826 Boston Summer Theater Camp Playbill

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8 2 6 B O ST ON & TH E A. R.T .

PRESENT

I'm From Boston, What's the Problem?

A One-Night-Only Original Production Written and performed by the Playwrights of 826 Boston’s first–ever Theater & Writing Camp!

Welcome!

Welcome to Boston, home of beautiful public gardens, Fenway Park, and some of the country’s finest colleges and universities.

A city that enjoys snow days and weeks of glittering summer sun. And yet… Have you ever traveled around Boston and simply wondered why? Why don’t the streets make any sense? Why does the temperature drop 30 degrees in the same day? And why are there more buildings than trees?

This summer, 20 students, ages 11-14, spent four weeks at 826 Boston's first theater and writing camp pondering these questions, as well as others like: Why does the T run so slowly?

Why does it close for five hours a night? Why do some locals have Boston accents while others don’t? And why in the world is there a bigfoot research institute here?

Over the course of camp, this talented group of middle school students revealed themselves as budding playwrights who carefully crafted their own answers to these mysteries. After reading origin stories from cultures around the world, students discussed what it means to be from Boston, studying the unique facets of our city and neighborhoods that inspire both frustration and love for our surrounding communities.

Students took creative control at every stage of production, co– scripting their short plays, observing and capturing character traits of true–blue Bostonians, as well as designing and building sets, costumes, props, and sound. They served as sounding boards for one another, providing praise and critique after staging each new draft. They brought each of their unique Boston experiences to fill these stories with tremendous humor and unexpected twists.

Want to unlock the mysteries of our beautiful and complicated city? Look no further than I'm From Boston, What's the Problem?

-Phil, Karen, & Christine

826 Boston Staff

A.R.T. Staff

Executive Director Daniel Johnson

Teaching Artist Phil Berman

Program Director Jessica Drench

Education & Community Programs Associate Brendan Shea

Development Director Kristin Barrali Program Coordinator Karen Sama In-School Project Coordinator Christine Meade AmeriCorps New Sector Volunteer Coordinator Raquel Kaplan AmeriCorps VISTA Store & Events Coordinator Ling Chou

Interns Victoria Ancone Emily Boghossian Kelsey Buckley Howard dePass, Jr. William Harrison Mackenzie Kuester Nyasha Mooney-McCoy Domenia Perrone Nina Perotta Jeni Prater Jacqueline Thomas Emma Zeiler

Teen Staff Edward Ayala Ciana Chambers Natalia Melendez Martin Mija Ashley Smith

Volunteers Eve Ayeroff Kate Bosco Matthew Bouse Will Carper Jay Cook Adrienne Deeble Matthew Dickey Solomon Foster Dinela Gjecka Gary Gonzalez Keith Gordon Alexis Hawthorne Mingcheng He Susanna Kavee Nora Kohli Ryan Lambert Jeron Lewin-Berlin Annie Madden Binyam Mahari Yeab Minas Isabel Tarshis Lauren Thacker Dan Richards Jeryn Warren

Special Thanks to The Parents & Families of the Ensemble The Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism & Special Events The Boston Free Puppet Library Melodi Greene Alda Marshall Chris Cook Edwina the Rose-Haired Tarantula Bigfoot the Cast of The Wiz

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GROUP FOU R Rafael wrote some amazing dialogue for his group.

He had all of 826 cracking up with his hilarious line about moose milk.

Curtis is an incredible artist and worked diligently to design and paint a cool flag for our Elves-ica set.

Thalia is an animated group member. She keeps her group laughing and entertained with her creative ideas and impressive grasp on zombie trivia.

Naheem is the definition of presidential. Not only

does he play the role of a president, but he has been a real leader for Group Four.

Serena is also a leader for her group. She is laid back and funny but makes certain that her group is on task and that their performance looks good. Her enthusiasm for writing and acting makes everyone smile.

For More Rounds of Applause, please visit our camp blog at http://826roundofapplause.tumblr.com/

I'm From Boston, What's the Problem?

THE

S Y A PL The Tunnels of Elves-ica

Written by Rafael Dominguez-Dunn, Thalia DelValle, Curtis Hackett, Jr., Serena Walker Jean, & Naheem Sterlin Rafael……………………………………………… Agent Chicken Thalia…………………………………………………… Bodyguard Curtis……………………………………………… Agent Nightskull Serena…………………………………………… Mrs. Elf President Naheem……………………………………………… Mr. President

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The King's Accent Written by ~ Nicholas Allen, Nahel Pierre-Louis, Persia Pena-Cruz, Kamanni Reid, & Imani Ziyad Nicholas…………………………………………………… Traveler Nahel…………………………………………… 1st King, Bodyguard Persia……………………………………………….. 1st Queen, Chef Kamanni……………………………………………………. 2nd King Imani…………………………………………………….. 2nd Queen

Go Red

Sawx!

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GROUP THR E E Laila is known for her clever and productive

scripting advice. She is a kind yet discerning editor.

Aidan was not just a grade-A brainstormer, but he also has an eye for set design. He worked hard to create a clever and believable set for Group Three's play.

Caleb is a leader for his group. He collaborates easily with his fellow green-feet and his clever dialogue is easy to spot on stage.

Yusuf has one million and one ideas, he is great at brainstorming, and he brings an important energy to Group Three. Many have noted his flair for acting.

Itzel was a helpful and enthusiastic group member.

Her great ideas and killer props will be onstage for all to admire.

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E S U PL A GROUP TWO

Kamanni is an incredible leader for Group Two.

She collaborates daily with group members to create a funny and captivating origin story. Also, her British accent gets more convincing by the day.

Nick has mastered his Boston accent. He is a great actor and the way he says "quarter" never fails to make us laugh.

Imani brings focus to her group, collaborating readily

and setting a great example for those around her. Plus, she makes a sensational queen.

Persia brings enthusiasm to her group. Constantly

collaborating and brainstorming, she makes rehearsals fun, and her work with costumes for Group Two will not go unnoticed.

Larry was tireless in designing and constructing the

sets for Group Two. They look amazing, and he makes a great king.

Creatures From the Green Written by Yusuf Ali, Caleb Hannon, Itzel Herrera, Laila Pearson, & Aidan ShiELl-Loomis Yusuf……………………………………………… Hot Dog Vendor Caleb………………………………… Green Monster, Police Officer Itzel……………………………………………………… Greenfoot Laila………………………………………………………… Bigfoot Aidan……………………………………………………

Bystander

Bubble Trouble Written by Baja Beaman, Joshuan McLean, Avi Nguyen, ~ Nadia Pena-Cruz, & Elijah Warren-Christophe Baja……………………………………… The Secretary, Ms. Purple Joshuan……………………………… Van Security Guard, Mr. Blue Avi……………………………………………………Mayor Bubbles Nadia…………………………………………………… Ms. Orange Elijah…………………………… General, Security Guard, President, MBTA Driver, Mr. Green

THE

CR E ATI VE TEAM Tareena Wimbish………………………………………Stage Manager Emily Millman………………………………Assistant Stage Manager Niall Foley…………………………………………Sound Technician Edward "Buzz" Burnette……………Lighting Designer & Technician Jay Cook……………………………………Sound Design Support

Phil Berman, Christine Meade, & Karen Sama Curriculum Design & Instruction

Brendan Shea & Jessica Drench

Program Facilitation & Logistical Support

Dan Richards & Gary Gonzalez Lead Set Builders

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GROUP ONE Avi cooked up the concept for Group One's play and was an essential member of the writing team, adding twists and making sure their characters were threedimensional at all times.

Josh helped to write a phenomenal rap for the

opening scene of Group One's play. Josh was a superb editor, giving the final line of Group One's rap the punch it needed: "Now turn your radio up and tune into my session." The 1930's never saw anything like it.

Elijah brought a lot of energy to the group,

brainstorming and improvising with the best of them.

Some people might not know it, but at the A.R.T., Elijah made up some of his lines on the spot.

Nadia was a brilliant set designer for Group One. She is a talented artist with a real eye for design.

Baja laughed uncontrollably through our first

rehearsals whenever we performed for a group, and she shone on stage as the secretary. She has the makings of a great actress.

AidAn Shiell-Loomis, age 12

Aidan has a great love of swords and hopes to one day find the cure for cancer. He hopes his family comes to see his play, especially his father, who is Aidan’s personal inspiration.

Naheem Sterlin, age 13

Naheem loves to play basketball. He is going to be a freshman at the John D. O’Bryant High School this fall.

He is Haitian, but was born in Boston. Naheem plays a president in his play and likes that it is an important role.

Serena Walker Jean, age 13

Serena dreams of getting a Master’s degree in psychology. She looks up to Raven Simone because she is a very good actress and brave enough to come out to everyone. Serena plays the elf president and loves that she adds her own sassiness to her character.

Elijah Warren-Christophe, age 10

Elijah, a student at the Dearborn Middle School, is best known for his swagger and awesomeness.

He admires Tom Cruise, although his favorite production is his own play.

Imani Ziyad, age 11

Imani was born and raised in Boston. She goes to the Richard J. Murphy School and is very grateful for the family she has. She is strong, tall, and beautiful.

She looks forward to her friends and family attending the performance of her play.

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Yusuf Ali, age 12

Yusuf is a student at UP Academy and was born in Boston. As an actor, he is motivated by fame in hopes of getting money for rent and toys. Yusuf best expresses himself when playing basketball and baseball.

Nicholas Allen, age 13

Nick was born in Boston and is grateful for the friends, family, and nice people around him.

He is especially good at acting in plays.

Nick strongly believes in God and that everyone should be treated equally.

Baja Beaman, age 12

Baja loves drawing and sports. She admires singer Ariana Grande, but her true hero is her mom because she supports Baja in everything she does.

Baja’s favorite play is Annie.

~ Nadia Pena-Cruz, age 12

Nadia loves playing with her family and her dog.

Her mom inspires her to keep on going and never give up. She goes to the John J. Ahern Middle School and was born in Boston.

~ Persia Pena-Cruz, age 12

Born in Boston, Persia loves playing basketball with her family. She wants to be a surgeon when she grows up, but for now, she enjoys her role as a chef in her play.

She hopes her mom, brothers, and dad see her play.

Persia is a student at John J. Ahern Middle School.

Thalia DelValle, age 13

Thalia’s favorite band is Evanescence. She loves deviantART, singing, reading, and writing stories during her free time. She hopes to a be a singer, actress, chorus teacher, or all three. She goes to UP Academy Charter School of Boston.

Rafael Dominguez-Dunn, age 13

Rafael was born in Boston and aspires to be a Major League Gamer. Although he loves playing football with friends, he also enjoys bothering his brother and being hilarious. Rafael also speaks Spanish.

Curtis Hackett, Jr., age 14

Curtis was born and raised in Boston and currently attends Tech Boston Academy. He is especially talented in drawing and making animal noises. Curtis is inspired by his black, brown, and gray cat named Stripes.

Caleb Hannon, age 14

Caleb, born at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, found a love for writing in the friendly community of Jamaica Plain. Caleb finds inspiration from open–mic comedians to go above and beyond to make people laugh.

In the past three weeks, he and his writing team have created an original play that he hopes the audience enjoys to the fullest!

Itzel Herrera, age 12

Itzel is happiest when drawing, making her family laugh, and making little kids happy. She is on a competitive dance team and enjoys jazz the most.

She speaks Spanish and loves staying inside and listening to thunderstorms.

Joshuan McLean, age 13 Josh, born in Boston, plays a security guard in his play, which he finds very fun. He looks to actor Brad Pitt for inspiration. Josh is especially grateful for being alive.

Avi Nguyen, age 13

When Avi was younger, he found himself creating worlds with nothing but a pencil. He started writing from the moment he began school, and there never seems to be enough paper and lead to satisfy his endless need to write stories. Avi’s first language is Vietnamese. He was born in Boston and lived in California when he was young.

Laila Pearson, age 12

Laila goes to Boston Latin School. She was born in Boston and loves her African-American background and heritage. Laila enjoys reading and writing. She is learning Arabic and plans on keeping her future career options open. She is grateful for her family and all the opportunities she has been given.

Nahel Pierre-Louis, age 12

Nahel, a student at Joseph Lee School, loves to play sports and video games. He is grateful to have a family and a roof over his head. He hopes to one day wake up to a beautiful family and a good job.

Kamanni Reid, age 14

Kamanni will be attending the Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers this fall. Her favorite colors are baby blue, black, and red. She enjoys writing stories and original music. Kamanni dreams of being an architect one day.

826 Boston is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with oneon-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

All of our free programs seek to strengthen each student’s power to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in his or her individual voice. www.826boston.org Winner of three Tony Awards, the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a leading force in the American theater, producing groundbreaking work in Cambridge and beyond. The A.R.T. is the recipient of numerous other awards including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater, the Pulitzer Prize, and many Elliot Norton and I.R.N.E. Awards.

During its 32-year history, the A.R.T. has welcomed many major American and international theater artists, presenting a diverse repertoire that includes premieres of American plays, bold reinterpretations of classical texts, and provocative new music theater productions. The A.R.T. has performed throughout the U.S. and worldwide in 21 cities in 16 countries on four continents. The A.R.T. is also a training ground for young artists. The Theater’s artistic staff teaches undergraduate classes in acting, directing, dramatic literature, dramaturgy, voice, and design at Harvard University. In 1987, the A.R.T. founded the Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University. www.americanrepertorytheater.org The mission of the Strand Theatre is to serve as a cultural and educational resource to artists and audiences regardless of race or cultural background, age, ability, gender, economic level, or sexual orientation. Central to the Strand’s mission is the development and implementation of youth arts education programs. The Strand Theatre has a special commitment to the surrounding communities of Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan. www.strandboston.com