Indonesian Shadow Puppets

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* This coming week the grade 10 class at E.L. Crossley will be starting an Indonesian Shadow Puppetry unit! They will not only be learning about it's history and it's traditional elements but will also be creating their own shadow puppet performance.

* Students will be basing their shadow puppet show off of a children's story book entitled: "The Pirate Who Tried to Capture The Moon". They will explore this story's intriguing themes that deal with current issues and display them through shadow puppetry for an audience of their peers, to gain critical feedback and insight. The class also hopes to perform the show for an audience of elementary schools!

* Below are images from a recent Indonesian Shadow Puppet Performance created by the 'Drama in Education and Society' students of Brock University in 2008. This educational performance entitled 'Omid', centered around the idea of Hope for the Nation of Iran, was toured through several high schools and Shadow Puppetry workshops were created for several local elementary schools.

* Shadow puppetry is an amazing and effective form of theatre and storytelling and E.L. Students are lucky to have the opportunity to learn and share this beautiful art form with their peers and community!

The Disposables!

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E.L. Crossley's Drama department not only does a great job of performing theatre, but they also do a great job creating it!

"The Disposables" --> A play generated in 2007 by Crossley's unique Children's Theatre Program (drum roll please...) will be published!

The play was chosen out of 60 submissions to be 1 of 8 plays included in 'Festival Voices': An Anthology of student and teacher written scripts for the Sears Drama Festival!

Below is the upcoming press release with a featured photo that captures "The Disposables" in action!!

Congratulations to Ms. Benson and all those involved, this is an amazing accomplishment!

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'COMMOTION' - R.S.V.P

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This year's grade twelve class is involved in a very exciting project known as 'COMMOTION', an arts initiative spearheaded by Gyllian Raby, professor at Brock University, Pablo Felices-Luna, artistic director of Carousel Players, and Helen Zdriluk, instructor at Brock University.
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Students are working through the creative process with Heather Lowe and Caitlyn English, graduates of Brock University's theatre program.
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'COMMOTION' uses a process known as 'R.S.V.P' which stands for 'Resources, Scores, eValuaction and Participation' and its mission is to join university personnel, professional theatre, school drama teachers and youth-centred organizations together with youth in bringing original, youth-devised theatre to enage the community in new, youth-driven dialogues.

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'COMMOTION' is also part of a very interesting research study. Professor Raby will be studying the passage of transformation in the facilitation process of the work, and will be also be examining the outcome of the process to generate a non-prescriptive step-by-step guide to R.S.V.P that might encourge youth drama workers to make use of this process.

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There are many excellent approaches to creating theatre in an ensemble; this particular process avoids thematic story making until the very last minute. It encourages hot debate about meanings and messages that sometimes need the audience to complete.

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'COMMOTION' will prove to be an enriching experience for all involved!

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Performances by both Crossley and Collegate students will take place at Carousel Players in downtown St. Catharines:

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- Thur-Friday Dec. 10th & 11th --> Morning and Afternoon Performances - Times TBA

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- Sat. Dec. 12th --> Public Evening performance at 7:00pm.

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To reserve tickets call: 905-682-8326

Tell Me A Story...

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E.L. Crossley is pleased to have Wendy Berner as a guest to their grade nine class on November 20th. Grade nine students are in for a treat learning to develop their own story telling skills by watching a professional in action.

Urinetown Annoucments:

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The Urinetown Post

If you walked down the halls of Crossley after school, you’d notice something unusual...the runners are still a’runnin’ - but now, there’s a new hurdle they must jump...it’s the singers’ a’ singin’! Yes, the halls are alive with the sound of ...Urinetown ! With the fearless leadership of music director Ms. Barber, the tunes are resonating with beauty.

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If you walked a little further, to the deepest, darkest corner of the school...you’d see a tiny shaft of light dancin’ beneath the very last blue door...beckoning you to open it...and open it you do! The blinding yellow of the drama room would force your eyes to the left - and you’d notice a miniature model of Ridley College’s Mandeville Theatre, filled with a tiny set, designed by pretending-to-be-retired teacher Stewart Simpson. But wait-- after your eyes adjusted to the brilliant light in the drama room, you’d notice dancers a’ dancin’, stage managers a’ stage managin’ and the director directin’! With choreographers Melanie Ulch, Kim Kelly and Bethany Sider...dance numbers are springin’ into action! Under the direction of Ms. Benson; with the help of dedicated stage managers Kelly Nori and Collin Robertson; a talented cast and a patient crew- Urinetown the Musical is becoming more of a reality every day!
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"Urinetown" is a musical that explores and satirizes human over-consumption. Mark the evenings of April 23rd, and 24th, in your calendars– judging by the way it’s shaping up (even our hallway fitness friends would be proud), you won’t want to miss it!

Urinetown Announcements

* Please don't start memorizing your lines yet!

* Read through the play!

*Keep reviewing your dance moves!

* See you at rehearsal! :D

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Urinetown Rehearsal Schedule

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Music Rehearsal:

2:30-4:00 in the Music room, Tuesdays and Thursdays - all cast required

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Performance Rehearsal:

2:30-4:30 in the Drama room - check call board for announcements

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Dance Rehearsal:

2:30 - 4:30 in the Drama room, Wednesdays - as called - check call board for announcements

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