The greatest ignorance is to reject something you know nothing about.
I have considered myself an open-minded person, always - not judgmental or hateful. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. I have always told myself that you cannot truly say something negative about an individual unless you know everything that they have been through - and chances are, you do NOT know everything that someone has been through. I've always told myself that, but when I stepped into Project Shattered Silence I experienced it first-hand...
There are about nineteen kids in Project Shattered Silence. The director and most of the "students" are people that I have known for awhile, whom I care for deeply... Those first few meetings, early on a Saturday morning when all of our inhibitions were a bit groggy, we would have group discussions: we shared (and still share) stories of personal experiences. When we chose to donate the profits of our final show to a charity working towards equality, we sat in circles, a few of us sharing personal stories... we all opened up to one another. Had we been discriminated against? Had our friends? Had we ever? These people that I considered myself close with... they have these whole worlds inside of them, waiting to be discovered by others.
What I had been telling myself all along was true - We can't judge others EVEN if we think that we know them well. Everyone has aches and pains, and universes of thoughts inside of them. Can you sum up a whole universe with just one glance?
The complexities that people have are so wonderful, so intriguing... What is even more remarkable is that we all go through heartaches and loves and let-downs and judgments, even if they are different scenarios for each of us, the basic premise is the same.
Friday, February 26, 2010
TEAGAN ALEXANDER
Saturday, February 20, 2010
OLIVIA CUNNINGHAM
My experience in Shattered Silence has been one of reassurance and enlightenment. Upon entering into this group of talented young thespians, I was a little timid towards the idea of opening myself up to those I did not know. I had become accustom to staying to myself, hiding behind my camera as I photographed the groups’ progress. Yet before I knew it, sharing my ideas and opinions no longer seemed like a risky thing to do. This group, in my mind, has become a place where different viewpoints on life are welcomed, not criticized, but expounded on; each person contributing a little more to the larger picture we hope to paint in our audiences mind – We, as people, create our own differences. We all may carry different experiences, yet we all experience the same emotions. We all swim through the actions of our daily life wanting the same things and striving to be the best we can be.
Monday, February 8, 2010
THE NEW GROUP
Hello all you people out there in blog-land. This is going to be a blog that is a bit different. My name is Jared O'Roark and I work at the Marcia P. Hoffman Institute at the Ruth Eckerd Hall performing arts center. I started a new group based on seeing so many teenagers who are in theater and just out for themselves and being seen. I had to come up with an idea on how to make teenagers realize that when you are creating art it is not about being seen, but instead about making sure your message is heard.
ENTER PROJECT: SHATTERED SILENCE. I got a group of 19 teenagers together (and it wasn't as easy as this sentence just made it sound.) The idea is simple in words; get a group of teenagers together to write a play that is going to help and raise money for a charity that they choose. Well, we are halfway through the process and we have started writing the play, but the road was a hard one where we are learning every step.
The happiest day for me was when they were trying to decide on a charity. Oh, it was so hard to pick one over the other, but they all discussed it so "adult-like" that i just grinned from ear to ear knowing that what was going to come out of this group was going to make not only me smile, but help them be very proud about themselves.
They have chosen the "equality" as their topic of the play and for what to raise money. And although there are the majority of people who feel that equality of life rights is high on the list, we all felt that even higher was the equality of life needs (the right to have a home, to eat food, to breathe, etc.) Therefore, our goal is to raise money for the United Way.
However, the play will be about equality on all levels. All I can say is that I know this is a slow road to getting people to read a blog, but I can say that my heart will be overjoyed with the final result. I am overjoyed and they are just now writing the play. These are dedicated kids, and I think we are all learning lessons.
This blog is not only going to be discussing what we do in the group, but more importantly ever kid will be writing a piece on here discussing the life lessons they have had to learn by treating other people equally, or in being treating equally.
This is a diverse group of teens. They are black and white and Asian and Hispanic. They are Christian and Jewish and Atheist and Agnostic. They are gay and they are straight and they don't know. They are actors and writers and photogrophers and designers. And they are rich and poor and middle class. And they are from three seperate counties, four seperate schools. AND THEY ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THEIR MESSAGE IS HEARD!!!! COME HEAR IT!!!!
ENTER PROJECT: SHATTERED SILENCE. I got a group of 19 teenagers together (and it wasn't as easy as this sentence just made it sound.) The idea is simple in words; get a group of teenagers together to write a play that is going to help and raise money for a charity that they choose. Well, we are halfway through the process and we have started writing the play, but the road was a hard one where we are learning every step.
The happiest day for me was when they were trying to decide on a charity. Oh, it was so hard to pick one over the other, but they all discussed it so "adult-like" that i just grinned from ear to ear knowing that what was going to come out of this group was going to make not only me smile, but help them be very proud about themselves.
They have chosen the "equality" as their topic of the play and for what to raise money. And although there are the majority of people who feel that equality of life rights is high on the list, we all felt that even higher was the equality of life needs (the right to have a home, to eat food, to breathe, etc.) Therefore, our goal is to raise money for the United Way.
However, the play will be about equality on all levels. All I can say is that I know this is a slow road to getting people to read a blog, but I can say that my heart will be overjoyed with the final result. I am overjoyed and they are just now writing the play. These are dedicated kids, and I think we are all learning lessons.
This blog is not only going to be discussing what we do in the group, but more importantly ever kid will be writing a piece on here discussing the life lessons they have had to learn by treating other people equally, or in being treating equally.
This is a diverse group of teens. They are black and white and Asian and Hispanic. They are Christian and Jewish and Atheist and Agnostic. They are gay and they are straight and they don't know. They are actors and writers and photogrophers and designers. And they are rich and poor and middle class. And they are from three seperate counties, four seperate schools. AND THEY ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THEIR MESSAGE IS HEARD!!!! COME HEAR IT!!!!
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