The Education Department at New Stage has been busy this year! We have produced original and exciting new shows in a digital format for schools and beyond. We have the classic Androcles and the Lion story retold in an up-to-date setting focusing on gratitude in the midst of a pandemic in Andrea and the Lion: A Gratitude Story. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party comes alive in Debate for Democracy a civil rights story featuring the lives of Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, and Martin Luther King, Jr. And finally, a Delta blues fairy story in the retelling of Shakespeare’s classic tale, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We’ve also been busy with online workshops exploring topics such as Shakespeare, how to dramatize stories, and putting history on the stage.
If you or someone you know would be interested in booking a production or workshop, please contact Education Director Sharon Miles at 601-467-5333 or smiles@newstagetheatre.com.
With sponsorships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Mississippi Arts Commission, and The Chisholm Foundation, New Stage Education has been able to stay relevant and provide much needed arts programming for schools, libraries, community centers, and churches.
Scroll down for promotional videos of these new shows and more information about each new virtual workshop!
Virtual Productions
Andrea and the Lion
*Best suited for elementary school audiences.
Written by Sharon Miles
Themes: Gratitude, Compassion, Good Deeds, Kindness, Family, Togetherness, Creative Storytelling, Classic Remix, Fables
Running Time: 50 Minutes
Promotional Video: https://vimeo.com/529073510/489623c3e4
Aesop’s folktale classic, Androcles and The Lion has been produced in multiple countries all over the world! This story of gratitude, full of adventure, fun, and vital life lessons — comes to life in this new original stage adaptation; Andrea and The Lion! Andrea’s parents have to work late, leaving her home to care for her younger, stir-crazy, zoom fatigued siblings– in the midst of a global pandemic! Everyone is miserable! Andrea must think fast on her feet before the entire evening goes off the rails! This new, fast-paced, story-within-a-story celebrates the resourcefulness of the human spirit through selfless acts of kindness, compassion and team work. Join us for Andrea and The Lion, an innovative story of rediscovering the gift of gratitude.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
*Best suited for middle and high school audiences
Written by William Shakespeare; Adapted by Francine Thomas Reynolds
Themes: Shakespeare, Dreams, Magic, Jealousy, Mischief, Transformation, Unreason, Reversal, Love’s Difficulty, Mississippi Delta
Running Time: 1 Hour, 20 Minutes
Promotional Video: https://vimeo.com/528564534/26ed317fdb
One of William Shakespeare’s most popular works, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is widely performed across the world. Francine Thomas Reynolds’ adaption keeps the beauty of Shakespeare’s language and places the story in the soil of the Mississippi Delta—the heart of American Blues music. Hermia is brought in to see Theseus and Hippolyta because she wants to marry Lysander but her father expects her to marry Demetrius who Helena is in love with. The four lovers escape to a forest where they fall victim to Oberon and Titania’s storm and where a company of blue-collar mechanicals are rehearsing a play for the Theseus’ wedding day! What could possibly go wrong?! This adaptation of Midsummer captures the heart of the Delta Blues and delivers an engaging performance for all to enjoy.
The Debate for Democracy
*Best suited for middle and high school audiences
Written by Sharon Miles
Featuring: Ashia Benford, Devin Hunter, and Sharon Miles
Themes: Civil Rights, Mississippi History, Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, Martin Luther King Jr.
Running Time: 57 minutes
Promotional Video: https://vimeo.com/528564683/cb7eef296c
The fight for democracy will always be led by the oppressed. During the monumental civil rights movement, national, and local leaders were unwavering in their belief that the promises foretold in the U.S. Constitution should apply to all its citizens. While the mission was unified, there was often heated debate about the best approach to change. In August 1964, a coalition of grassroots activists from Mississippi challenged the racially-exclusive political system of America. Mississippi Blacks seeking the right to vote were subjected to violence and intimidation.
Therefore, when barred from participating in the state’s Democratic Party, The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) was founded. The Debate for Democracy documents this landmark activism that questioned the morals and ethics of America. Explore behind-the-scene conversations, decisions, and the meeting that led MFDP delegates to decline President Lyndon B Johnson’s two seat compromise. The Debate for Democracy examines the position of national civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., renowned community organizer Ella Baker, and Mississippi’s own Fannie Lou Hamer.
Virtual Workshops
Dramatizing Story Workshop
Dramatizing Story is a practical approach to igniting a student’s imagination. This workshop uses theatre techniques to create a new twist on classic fables. By implementing improvisation exercises, students are encouraged to “read between the lines” and create new scenes to reach a new audience. Students interpret the story and use their own words to reimagine what the characters would say and to develop new action in the story. Revisit the classics and see what creativity unfolds in the classroom.
History on the Stage Workshop
New Stage Theatre Education believes that studying history teaches character development, empathy, and good citizenship. History Comes to Life is designed to encourage students to explore the past with a fresh perspective. This workshop offers drama strategies that assist with comprehension and can be replicated in the classroom to write a monologue or a scene that fully engages the human emotion and can offer a more meaningful approach to history lessons.
Unpacking Shakespeare Workshop
William Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest playwrights of all time. Unpacking Shakespeare is designed to help students of all abilities and backgrounds unlock the power of Shakespeare’s language and develop a greater understanding and enjoyment of his plays. Students will learn practical theatre techniques that actively lead to a deeper appreciation of the language, characters, and themes presented. William Shakespeare can still reach audiences today, let’s unpack his words together!