Theatre Students Find Multiple Stages Through Service Learning in the Community

Photo Caption: Students from ESU’s Musical Theatre Organization perform for Resident Appreciation Day at the Shirley Futch Plaza in East Stroudsburg.  

Inspired by Shakespeare’s statement, “all the world is a stage,” theatre majors at East Stroudsburg University are bringing their performance skills to the Pocono community through diverse volunteer activities.

Christopher Robinson, a senior theatre major from Cape May, N.J., who is already training to pursue a career in stage combat after graduation, recently designed and presented a stage combat workshop for a Tiger Cub Scout Pack in Effort, Pa.

“The workshop had three parts,” Robinson said. “First, I explained the basics of  what theatre is; then, assisted by William Barreto, a senior theatre major from East Stroudsburg and Colleen Brida, a sophomore theatre major from Northampton, Pa., we demonstrated what stage combat involves and taught the boys some simple punches, hand chops and kicks.”

Robinson and his assistants then led the cub scouts in a short skit about a karate dojo that the boys performed for their parents.

“The boys were great listeners and just excellent to work with,” Robinson said.  “As a camp counselor for six years, I’ve worked with many kids and I love to teach..”

“Chris was phenomenal,” stated Jennifer Ristine, one of the Cub Pack mothers. “The boys even invited him to stay for a snack.  Chris is a great teacher and inspired the boys.”

“This was the first exposure that most of these boys had to theatre,” noted Margaret J. Ball, D.M.A., professor and chair of ESU’s theatre department,” and Chris helped the boys see that there could be a place for them in theatre.”

Four other ESU theatre majors, Rebecca Roeber, a senior from East Stroudsburg, Sophia Thompson, a senior from Etters, Pa., Sam Kashefska, a sophomore from Scotrun, Pa., and Abigail Witt, a freshman from Mountainhome, Pa., brought their musical theatre skills to Resident Appreciation Day at the Shirley Futch Plaza apartment complex for senior citizens in East Stroudsburg.

The ensemble performed a short program that featured selections from the traditional musical theatre repertoire. “This is an audience that can really appreciate the songs from the classic Broadway musicals like The Fantasticks,” said Ball, who coordinated the ensemble.

“People were singing along with us,” Thompson noted, “and both the performers and audience members left smiling. It brought me so much joy that I’m going to look for more opportunities to perform for senior citizens when I go home this summer.”

“Goosebumps amazing,” was how luncheon coordinator Sharlotte Giberson described the presentation.

“One of my residents, who is in her mid-90s and suffers from dementia, was not only moving and clapping to the music, but she was singing along!” added Gilberson. “She doesn’t remember much these days but a little music therapy sure brought back her memories.”

“Performances like this enable our students to not only expand and deepen their performance skills,” Ball added, “but also create a bridge to the community so that ESU can fulfill its mission to be a university without walls.

 

 

 

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