VSA Year 3
This marks Uppity's third year with the Playwright Discovery Program, a residency program that challenges high school students to take a closer look at the world around them, examine how disability affects their lives and the lives of others, and express their views through the art of writing a play.

Guest Speaker, DisAbility Project's own Ana Jennings, signs autograph for student playwright, Edward Wessels | Photo by Marian Brickner click here for addtional photos

The Third Season of Uppity Facilitating the VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program

In 2006, VSA arts and MetLife Foundation awarded That Uppity Theatre Company an “Arts Connect All” grant. We are one of eleven arts organizations, and the only organization in Missouri, to receive an “Arts Connect All” grant for programs that create or enhance inclusive, accessible education programming with public schools. That Uppity Theatre Company is receiving a grant of $5,000 for the “Playwright Discovery Program.” “We are thrilled to partner with MetLife and VSA arts Missouri on the ‘Playwright Discovery Program’ and are especially honored as the only recipient of an ‘Arts Connect All’ grant in the state of Missouri. This award makes it possible for us to continue our work with this important project another year,” said Joan Lipkin.

Student playwrights, Michael Douglas, Miracle Higgins and Uppity Assistant Director Sarah Shimchick

VSA arts and MetLife Foundation have worked together for eight years to increase access to the arts for people with disabilities. This initiative, in its second year, was created to recognize best practices and encourage arts organizations throughout the country to partner with public schools to develop integrated educational programs for development of students’ social, cognitive, and artistic skills through arts learning. “VSA arts is proud to continue this successful partnership with MetLife Foundation in supporting inclusive arts programs in communities.” said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. “The excellent programs selected this year offer students with and without disabilities a wide range of creative and innovative experiences.”

Guest speaker Jay Marquitz

“MetLife Foundation is committed to making arts more accessible for everyone,” said Sibyl Jacobson, president & CEO of MetLife Foundation. “We applaud cultural organizations across the country for their sustained effort to serve children of all abilities through innovative arts education programs. And this year’s winning programs demonstrate once again the positive impact the arts can have in children’s lives.”

Owing to a generous Arts Connect All award from VSA arts/MetLife Foundation, we are delighted to be able to continue work with the VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program. This season marked the company’s third year in helping local public schools create scripts for consideration in this national competition.

VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 upon the belief that the arts play a vital role in the lives of all people. VSA arts serves to communicate the power of the arts to positively shape the lives of people with disabilities.

The VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program is open to students in 6th-12th grade and challenges students of all abilities to take a closer look at the world around them, examine how disability affects their lives and the lives of others, and express their views through the art of playwriting.

To be eligible, students must complete and submit a one-act play, created individually or in groups. Winning entries are presented at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
This season, Independent Teaching Artist, Jackie Masei; Uppity Assistant Director, Sarah Shimchick; and Uppity interns, Jo Firestone, Jessica Gibson, and Kate Koch; facilitated the project with students from three English classes at Lafayette Learning Center, an alternative learning center serving ninth grade students from its feeder school, Roosevelt High School.

Beginning November 2006, students met weekly with the teaching staff. The first half of the program was dedicated to disability awareness and exploration; the second half was focused on the development of characters, storyline, and script completion. By the time the program ended in April 2007, a total of four scripts had been submitted for adjudication in this national competition.

The scripts included: “The Tragedy of Jason and Sarah” by Adriahnna Robinson and Edward Wessels; “Words of Truth” by Chantall Knibb, Tequila Nunley, and Nicole Stricker; “I See We Have a Kid With An Attitude” by Michael Douglas, and “Four Friends” by Javon Jones, Teresa Mason, Gilberto Ortega, and Kevin Walls.

Guest Speaker and MSB student, Kurt Elliott, demonstrates his Braille machine.

Participant Biographies

	Michael Douglas is originally from Rolla, MO, where small town life moves at a slower pace than his current hometown of Saint Louis, MO. He previously attended a private Catholic school and a charter school, but is now a student at Lafayette High School (NAME?). Michael suffers from intense stage fright, as he discovered when he threw up during a performance in the third grade. He is happy to be behind the scenes this time as a writer. Michael is inspired by his father, James Douglas, who writes poetry and is publishing a book of his poems. Throughout this project Michael has learned a lot, and he now realizes that having a disability is no different from anybody else.
Photo not available	My name is Javon Jones. I passed with a B in every grade. I skipped 8th grade in Stevens Middle School. I came to Lafayette when I moved from North St. Louis. I learned it’s ok to help someone with a disability. I learned that I can do a special thing in school that other people can do, but don’t try to. It is cool to write a play about others because you can respond to other people and situations.
Photo not available	‘Ello. This is the part where I’m supposed to tell you my name. This, you should know, is not where I’m going to tell you my name just because I like to mix it up. I attended Central Middle School in Riverview for 7th and 8th grade. I now am attending Lafayette 9th Grade Center in Soulard. Back in middle school, I was exposed to writing activities, but never playwriting, as far as I can remember. In this playwriting activity, I am learning much more about disabilities. In this case, we are writing about them and how they affect our lives. If you stop to think about it, we all have some sort of disability. Some of us write with our left hands; as for others, our right hand. I can’t get past two pull-ups, but who’s counting? I have trouble seeing without contacts and I can’t sit still during class. My name is Chantall Brianna Knibb. I’m 15 near 16. My birthday is…not important right now. This bio is becoming too long. Much love. I’m out…of words.
	My name is Teresa Mason. I think I relate to our play because when I see someone getting picked on, I am always the first one to jump in and say something. I have been going to St. Louis public school my whole life. What I learned about disabilities is that some people may look and make fun of you all the time. But when you have a disability, you have to be strong, mentally and physically. Other people will always try to make you feel like you aren’t somebody.
	My name is Tequila Briana Nunley. I am a freshman in high school. I have a lot of sisters and brothers. I kind of had a hard time in school and this is one of my good years. I love to write poems and I love the play because it’s like some of the things going on today. And most of the stuff, I can understand and relate to. In this project, I learned that no matter what disability a person may have, they should be treated the same because they sometimes have a hard time. And you sometimes have to think what it would be like if you were in their shoes. Doing playwriting, I have learned that it takes a lot of time and understanding, and you really have to think everything through, no matter what the play is about. I also learned that playwriting is something I really enjoy. Those are some of the things that you should know about me.
Photo not available	My name is Gilberto Ortega. I went to school at Dewey for Kindergarten through fifth grade. I then attended Mel Carnahan for 7th & 8th grade. I have done some playwriting in the past. I learned that people with disabilities can do the same thing as those without disabilities. Because of this project, I have learned how to write and spell better. I would like to have a class like this more often.
	My name is Adriahnna Robinson. I have had good grades since I have started middle school. I went to Humboldt Middle School for 8th grade. I used to star in plays during elementary and middle school. I have learned a lot about disabilities since I have started this program. I’ve learned more about disabilities that I knew nothing about. I also learned that playwriting is much more than a script and some characters. You have to put your heart into it. You have to make the characters come alive. This is why I love this project!
	My name is Nicole Stricker. The last school I attended was Carr Lane Visual Performing Arts Middle School. At that school, you had a choice of different activities. Such as dance, music, art, drama, mass media (cameras), and the extra activities like cheerleading, track, volleyball, football, and more. Within the three years attending the school, I took art and music (violin). The second year I took drama and the third year I took mass media (camera) and drama. And when I heard that we would have a chance to take playwriting at Lafayette, I couldn’t pass it up. While taking this class, I have learned a lot about disabilities and how they affect others. For instance, being bipolar. I didn’t know exactly what it meant before, but I had heard of it. And that’s one of the disabilities in my play. I have learned a lot along the lines of scriptwriting and disabilities. So, thank you for that chance.
	My name is Kevin Walls. I’m 15 years old and go to Lafayette. I have always been very competitive. I love to learn stuff I don’t know. I learned that disability is not a bad thing and you shouldn’t talk bad about people that are disabled. Playwriting is very fun and it’s all about what you want to write about. I learned I too have a lot of disabilities.
	My name is Edward Wessels. I have attended St. Louis public schools my entire life. This is the first time I have ever been involved in writing a play or a script. I learned that you shouldn’t let having a disability stop you from succeeding. I think that playwriting is fun. From this project, I have learned that I have a good imagination.

The Plays

Words of Truth by Chantall Knibb, Tequila Nunley, and Nicole Stricker

The Tragedy of Jason and Sarah by Adriahnna Robinson and Edward Wessels

Four Friends by Javon Jones, Teresa Mason, Gilberto Ortega, and Kevin Walls

I See We Have a Kid With An Attitude by Michael Douglas

Page Links

The Plays

Words of Truth

The Tragedy of Sarah and Jason

Four Friends

I See We Have a Kid with an Attitude

Participant Biographies

Mission
That Uppity Theatre Company (TUTC) fosters awareness of issues, appreciation for the arts, and encourages community dialogue through the development and production of socially relevant theatrical work and related cultural activities.

Uppity awarded VSAarts and MetLife Grants

That Uppity Theatre Company (St. Louis, Missouri) for Playwright Discovery Program, a residency program that challenges high school students to take a closer look at the world around them, examine how disability affects their lives and the lives of others, and express their views through the art of writing a play.

Contact Us
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4466 West Pine Blvd.
Suite 13C
St. Louis, Missouri 63108
USA
Phone: 314.995.4600
Fax: 314.534.6591