Students to Perform BROKEN TEXT at Raven Theatre, 5/19-20

Based on stories collected through interviews at St. Leonard's Ministries with men in transition from incarceration in the Illinois prison system, Broken Text examines the past, present, and future of these individuals and the communities in which they live. Through theatrical interpretations written and devised by Mechelle Moe of Raven Theatre's Take Flight education program, original spoken-word responses by Senn Arts High School students, musical selections by living composers Marc Mellits, Edgar Meyer, and John Adams performed by Fifth House Ensemble, and soundscapes by DJ/Producer Searchl1te, these previously untold stories find a voice.

A report released this past April 20th by The New York Times stated that 1.5 million black men are is essence "missing" from American society, due to their high rates of incarceration and deaths from violence at young ages. The report estimates 45,000 of such "missing" men are from Chicago alone. Broken Text will explore the lives and diverse experiences of some of these men. The piece explores the culture of violence that has become known as "Chiraq" and leads so many young men into the criminal justice system and prison, as well as the diverse experiences of the men's lives in prison and challenges in transition back to the outside world following their release.

LISTING INFORMATION

Broken Text
Written by Mechelle Moe
Directed by Mechelle Moe & Joel Ewing
Performed by Senn Arts High School
Tuesday, May 19 & Wednesday May 20, 2015 at 7pm
Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark Street
Free Admission - Reservations not required
Call 773-338-2177 for more information

History of Broken Text:

In partnership with St. Leonard's Ministries, Raven Theatre and Fifth House worked with residents at St. Leonard's to conduct story circles reflecting on emotions and memories related to their path to incarceration. This dialogue led to interviews and writing exercises conducted by Mechelle Moe, Director of Education at Raven Theatre, over the course of one month in September of 2014. These interviews-in conjunction with letters, original poems and songs-became the basis for a new theatrical work written by Moe entitled Broken Text.

The script sheds light on a range of themes as discussed with men at St. Leonard's and explore poverty, social class, family, friends, religion, gangs, drugs, and violence, paired with recent headlines in the Chicago press engaging these issues.

I am the thing that your mother warned you about. Every day she tells you to be careful because of me. No matter how hard you try at some point you will cross me. I've been marched in, stepped through and spit on, and still nothing happens until you cross me. - The Streets (Written by a participant at St. Leonard's Ministries.

Broken Text was then offered to students at Orr Academy who worked with Mechelle Moe and Fifth House Ensemble musicians in a residency that combined the curriculum of their English class with the newly developed script. The script and residency activities created a unique opportunity for the Orr Academy students to learn about the lives of others, but also facilitated a newfound confidence in their reading, public speaking, and performance abilities in order to tell their own stories. The three month long residency culminated in a staged reading of Broken Text at Orr High School.

Raven's workshopping and exploration of Broken Text then continued in residencies at Sullivan High School with two Freshman English classes and Senn Arts, where students engaged in full rehearsal process leading to performances May 19 & 20, 2015.

Take Flight encompasses in-school residencies, classes, camps and field trips. For the past decade, we have served the Edgewater/ Rogers Park/Andersonville communities, providing students with an opportunity to learn the basic principles and disciplines of theatre, and to use theatre tools as a means of improving life skills. Take Flight provides Chicago Public School students with the excitement of what is often their first exposure to the theatre and the first step toward a life-long interest in theatre arts.

CLASSES Saturday Series classes are weekend workshops offered every fall and spring for young actors looking to enhance their theatre skills. Classes include improv, stage combat, musical theatre & more.

CAMPS Create life-long memories at our Take Flight Summer Camps. Over the course of two weeks, students create their own theatrical performances inspired by classic & popular children's stories.