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Children are taught early on that acting up in school is not appropriate. But that was exactly what the students at Stewart Elementary School in Centerville were encouraged to do at a recent assembly.
The assembly was put on by the theater group Acting Up, one of 15 arts groups that make up A.R.T.S. Inc. It's a Utah-based organization that involves artists, business and community leaders, along with schools, parents and teachers in a combined effort to strengthen arts education in Utah schools.
"For more than 40 years, Artistic Resource for Teachers and Students, (A.R.T.S.) has maintained a firm commitment to produce quality arts-in-education programming," said executive director Ernie Doose, who also performs with Acting Up. "The commitment of educating our children for the future is one of the most vital responsibilities we undertake as a society."
Doose, along with musical director Diana Coleman and fellow thespians Walt Price and Kristie Engar, make up the group Acting Up. In a fast-paced, energetic program, the troupe teaches children the fundamentals of theater, from a language arts lesson in theater terminology to a history lesson outlining the various forms of theater throughout the ages. The program also includes an old-fashioned melodrama, complete with a villain, hero and heroine, and a rousing chorus taught to the young audience.
Engar has been involved with A.R.T.S. since 1984. She jumped at the chance to write a theater show for the organization because she thinks art is important in school, she said.
"[The arts] give confidence, and can help improve a child's creativity," she said.
The 15 art groups associated with the organization visited almost 300 schools last year alone.
Stewart Elementary School Principal Kathleen Bagley likes to expose her students to the many artistic and creative opportunities available to them in life.
"Kids who don't shine on tests can shine on stage or on the ski slopes or by helping a child with handicaps," she said. "We've made a point of having [programs and activities] that every child can succeed at."