Thousands of students at dozens of middle and high schools in the Miami Valley are getting exposure to theatre and modern history at the same time this month, thanks to the Theatre in Context program of The Human Race Theatre and Muse Machine. That's because Change, the first work commissioned under The Human Race's Marsha Hanna Memorial Fund, covers three major changes of the last half-century - the JFK assassination, 9/11, and the election of Barack Obama.
The Fund, named for the Human Race's long-time Artistic Director, who died in January, is dedicated to development of new plays, an extension of the theatre company's long history in the development of musicals. Noted playwright and children's author Michael Slade was asked to create a school-period-length play that ties to the Human Race's production of the Tony Kushner-Janine Tesori musical Caroline, Or Change, about an African-American maid in a Jewish household in Louisiana in 1963.
Slade chose to incorporate the three major changes, and to look at them through the eyes of young people: highs school valedictorians speaking about the JFK assassination and the civil rights movement, middle schoolers discussing 9/11 and two young wives contemplating the Obama election.
Three actors - Maddie Casto, David Kabbes and Marva Williams - play all the roles, under the direction of Heather Powell. The set, designed to fit into a minivan for ease of transport, was designed by Scott J. Kimmins.
In addition to the Marsha Hanna Fund, Theatre in Context is sponsored by The DP&L Foundation, Key Bank, Emerson Climate Technologies, the Vectren Foundation and Target.
The Human Race Theatre Company was founded in 1986 and moved into the Metropolitan Arts Center in 1991, taking up residence at the 219-seat Loft Theatre. In addition to the Eichelberger Loft Season, The Human Race produces for the Victoria Theatre's Broadway Series, the Musical Theatre Workshop series, and special event programming. The Human Race, under the direction of Producing Artistic Director Kevin Moore, also maintains education and outreach programs for children, teens and adults, as well as artist residencies in area schools, The Muse Machine In-School Tour, and summer youth programs. Human Race organizational support is provided by Culture Works, Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, Shubert Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Human Race's 25th Anniversary Season is sponsored by the Miriam Rosenthal Memorial Trust Fund.
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