This past Saturday, the Mt. Blue Dinner Theater showcased the marvelous talent of area youth in two shows. After being seated, the show choir players served salads and a tasty, Chicken l’Orange, while the actors from the “One Act Theater Troupe” presented three sketches that frequently brought laughter from the audience. Each one of the actors shined, a tribute to the director’s efforts to present an ensemble rather than feature a star. The set was sparse but he costumes helped transport the audience to a pseudo-fairy tale world, with a smattering of old English idioms and sharp-witted story lines. The comedic timing was impeccable and each part was well cast.
After a brief intermission, the stage was ensconced with graceful and stylish dancers and singers offering their renditions of classic songs from the “Little Mermaid.” Musical director Jim Perkins and choreographer Emily Pottle set the stage in motion, as characters from the play came alive through song and dance. Voices rang clearly and bodies moved in synchronized form, an attestation to the many hours of practice undertaken by our very own wonder-kids.
Over 200 people attended two shows. The money raised continues to help upgrade the stage area. With all the budget cuts being considered, this weeks Dinner Theater is proof, absolute, that music and the arts builds character, team work, self-esteem and community pride. Research done by the College Examination Board “presents evidence that links participation in extracurricular activities (ECAs) in high school with higher SAT Reasoning Test™ (SAT®) scores.” Furthermore, participation in extracurricular activities offer students the all important competitive edge in the college application process.
In an article in the March, 2009 volume of the journal, Science Daily, “a University of Illinois professor who studies the sociology of education, noted students who participated in extracurricular activities in high school, “made more money and completed higher levels of education 10 years later than their classmates who had similar standardized test scores but were less socially adroit and participated in fewer extracurricular activities.”
So one can see that the future of our children’s success requires our education system balance academics, the arts and extracurricular activities.
In the spirit of top shows like Glee and American Idol, Mr. Perkins and Ms. Pottle work hard to afford our youths the opportunity to not only dream about their future, but our students gain the tangible skills to achieve their future. As the school board and the powers that be consider the upcoming budget plans, they must remember to fulfill their obligation to making informed choices. Read the research, attend a performance, (perhaps the one upcoming at the state finals) and – please – keep the arts alive in our community.
Dr. Eric Rutberg
Health Educator
Wilton
You rock, Emily :-) Wish I could have been there!
Thank you for the article, Dr. Rutberg. It’s great to know that a love of the arts is still alive and strong in the Farmington community.
Thanks for a nice article, Dr. Rutberg! I just wanted to mention that the director of the One Act Play is Robin Lisherness. In addition to learning how to deliver a line, his students also learned valuable lessons in responsibility and respect from Robin. Mt. Blue Middle School is fortunate to have both Robin Lisherness and Mr. Perkins!
Congratulations to the players and their support teams! I hope that future months offer similar opportunities for us to indulge ourselves and support the arts at the same time.
Thanks Dr. Rutberg,
Your letter points to the importance of maintaining such programming for our youth (and communities) as well as the evidence of the benefits of the arts beyond the stage. We need to adequately fund education so the arts (and other extracurriculars) are not jeapardized, since it’s clear such programming is critial in helping many of our youth stay interested and thrive in school.