TheatreWorks - The Workshop - The "Crowns" Poster Project

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Remix | Playwright's Project | Research Schools | Conservatory

“The Crowns Project was an amazing experience because I was able to meet civic leaders in my community—By meeting these people, I lived the history of East Palo Alto—the community that I
spend most of my life in.”
Dallas Teo, an Eastside student photographer

The Crowns Poster Project

This project shed light on the themes of the musical Crowns. Because the musical is so rich in African American history and musical heritage pertinent to the surrounding population of East Palo Alto, we felt it was a wonderful opportunity to facilitate a link between the school and its larger community. We enlisted twenty-two community members and the school's two photography teachers to complete this comprehensive, cutting-edge project in which community activists were video interviewed by drama students and were photographed by the photography students.

While the young photographers were developing their first 16 x 20 large prints, eventually displayed in our theatre during the entire run of the show and then given to each community member, the drama students were culling through the oral histories to create stirring and enlightening monologues in the style of Anna Devere Smith’s Twilight LA. The students created a performance for the community and their interviewees which was eloquently described by Mayra Vega: “The play was a beautiful and simple view of the “base of the house” of East Palo Alto. These people are an inspiration and reaffirmation to those who only see East Palo Alto as a negative place.”

The project was exceedingly successful in bringing students into a deep connection with a community of which they were barely aware. It additionally created a gathering place for the stories and members of a specific community. Using the arts and arts education, TheatreWorks for Schools showcased the courageous and enduring heritage within a community that deserves a spotlight in the larger public.