your-own-adventure scenes, integrating concepts from the students’ current science and language arts unit on animal defense mechanisms.
“We want you to understand the actor’s process so it might help you in your life when you have to get up and speak,” Serena instructed.
She expanded upon the actor’s five tools: breath, body, eyes, face, and voice each morning during warm-up time with the kids.
The students mimicked Serena’s breath, expressions, and movements to become more comfortable with transforming into something other than themselves.
“Honestly I loved it. It was so fun to do.” –Pittsboro Elementary fourth-grader
After selecting their preferred animal to embody, each child got to work developing the sounds and movements their animals might choose if danger were present.
Does their animal hide, run, or fight when predators come around? The students enhanced their acting choices with plenty of research throughout the week.
Two students from each class served as narrators, guiding the audience through the animal behavior presentation.
“This experience with David and Serena brought our EL curriculum to life for the entire class and increased their excitement for the Performance Task of writing their own Choose-Your-Own-Adventure essay.” –Pittsboro Elementary teacher
Some students even added costumes into their act for the in-class performance day.
“It was fun with [the artists] and I liked that we were acting.”–Pittsboro Elementary fourth-grader
Once their in-class performances were done, students reflected on their time as actors. David asked, “How have you been able to use or–how could you use–these tools in your everyday life?”
One student responded: “When Mrs. Serena told us to focus on the exit sign when we’re on stage, so when I was at the district spelling bee, I focused on the exit signs so I didn’t get nervous!”
Another student responded: “You can use your breath or your eyes to communicate with someone if you can’t use your voice.”
“What I liked the best was when we did the performance and learning new things.”–Pittsboro Elementary fourth-grader
When the week ended, students were sad to see the artists go. One class even wrote and illustrated thank you cards for Serena and David.
“Great students all ‘round – and truly impressive in every way – along with their teachers & staff! We learned a lot just being a part of it.”–Serena and David
The sponsor for this residency was Austin Vandeveer. The Law Offices of Austin Vandeveer proudly supports the Chatham Arts Council, recognizing the essential role the arts play in strengthening our community. We believe that the arts foster creativity, inspire collaboration, and enhance the cultural vibrancy of Chatham County. Our partnership with the Chatham Arts Council reflects our commitment to supporting local artists and enriching the cultural landscape of our region. By working together, we aim to ensure that art remains an integral part of the community, benefiting individuals of all ages and backgrounds. We are dedicated to helping sustain and grow the arts in Chatham County, which contributes to both personal enrichment and economic development. The Law Offices of Austin Vandeveer is honored to support the Chatham Arts Council’s mission to cultivate creativity and celebrate the arts.
This residency is 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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