Food and herbal nutritional products » Depression » In the Depression, but far from depressed
In the Depression, but far from depressed
View PDF | Print View
by: Guest
Total views: 545 Word Count: 954
By Stephanie S. Daly
Globe correspondent
The year is 1929, the stock market crashes, and panic breaks out as people on the street run to the banks to withdraw their money.
When it seems they have no hope of salvaging their life savings and the realization of the economic crisis sinks in, a look of hopelessness creeps over the faces of men, women, and children alike.
Just as all seems to be lost, tap dancers burst into view -- joyous, energetic, and inspiring.
That was the opening scene of the Multi-Arts performance at the Academy of the Company Theatre's Summer Workshop for teens in Norwell, and it shouts the underlying theme of the piece: The arts uplift people during the worst of times.
'It's all about the economy and how it was helped by the arts,' said Matt Richards, a 19-year-old counselor in training who worked on the special effects.
At the academy this summer, some of the students' families were feeling the effects of the current recession, prompting students in the Multi-Arts class to look back to a similar crisis, The Great Depression.
"The main message is no matter how hard times get, the arts will help revitalize your soul,' said Zoe Bradford, one of the teachers of Multi-Arts.
The Depression performance was just one part of the academy, which ran for three weeks during the summer and offered classes in arts and theater at the Company Theatre in Norwell.
Multi-Arts attempts to tell a story through a combination of acting, music, movement, and sometimes special effects. This summer, the class had about 40 students age 11 to 19, and they were the brains behind the performance.
In the Depression piece, the initial reaction to the crash was followed by scenes of how the arts raised the spirits of people at that time, and through the following decades. Clips and images were shown from the Great Depression, as well as various forms of entertainment over the years, including 'I Love Lucy' and Charlie Chaplin movies.
The Multi-Arts class has performed at the workshop's final show for the last 20 summers, but was significantly different this year.
'We always try to do something that impacts real life, and this year we felt like doing something a little upbeat, because it's always usually on the depressing side," said Olivia Richards, a 13-year-old from Hingham who has attended the academy for several summers. 'This year we decided to look at how all the arts uplift people.'
'I found it interesting how the kids focused on the recession," Bradford said about how the campers chose the topic themselves.
The fact that the campers came up with the theme is another example of the impact and reach of the recession. And the academy is one more organization affected by it.
The academy offers scholarships for the $875 tuition, and this year there were more applications than usual. Overall, 156 students enrolled in the academy this summer, down about 15 from a last year.
"We try to make it as available as possible because a lot of people need it these days,' Bradford said about the scholarships. Though giving out more scholarships squeezed the academy's finances, organizers have no intention of closing the academy or the theater, said Bradford, who is also an artistic director and co-founder of the Company Theatre.
'We took a little financial hit, but nothing that would jeopardize us,' she said.
From the looks of the camp, there was no a sign of any economic trouble.
Multi-Arts is one of a wide array of classes offered by the academy. Students, ages 7 to 19, can try workshops on everything from origami, to directing, to prop making. Coincidentally, there was even a class this summer called 'Thriller,' which taught Michael Jackson's choreography and was planned before the singer's death.
On a recent afternoon, the theater's front entrance featured luau decor, including grass skirts and flower leis, and was bursting with classes in every corner.
An abstract dance class was filled with the sweet smell of cupcakes, as a connecting door led to the room of a cooking workshop. Down the hall, drums were thundering in a room where band class was in session, and just around the corner, a small group of students were editing a short film they created.
Around the back of the building was a smaller stage for a class called 'Fractured Fairy Tales,' and in the basement, a visitor had to weave through wood, tools, and paint in the home of the prop-making class.
'The kids treat it like a big family,'' said Bradford. "It's a very festive environment here.'
Everywhere, the children were smiling as they sang, danced, laughed, and learned. Even the academy's mascot, Bradford's sociable dog Sienna, joined in the fun, visiting classes where children would give her a pat on the head.
"I just love it here,' said Catherine Anderson, a 14-year-old counselor in training who has been coming to the academy for 7 years. 'I look forward to camp every year. Right when camp ends I think, 'I wonder what camp's going to be like next year.' "
Although it may seem like all fun and games, the academy teaches skills for performing in the arts. And the curriculum changes to fulfill the needs of the job market.
'We're hoping to make some liaisons in Plymouth,' said Bradford.
If these links can be forged, the theater can be a symbol of what the Multi-Arts students were trying to portray in their performance: hope.
"I hope that people will take away that no matter how depressing it seems,' Olivia said, 'there's always a way to find a little hope in the darkness."
Additional information:
Overcoming Depression Key Tips from a Boulder Counselor
Lubbock Counseling Services, Psychotherapy, Marriage Counseling
Kristina Jansz Family, Marriage, Teen, Depression Anxiety
Phone Counseling Professional Convenient Effective
Thrive Boston Counseling and Psychotherapy Center Cambridge
Austin Depression Counselor Austin Therapist: Carolyn C. Martin
Dr. Patrick J. Hart: Therapist Referrals to Seattle Psychologist
Awesome Library Counselor Psychology Depression
Depression counseling Relationship Advice And Help
Futility Depression and Rage Therapy and Counseling
Related "Depression":
- New DEP measures should protect birds this summer
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Prot ... - Radimer K, Bindewald B, Hughes J, Ervine B, Swanson ...
Numerous products are sold for their touted bene ... - A big deal: Legacy of Roosevelt's effort to put people back to ...
In a memorable "Fireside Chat" President Frankli ... - Gluten intolerance becoming more commonplace
BY MARION NESTLE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Editor ... - Depression test for new mums
EXPECTANT mothers could soon be routinely tested ...
Rating: Not yet rated (votes: 0)
