Chicago Opera Theater - Education: Opera for All

Matt Newlin, Teaching Artist at Reilly Elementary School
CAPE Collaboration In Videography!

I am so excited about Reilly Elementary's contribution to the show! Before the classes with CAPE artist Andrea Slavik, I was not quite sure what to expect. All I knew was that we were in charge of some video components that were to act like a back-drop for our scenery. Andrea made me realize, though, that it is so much more than that.

Linden and I asked our students at Reilly to think about what kinds of monsters from the original myth they wanted to have in their performance, and they had tons of ideas. From the harpies to the sirens, the crashing rocks to the giant whirlpool, the fire-breathing bulls to the fighting skeletons -- Nothing was left out! When Andrea came to class the first time, their assignment was to draw these monsters in a specific way, one in which she could manipulate and animate them for the video projection. Our results were amazing, as the pictures show. Also, we wanted the students to draw us their representations of love to compliment the scene when Jason is choosing between Medea and Hypsiple. Andrea took these drawings home with her and quickly got to work.

What she came back with surprised us all -- She had put together a small video clip in which the students saw their creations come to life! She had the students guess how many individual pictures she had to take to make the 13 second clip, and only a few students were even close. It was very enlightening and educational for the 4th and 5th grade class about how much work and time actually goes into making a cartoon. The rest of the class period was spent showing the students first-hand the animation process, and I believe they really enjoyed it. I know that the end result at the performance is going to WOW everyone, especially the students and their families. It's going to be so wonderful watching them see their creations "alive" on stage with them.

Linden Christ, Manager of Education and Outreach, Chicago Opera Theater

The Opera For All students (330 students from five Chicago Public Schools) had the dance experience of a life-time while working with Choreographer, Devery McCoy. Devery taught two dances at each school: "I'm Holding Out for A Hero" and a baroque concerto by Albinoni mixed with a hip-hip version of Tik Tok (Kid-Friendly Version). The amazing part of this week was that each class had 40 minutes to learn the entire dance and all succeeded! Sure we'll have to review and clean-up some moves, but really overall the kids impressed all of us! We had a big laugh when one student from McKinley Park yelled out "This Hero's tired" while finishing up the dance, "I'm Holding Out For A Hero". Even the McKinley Park Principal Garcia, joined in on learning the dance!

Clinton Student, Harun Alihadric admitted:
"The Dancing was challenging because you had to keep on twirling, which makes you dizzy and you loose control on what supposed to do next. When we finished dancing I felt very tired because we had to do so many moves. I liked it because there were some funny moves that made me tired after the dancing which was good. I also liked it because we could loose some calories. That is my funny and dizzy experience for Opera."

Here's Devery McCoy teaching the Dance class!

Here's a fun picture of the Clinton Students dancing away to "I'm Holding Out for A Hero"

Here's a picture of Sonja Henderson from CAPE (Chicago Arts Partners in Education) with the McKinley Park students making Fish!

Linden Christ, Teaching Artist at McKinley Park Elementary School

The McKinley Park students were thrilled to get their hands gooped up in paper mache and their art shirts out of the closets to create artful props for the opera, Jason and the Golden Fleece. In two class sessions with CAPE artist, Sonja Henderson, the students created the head of the Fire-breathing bull, fire sticks, foam wave boards they are painted a lovely array of blues and greens with the white foam cap. Other students were working on painting the boat, The ARGO, while still others worked on paper mache fish. Even more students created wings for cupid and the evil harpies, as well as a mask for Hera, in disguise as an old hag. Every student was active working on their special project and all of these essential props will be transported to the other four schools for their performances of Jason and the Golden Fleece.

Sonja Henderson was incredible, in teaching the ways of art through practice and with so many projects happening at once it was important that team teaching artist, Danielle McCormick-Knox and I were helping in this fun adventure.

Here is a picture of the students working on the beginning steps to paper-mache the bull's head. And another picture of Sonja with the students working on fish!

Lisa Golda, Teaching Artist at Von Humboldt Elementary

This week, students at Von Humboldt had a special treat: CAPE (Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education) artist Ashley Winston came to finish staging two scenes of our upcoming opera, Il Giasone/Jason and the Argonauts! This year, CAPE artists are working with students at each of our partner schools to create various elements for our production; including sound effects, props/special costume pieces, visual projections, and staging! Their creative participation is bringing incredible artistic depth and a sense of unlimited possibility to our process.
Ashley's energy and relentless enthusiasm got even normally reticent students up and on their feet during fast-paced warm-up exercises. Her staging of the scene in which Jason gallantly carries a disguised and ever-heavier goddess Hera across a river incorporates fabric "waves". Students LOVE moving the fabric to create the illusion of water! Students seem to relish their roles, playing the hero Jason's jilted girlfriends Medea and Hypsipyle with appropriate angst. At the end of two jam-packed (and, thanks to Ashley's focused leadership and "stage management" provided by three COT Teaching Artists), productive classes, students were confidently running scenes filled with thoughtful dramatic details. Thanks, Ashley! COT TAs (myself and Kim) will now finish blocking the show and incorporate Ashley's staging into the productions at our other COT schools.

Chicago Arts Partners in Education (CAPE) at Hampton Elementary

Robert Possehl was great. The students had a wonderful time learning
more about art and how to include that in the staging effects. In the
first session, Robert had the students draw pictures and silhouettes
with a white pencil on black paper. He had the students think of the
most memorable scene that they can picture in their minds. Then he had
them find the strongest smell, feel, taste, or sight in the scene.
With all these senses in mind, he encouraged them to portray on paper
what they imagined. The students did a great job. In the next
session, He cut out some of the shadowed projected images that the
students drew and showed it to the class. The students were amazed at
their work. In this session, one class worked on the color to put in
the background of these shadowed images using paint and using the
brushes in different stroking and fading techniques. The other class
worked on using the Target and X-box symbols within other images in
the play. For example, one student used the Target symbol within a sun
and another student used the X-box symbol on the argonauts shield.
Robert did an excellent job in encouraging the students imagination.