Theater Credits: Over the Tavern (Eddie), 2007 Allstate HS Production: Les Miserables, 2008 Allstate HS Production: Parade, Edith Stein (Franzy), Jesus Christ Super Star (King Herod/Apostle Philip), Children of Eden (Noah), Pippin (Pippin), Into the Woods (Asst. Stage Manager), CATS (Munkustrap) *Chicago Pro Debut. Education: AMDA NYC. “Special thanks to all my family(s) & anyone and everyone who gave me an opportunity or taught me something, whether regarding to performing or in life”.
CBS Channel 2 News Visits Rehearsal of STAND UP!
Jan 3, 2010 7:03 pm US/Central
Teen Hopes To Help Reverse Youth-Violence Trend
ReportingCHICAGO (CBS) ―
Click to enlarge
Fenger High School student Leo Allen is trying to make a difference by being a part of a high school production that touches on subjects like violence, drugs, self-esteem and other sensitive topics.
For some, Chicago’s Fenger High School has come to symbolize youth violence. Two of its students have been murdered over the course of the school year.
Now, CBS 2′s Dana Kozlov reports, one Fenger student is drawing attention — but for all of the right reasons. The group of young performers spent their Sunday afternoon singing, “Raise up. Be heard.”
It’s a far cry from Fenger High School for 17-year-old Leo Allen. When not in class at that South Side school, this is how he spends much of his free time; rehearsing for a show called “Stand up! Change Teen Statistics.”
“This is a positive production written for teens by teens so we know what people want to hear,” Allen said.
Allen mentioned the show back in September, the week after his classmate, 16-year-old Derrion Albert, was beaten to death outside a Roseland community center.
It’s produced by the non-for-profit R.Ed.I. Arts and Education Foundation, which stands for Reach, Educate, Inspire. Its executive director hopes to bring the show and its young, diverse cast to high schools all over the state.
“They actually share their own personal stories, knowing that sharing their stories will be the basis for the creation of the show,” Kimberly Farah said.
The show’s director, Diana Martinez, said it will help because it makes kids feel like they’re not alone. It’s raw, she says, adding, “We touch on some pretty, um, not so nice subjects.”
The subjects include violence, drugs, self-esteem, suicide, depression, self-mutilation, racism and other topics not openly discussed.
At the end of each show, the group will offer guidance and resources to help facilitate conversation and to direct students to any help they may need. Leo Allen thinks the show’s message of hope, help and empowerment will resonate with his peers, including those at Fenger.”Be somebody different,” Allen said. “Everything can’t be the same forever. Change it.”
”He is tremendously impacted by the violence in his school and the problems in his school,” Farah said. “The sense that I get from Leo is that he most would like people not to give up.”
Farah says dozens of schools have called her, hoping to bring the production to them. But many don’t have the money to do so. She says the foundation is currently trying to raise money to change that and, she said, hopefully begin to make a difference.
For more information on the Foundation, you can contact (630) 876-0100 (630) 876-0100 or visit http://reditemp.org/.
Watch Us tonight on CBS Channel 2 news Chicago
Be sure to set your VCRs to CBS/ Channel 2 news, Sunday, January 2, 2010 at 10pm. Anchor, Dana Kozlov reports on a story, from a rehearsal of STAND UP! Change Ten Statistics.
Sikich
Special thanks to Sikich for their support.
Paulo Nicolasin
History
The R.Ed.I. Arts and Education Foundation Prevention Theater Show is based on a concept which was tested in the early nineties. The concept was created in part by Kimberly Farah, Richard Odell and Ben Vereen. Together the original creators, all performing artists and/or arts educators and advocates, saw an avenue for the collaboration of children and the performing arts that would be highly effective as a catalyst for social and personal change as it related to society and to the individual as a whole.
Society and young people at that time, being no different than today, were faced with challenging issues such as violence, drug and alcohol abuse, physical abuse, gang violence, sexuality, peer pressure, racism, rape, and low self esteem. The original show focused on providing young people with positive solutions when they were faced with these developmental challenges.
The program brought together children from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds with diverse cultural roots and created a live musical theater show using music, drama and dance to tell their real life stories, thus creating prevention theater. The nature of the authenticity of the show and the fact that the production was performed by young people, made for a powerful performance that ended up being performed and effecting the lives of over one million young people. The original show expanded to 95 performances a year in a small target geographic sector of the United States.
The original show was requested to be performed for schools systems, community programs, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, conferences both youth and adult oriented, Snowflake organizations, the Dare program, and hundreds more. With the success of this show, R.Ed.I. was born. R.Ed.I. is modeled after the philosophy, mission and success of this program. Plans for a national affiliate program are slated for development.
Prevention Theater
R.Ed.I.’s Prevention Theater Production is prevention education conveyed in the format of a musical theater show based on the lives of kids and presented by kids for kids.
R.Ed.I.’s prevention theater production will reach young people through their peers. The cast of the show is the same age as the audience. The show format is geared towards their humor, their real life experiences and their musical taste, as well as introducing them to the power of the performing arts. The idea being, to address their issues on their level and in a language in which they can relate, be inspired by and understand.
The R.Ed.I. show works because young people can be strongly influenced, either positively or negatively, by a variety of sources, one of the most powerful being their friends and peers.
The R.Ed.I. Prevention Theater show is approximately 55 minutes long. It is inspirational, powerful, educational, empowering, and true to life. The show provides its audience information that challenges kids to take positive action, act responsibly, rise above the negative influences and to make the next right choice.
The R.Ed.I show makes concepts real and concrete for the audience. Additionally, the ideas, messages, issues, and people portrayed give the audience a personal connection with the events.
“The message is heavy, it provides hope”
| R.Ed.I.’s Prevention Theater Production is prevention education conveyed in the format of a musical theater show based on the lives of kids and presented by kids for kids. R.Ed.I.’s prevention theater production will reach young people through their peers. The cast of the show is the same age as the audience. The show format is geared towards their humor, their real life experiences and their musical taste, as well as introducing them to the power of the performing arts. The idea being, to address their issues on their level and in a language in which they can relate, be inspired by and understand. |
Why the R.Ed.I. show works… Young people can be strongly influenced, either positively or negatively, by a variety of sources, one of the most powerful being their friends and peers. The R.Ed.I. Prevention Theater show is approximately 55 minutes long. It is inspirational, powerful, educational, empowering, and true to life. The show provides its audience information that challenges kids to take positive action, act responsibly, rise above the negative influences and to make the next right choice. The R.Ed.I show makes concepts real and concrete for the audience. Additionally, the ideas, messages, issues, and people portrayed give the audience a personal connection with the events. “The message is heavy, it provides hope” |