和其他NWU教授一样, Rebecca Boesen found herself in unfamiliar territory when she was asked to pivot mid-semester into a distance-learning model.
Boesen approached the new challenge first with caution and concern for students enrolled in her Playwriting II course.
Then the theatre instructor used her students’ wellbeing to influence a new direction for her course. She wanted to make it memorable and influential for her students who were now away from the bright lights and big stage of McDonald 剧院 that they had become so familiar with.
Boesen说:“我们用COVID-19的柠檬做了柠檬水。.
Boesen’s challenge to her students was to write a short play for young audiences, specifically one that addresses the anxieties and experiences that children are processing during this epidemic. The plays would be submitted and considered for a performance produced by Blixt本地种植, a Lincoln-based organization committed to improving the lives of children and families through the arts. Boesen is co-founder and vice president of the organization.
Nine plays were submitted and all were strong contenders, said Boesen. Ultimately, 克莱尔Opheim’s play, “队长肥皂人,” was selected for production.
他的笔名是奥菲姆, 玛丽辛克莱, understands how easy it is to get caught up in the woes of uncertainty; however, the time is even more confusing for children who are often left out of the loop of information,”她说。.
“It’s important for kids to understand the situation but not live in fear,奥本海姆说。, 本宁顿大学戏剧专业大二学生, 内.
她的戏剧充满幽默。, 心, and hope to honor the experience of children everywhere who are processing the big changes that come with the COVID-19 pandemic. 在剧中, an eight-year-old boy named Michael is anxious when an army of hostile germs kidnap his favorite toy. Eventually he uses soap to fight off the evil germs that enter his room. His fear is addressed and overcome with the help of his parents.
“I physicalized the germs for children to understand their presence but also to give them a sense of power to fight against the illness,奥本海姆说。.
Providing a sense of hope was a major factor in her writing.
“Too often, children feel helpless or small because of their age,”她说。. “But I made Michael the superhero “队长肥皂人” to show other kids that they can be just as helpful and powerful during scary times.”
Opheim’s interpretation of reality made her play stand out among the rest for its entertaining and educational approach. Including themes of grief as well, Blixt本地种植 knew this was the piece they would produce.
“已经好几年了, Blixt本地种植 has been working alongside Mourning Hope Grief Center and various schools and communities on utilizing theatre as a powerful way to address grief. Claire's play was right up our alley,” Boesen explained.
Produced entirely via Zoom video-conferencing so actors and crew could maintain social distancing, Opheim说，这段经历让他梦想成真.
“我一直梦想着制作一部戏剧, but to have this happen so fast and so soon is so incredible,”她说。. “贝基·伯森和佩特拉·瓦奎斯特, president and co-founder of Blixt本地种植) have put in so much work and treat this show with so much respect that I couldn’t be more pleased with the experience. They have put together an amazing team of creative artists who are making this show more than I even imagined.”
Boesen hopes her students finished the playwriting course with a new confidence in translating their own thoughts about the COVID-19 pandemic as well as experience in writing short plays for young audiences, inevitably creating self-awareness and the ability to find their voices as playwrights.
Opheim plans to make a career of playwriting and potentially run her own small theatre, working with children’s and conventional adult theatre.
《十大网络娱乐平台排名》将于5月15日在nbc首播 Blixt本地种植 网站. The 网站 also features additional submissions by the NWU class.
###
丹尼尔·安德森，公关作家.