Extended Day Academy
The Extended Day Academy meets for approximately six to eight weeks, two days a week for an hour each session. Children may sign up for this program on a voluntary basis with their parent's permission. They are chosen on a first come basis until enrollment reaches approximately fifteen children.
The children will study the art of acting on stage, and rehearse a play suitable for production on stage. Voice projection will be taught where the children speak up so the audience can hear their lines, and at the same time maintain their voice quality. Mime will be taught through a series of activities where the children are asked to think of an event in their lives (e.g. something special that brings feelings of happiness.) As the children project facial expressions and body movements for a few moments they are asked to freeze these expressions, and then talk about their experiences. We will look at the pictures of the characters in the book,
No Mirrors in My Nana's House
, and discuss their facial expressions and body movements. After reading our play, we will use mime to express the various expressions and body movements that we think our characters should display on stage.
The following play was adapted from
No Mirrors in My Nana's House
by Ysaye M. Barnwell. While this is based on situations from the book with the exception of two phrases, the language is my own.
Children's Choir: There were no mirrors in my Nana's house… No mirrors in my Nana's house…
Child One: I saw loveliness in my surroundings. Cause… the loveliness came deep within my Nana's eyes. (Child One waves arms towards Nana. Nana stands to the side of the stage.)
Children's Choir: Like the rising of the sun.
Child Two: I didn't know that my skin had bumps.
Child Three: I didn't know that my hair was too frizzled.
Child Four: I didn't know that I was supposed to wear ribbons.
Child Five: I didn't know that I was supposed to wear socks.
Child One: Cause… the loveliness came deep within my Nana's eyes. (Child gives Nana a big hug.)
Children's Choir: Like the rising of the sun.
Child Two: I loved to put my fists into the holes in the wall.
Children's Choir: There were no mirrors in my Nana's house… No mirrors in my Nana's house…
Child One: Cause…the loveliness came deep within my Nana's eyes…
Children's Choir: Like the rising of the sun.
Child Three: The dust and dirt were like stars in a summer night's sky. (Confetti falls onto the stage.)
Children's Choir: There were no mirrors in my Nana's house… No mirrors in my Nana's house…
Child One: Cause… the loveliness came deep within my Nana's eyes.
Children's Choir: Like the rising of the sun.
Child Four: I loved the loud sounds in the hallway. It was like angels singing from their heavenly choir. (On stage: children play basketball; child carries a boom box; children play hopscotch.)
Children's Choir: There were no mirrors in my Nana's house… No mirrors in my Nana's house…
Child One: Cause… the loveliness came deep within my Nana's eyes. (Moves arms towards Nana.)
Children's Choir: Like the rising of the sun.
Child Five: The garbage… it felt like a thick carpet under my feet.
Children's Choir: There were no mirrors in my Nana's house… No mirrors in my Nana's house…
Child One: Cause…the loveliness came deep within my Nana's eyes. (Waves arms towards Nana.)
Children's Choir: Like the rising of the sun.
A Group of Five Children: There was love everywhere. (Children throw flowers into the air.)
Child One: Love instead of hate!
Children's Choir: Like the rising of the sun.
Nana: Children come close to your Nana. Come close to your Nana. What do you see? (Children embrace Nana.)
Children's Choir: Sing,
No Mirrors in My Nana's House
.
