REFLECTION
O'Brien Tech Students Perform in Collaborative Play

In the summer of 2008 Long Wharf Theatre joined forces with educators from two very different school communities.  Mary Parady from Emmett O'Brien Technical High School in Ansonia and Annie Lee from Central High School in Bridgeport conceived what is now affectionately known as the Urban-Suburban Collaboration. This union sought to introduce playwriting, production, performance and the business of theatre in an effort to promote tolerance, career development, and practical experience.

The goal of the project was to introduce two diverse high school cultures to each other through their common interest in theatrical production while attaining personal and social development, practical experience and skill buuilding in all aspects of theatre from conceptualization, creation, promotion and collaboration.

The start of the school year began with Long Wharf's Director Annie DiMartino going into each school and working with the students on self-exploration through writing prompts, video interviews, surveys, music, drawings, and photography projects students were asked to investigate and to examine the core of who they are and what they want to be.  Ms. DiMartino then exchanged this information with their counterpart, and it was through this trade that the research for character development and monologue writing was complete.

Students were asked to find the breath, heartbeat and life of the student they chose to write about and when each monologue was complete, they had the great joy of coming together to read their work aloud for the first time to one another.

Students discovered their commonalities and realized with some astonishment that themes of family, life after high school and stories of first loves were most often revealed. One student commented at the end of the reading that it was as if the two schools were images of each other thus Reflection was born.

The second half of the year was centered on learning about all of the jobs that make up a live theatre performance. In addition to play-writing and acting, the students were asked to pick a Production Team, then put their knowledge to practice by creating the work.  The lobby display, posters, and programs were all created by members of the Marketing and House Management Teams, the Literary Department formatted the script; the Sound Design Team collectively chose the pre-show music based on the written script; the Stage Managers and Assistant Directors led rehearsals when Ms. DiMartino was not in class; and the Set Design and Costume Design Teams conceptualized and helped to create the world of Reflection.

The Urban-Suburban Collaboration was written and performed by the students of Central High School in Bridgeport and Emmett O'Brien Technical High School in Ansonia on May 28, 2009 at the Long Wharf Theatre.  The project was generously funded by the Barnes Foundation, Target, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, and the Frederick A. Deluca Foundation.

The EOB students who participated are Dave Adams, Thomas Bartomeli, Jada Brown, Evan Cretella, Tim Davis, Arthur Fredericks, Matt Frovarp, Michael Gessner, Lucia Jounson, Alex Kosiorowski, Jarell Lanham, Danile Lopez, Gabriel Mancini, Shawn Marin, Alex Neuendorf, Dan Preneta, Corey Provost, Sasha Quinones, Janet Reyes, Chris Turaj, Christina Turner, and David Vizzo.

Ms. Parady, who has developed a reputation for successfully pursuing and acquiring grants that benefit the students and that offer limitless possibilities for creative development, was elated over the students' response to the project.  "I was very proud of our Emmett O'Brien students.  I was also surprised at how rapidly the more reticent students became involved and created a sense of community and accomplishment."

Last year Ms. Parady received the Teaching Tolerance Grant that gave EOB students the opportunity to see The Bluest Eyes by Toni Morrison at the Long Wharf Theatre.  At that time Long Wharf staff came to work with EOB students. When Long Wharf received a $10,000 grant to expand the above idea, Emmett O'Brien Technical High School was invited to contribute and to be a part of a program. Participation in the program has resulted in students producing work that ecourages life long learning and that presents 'Reflection' as a bridge leading to dialogue, communication and a deep appreciation of our multicultural society.