It’s Monday morning, and there’s a lot of energy in the room. Artists-in-Schools artist Mike Wiley is about to perform his play Jackie Robinson: A Game Apart for the second time in a day, but more importantly, this is the first assembly for North Chatham Elementary in two years. The kids are excited, the teachers are excited, and we’re excited! And then the magic happens! Mike takes the stage in his familiar Dodgers costume, and the crowd goes wild.
Mike Wiley is an Artists-in-Schools favorite, and for good reason. He’s been bringing his theatre to Chatham County Schools for nearly a decade–teaching through the arts about key events and figures in African-American history, and engaging even the most introverted of students. The 2022 residencies are no exception.
Mike and teaching partner, playwright Howard Craft, work closely with kids to build their communication skills, while weaving history and social studies into the work.
Student participation is a large part of both Mike’s performance and the classroom workshops.
He warms up his classroom audience by chatting and joking with them. On the first day of his North Chatham workshop, snow is in the forecast. The kids are ready for it, hoping for it, dreaming of it! But Mike laughingly warns them not to jinx it, while telling them the story of his friend who often declares UNC basketball victories, right before the team loses!
“He had them eating out of the palm of his hand, so they couldn’t wait for this day to get here,” remarks a North Chatham fifth-grade teacher, referring to Mike’s performance a week earlier. Covid protocols caused their class workshops to be rescheduled, and the kids were thrilled it was finally happening.
In this age of masking, one of the key points of Mike’s workshops this year was all about communication without seeing people’s mouths. Are they smiling? Are they angry? Children at both schools shouted out many ways to communicate feelings in other ways–especially with the body. And of course, they got to volunteer to demonstrate.
Moncure students had similar reactions to Mike and Howard. “These guys rushed back from lunch early to make sure they were in their seats in time,” said a fifth-grade teacher at Moncure. While the kids started off quiet, it didn’t take long to get them moving.
There’s at least one moment in each residency that crystalizes the importance of this work. One of those moments this time around happened after playwright Howard Craft worked with students to write their own monologues. What kind of magical creature would you be? What do you love? What do you hate? What advice would you give? He prompted and nudged as students scribbled.
And then it was time for kids to share their writing, out loud. One child stood, and he very quietly started reading his piece. Especially with the mask on, he could barely be heard. Mike encouraged him to go again, to project. Again, he was quiet. Mike asked him to hit the back wall with this voice. Again, he was quiet. Finally, Mike said, “I want you to take everything that is inside of you, and push it outside of you.” And suddenly, a big, beautiful voice burst out of this child, and he proceeded to be not only loud, but also hilarious. The class cheered, Mike and Howard cheered, and the kid was all smiles. And the teacher had tears running down her face. She had never seen that child so open, so animated, so fearless. He stepped into his potential, his voice, that day–because of the arts.
In Mike’s words in his phone call to Artistic Director Cheryl Chamblee as he walked out of the school that day: “This is why we do this.” Yes. Yes, it is.
The Chatham Arts Council could not bring professional artists like Mike Wiley and Howard Craft into Chatham County schools without the dollars to make it possible. The North Chatham residency was powered by Pat and Jane Serkedakis/Coldwell Bankers, and the Moncure School residency was powered by Fearrington Friends of the Arts. Our partners at Chatham County Schools, Chatham County, and the North Carolina Arts Council also make this work happen.
We’re working to expand the Chatham Artists-in-Schools Initiative with a goal of being in every single school in Chatham County, every single year, by 2025. Click here to be part of this artistic endeavor–and all our Arts for Resilient Kids efforts.
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