Arts Have the Power to Change Lives

Welcome to the TAO Blog. The Garner Players are just wrapping up our first, and what we hope to be annual, December Production. A one hour presentation of three original plays and four powerful poems were performed for the inmates at Garner Correctional Institution.  The pieces were funny, charming and had a message of transformation.  One of the  plays, performed as a puppet show,was a comedy take on Rudolph and his very red nose, who was featured as a pitbull in a dog shelter.  He saves the other dogs from a fire and warms the heart of the formerly hard hearted manager of the shelter, earning a rousing rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Pitbull. Playing roles ranging from an estranged Grandpa, who finds his way back to the family fold to an angry, neglected child who is visited by three dream spirits who help to place him on a positive path, the actors all excelled in their parts. It was inspiring to see them grow as collaborators, listeners and creators.

Another remarkable experience in this production was the development of solid theater tech skills.  With diligence and planning the stage hands worked through quick and precise set changes seamlessly.  They practiced to the point the changes appeared choreographed.  Our sound tech, with no prior experience in this capacity, studied and carefully focused to create magic with the sound effects.

The Garner Players will be taking a short, well deserved, break and start up classes again in mid-January.  Prior to creating new work for our May production at Garner, the students will be working on plays, poems and spoken word for our Mentoring From the Inside Out program. We will be coordinating with youth theatre programs, providing performance material from the Garner Players to these young thespians for their productions. Stay tuned, production of this work  is planned for early Spring, 2018.

Under the auspices of TAO the Manson Youth Institute is scheduled to begin theatre classes on January 15, 2018. Sixteen students have signed up to participate.  TAO, is pleased to have recruited very qualified volunteers to conduct these classes. We look forward to participating in and supporting this work.

We continue to seek ways to introduce, incorporate  and develop creative theatre opportunities with the goal of providing a voice, place and purpose for those who would otherwise be without. We are grateful for the support of the administration and community which allows us to provide and expand these programs.