Kids 'Say Yes' to Penn Players

On the small stage of the Annenberg Center's Harold Prince Theater, three students, surrounded by their peers, used their voices, body movements and facial expressions to portray parents trying to communicate with a stubborn child. To complicate the improvisation, the actors were only allowed to use the words "brit" for yes and "nit" for no to convey the scene's action. The exercise was one of many activities conducted by the Penn Players cast of Tom Stoppard's Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth -- a spoof of classic Shakespeare -- in a workshop Sunday with members of Philadelphia's Say Yes To Education Program. Say Yes To Education is a foundation run by the University's Graduate School of Education that provides financially disadvantaged students with full scholarships to colleges of their choice. The students participating in Sunday's workshop -- now ninth graders at various Philadelphia high schools -- entered the Say Yes program in third grade. Program coordinators in the School of Education plan events for the 58 children currently involved in the program to supplement the academic and cultural education they receive in high school. Sunday's workshop -- immediately following a matinee performance of Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth -- allowed the high school students the chance to both see and participate in theatrical production. College junior Liz Scanlon, who produced the Penn Players' production, was one of the group's many members involved in organizing the workshop. "We really wanted to work with a group who would learn from this experience," Scanlon said. "If you're new to Shakespeare you can really get more out of the play by talking about it afterwards -- and especially by playing out scenes regarding the important concept in the play of the individual versus the establishment." David Bradley, who directs the People's Light and Theater Company -- a professional regional theatre in Malvern, Pa. -- helped lead the workshop. Bradley said he was thrilled when the Penn Players decided that they wanted to put together a theater workshop for students in the Philadelphia community. "I've done a lot of work with students on my own," Bradley said. "So, I was glad that they adopted some of my philosophies about using theater to connect with individuals in the community." Bradley said he felt a workshop would be particularly effective after Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth because of the play's challenging combination of Shakespearean English and gibberish-type language. "This play is really about freedom of expression -- and language as power," Bradley said. "After all, language can be used to divide or to unite." He added that the subject matter is especially relevant because of the ebonics controversy and the friction between the University and the surrounding West Philadelphia communities. "I believe theater should be done with a purpose," Bradley said. "The Penn students involved are using their resources to make a connection with the community." In addition to the improvisational games, a question-and-answer session allowed the high school students to address the performance. "I think the workshop was really important," said Lakriesha Walker, a member of the Say Yes program. "It really helped me understand what was going on in the play." Adrienne Thomas, a fellow Say Yes student, added that "these kinds of programs are good because you can have fun and learn things too." Bradley said he hoped the students would feel encouraged to pursue theater as a means of expression, and that they would return to see other theatrical performances at the University. "It's all about a connection," he said. "We want to encourage the impulse to bring people together through the theater." Performances of Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth continue Thursday through Saturday evening in the Annenberg Center. Tickets are available on Locust Walk.

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