Imagination Theater’s mission is to provide diverse audiences with original, dynamic, participatory theatrical programming that enhances well-being and creates a more civil, safe society. Imagination Theater (IT) is a touring theater company that uses its engaging style of interactive theater to address some of the toughest social issues facing audiences today. IT is committed to the principles that the creative arts are essential to the development of the individual; that all people have the ability to express themselves creatively; and that theater has a unique and important capacity to communicate to all people, regardless of age or ability. Essential to IT’s approach is an extraordinary philosophy of audience as co-creator: rather than being passive “spectators” of fixed scenes, audience members in IT events become involved “spect-actors.” Interactivity is not just a catch-phrase, it is a vital aspect of every performance. For audiences, this produces opportunities to re-create on stage the scenes they live, with the chance to problem-solve (using strategies taught by IT’s professional actor-educators) in a safe, co-operative setting.

This Changeshop seeks to further IT's program, Show Some Respect, by using theater workshops to discover and resolve stories of conflict from inner-city youth. The stories will be developed into scenes for a new version of Show Some Respect that will be performed at participating schools.

Problem

As budgets are cut within underfunded Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the pressure increases to meet standardized test scores, class time is increased and valuable opportunities for structured group interactions – such as arts programs and recess – are eliminated. Students spend more hours receiving lecture-style classroom instruction instead of learning together as a group. Outside of school, many youth face a world void of parental guidance and full of violence. (Since 2008, more than 600 young people in Chicago have died from violence or abuse.) For many students in Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods, school is the one safe place where they may practice and develop empathy through healthy group activities and play.

Solution

Theater exercises empathy by improving self-esteem and building many of the teamwork skills necessary to create a peaceful world. Actors “try on” others’ lives in a non-competitive, collaborative environment. Imagination Theater (IT) seeks to expand its program, Show Some Respect, by incorporating scenarios developed with Chicago Public School (CPS) students. IT will visit 2nd, 5th, & 8th grade classrooms in funded CPS schools. In these workshops, students will play theater games to create a supportive group context. Within this safe, theatrical space, they will then improvise their real life stories of conflict, and with the guidance of IT’s professional actors, students will discover and practice empathetic solutions. Later, IT will return to the schools and perform the scenes in 3 age appropriate shows: K-2, 3-5, 6-8. This will allow all students to become involved “spect-ACTors,” influencing the action on stage, with the chance to problem-solve in a safe, cooperative setting.

Example

Recently, we performed a scene near the end of one of our shows in which an actor tries to convince volunteers from the audience to set up a fake e-mail account, which will trick a "nerd" into thinking he has a chance at dating a popular girl, inevitably leading to public embarrassment. That day, a courageous girl stepped forward. Not only was she not going to participate, but she didn't think the others should either. She said, “Because I have been bullied before, and I would never want anyone to feel the way I felt!” After she spoke up, the entire audience erupted into applause! The principal later told us this girl had transferred schools as a result of bullying. The school's staff was so pleased that our show had not only empowered her to stand up against bullying but to find a voice to encourage others to do the same. Our work yields stories like this all the time. Although we constantly update our shows with stories we hear about and research, we believe that if students are aware the stories are directly from their peers, they will have a greater empathy for the action on stage and bigger investment in finding a peaceful solution.

Marketplace

Other theaters in Chicago offer anti-bullying programs. However, their shows do not offer our depth of interaction (allowing students to practice skills on stage) nor do they offer workshops and residencies as we do. We have learned over our 46 years of experience that students learn more by doing rather than just observing. They also become more engaged as they see their peers on stage practicing healthy, problem-solving skills. Nevertheless, schools have limited funds for programs such as ours, and Chicago has a thriving arts community. When foundation support is not available to us, we constantly seek ways to publicize our unique experiential learning programs and effectively compete for those limited funds.