In The Footsteps Of Celie At Victoria Theater Ends In April

Victoria Theatre Association's 2009 education project, In the Footsteps of Celie: Using Art to Empower Youth, reaches its conclusion in April.

The six-week project is tied to Victoria Theatre Association's Chase Broadway Series presentation of the musical Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple and uses the life of the show's main character to engage 55 students in an intensive, uplifting experience. It is organized and coordinated by Victoria Theatre Association's Education and Outreach Department

The project pairs 55 high school students from Dayton Public Schools with 55 area college students who serve as their mentors. Using the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel by Alice Walker, the Academy-Award winning film from Director Steven Spielberg, and the Tony®-winning Broadway musical, the students trace the steps of the story's central character, Celie, and learn through her journey the importance of becoming strong, independent and responsible citizens in a modern age - in essence, learning that triumph over adversity is within everyone's grasp.

"As an organization, Victoria Theatre Association has gained a greater understanding of the community we serve, created new partnerships and strengthened existing partnerships within the Dayton area community," says Education and Outreach Manager David Brush. "Our hope is that this type of project can serve as a model for further development of this demographic, which is in such need of positive role models, educational opportunities and powerful exposure to the arts."

The students and their mentors are currently mid-way through the project, which culminates with them attending the opening night performance of The Color Purple at the Schuster Center on April 21.

Victoria Theatre Association's In the Footsteps of Celie education project receives support from The Dayton Foundation, The Dayton Power and Light Company Foundation, The Reynolds and Reynolds Company, the Levin Family Foundation and anonymous gifts.

For more information about the education project or The Color Purple, visit Victoria Theatre Association's website, at www.victoriatheatre.com.