Miracle Theatre And SEIS Present En Voz Alta 6/3

Spanish English International School (SEIS) students in the Milagro@SEIS program will present a performance of their original short play on social justice En Voz Alta, along with original music and mural at 12:20 p.m., Thursday, June 3, 2010 in the Roosevelt High School Auditorium and then again at 2 p.m., Saturday, June 5, 2010 at the Milagro Theatre. The presentation is free and open to the public; no reservations required.

Milagro@SEIS is a five-month program in which professional theatre artists from Miracle Theatre Group visit SEIS several times a week to teach an arts program to sophomore students of Elena Garcia-Velasco's AP Spanish class for native speakers. The program began with literature (taught by Elena Garcia-Velasco), playwriting (taught by Olga Sanchez, one of Miracle Theatre Group's Artistic Directors), and acting (taught by actor Vicente Guzman-Orozco of Portland and director Juan Carlos Vives of Mexico City).

A mid-program break welcomed the San Francisco-based performance artist Paul Flores, who presented a workshop on hip-hop poetry that culminated in a presentation by Flores and SEIS students at the Milagro Theatre. Meanwhile, playwright and project director Joann Farías drew on students' playwriting to create an original script that the students titled En Voz Alta (Out Loud).

The second portion of the program focused on theatre production: actress Nelda Reyes led seven student actors in crafting a performance while musician Gerardo Calderon helped them use percussive instruments to create a fitting soundscape and mural artist José Solis helped the students create a beautiful backdrop based on ideas in the play.

Many of the students in the Milagro@SEIS program have had no arts training whatsoever. They are, on average, 15 years old, but due to budget cuts and shifting academic priorities, this program has offered many of them their first opportunity to play an instrument, draw or perform in front of an audience.

Milagro@SEIS is generously funded by Oregon Community Foundation, J P Morgan Chase and the Albina Rotary Foundation.

ABOUT MIRACLE THEATRE GROUP
The Miracle Theatre Group has been dedicated to bringing the vibrancy of Latino theatre to the Northwest community and beyond for more than 25 years. In addition to its national tours, Miracle provides a home for Spanish and Latin American arts and culture at El Centro Milagro, where it enriches the local community with a variety of community outreach projects and educational programs designed to share the diversity of Latino culture. For more information about the Miracle Theatre Group, visit www.milagro.org or call 503-236-7253.

ABOUT SEIS
SEIS (Spanish English International School), located on the campus of the Roosevelt High School, is a college-preparatory school designed to help all students attain bilingualism, international perspectives and career preparation. Its mission is to create bilingual world citizens with deep cultural awareness and the capacity to thrive in universities, careers, and our global community. For more information about SEIS, visit http://www.roosevelt.pps.k12.or.us/.docs/pg/10242 or call (503) 916-5263.

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