4/29/2021
Education and Outreach
Terolyn Thompson’s students recently said something that shocked her.
They were watching The Smith Center’s virtual student matinee “Five Days with Step Afrika!” again on their own time, after already seeing it in school.
“They absolutely loved it more than I imagined they would,” recalls Thompson, a teacher at J. Harold Brinley Middle School, after sharing the center’s second virtual student matinee with her sixth-through-eighth grade theater students earlier this year.
Their enthusiastic response to “Step Afrika!” encouraged Thompson to sign her students up for The Smith Center’s latest virtual student matinee, “Newsies: The Broadway Musical,” made possible through a partnership with Disney.
Set in New York City at the turn of the 20th century, “Newsies” tells the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy leading a ragged band of teenage newsies, who dreams of a better life. The hit musical features athletic dance numbers and songs by legendary Broadway composer Alan Menken.
Thanks to Disney’s commitment to innovating new ways for students to remain engaged with the performing arts, The Smith Center was able to offer teachers and students a pre-recorded streaming performance of “Newsies” in April.
Disney supplemented this with educational experiences and materials, including access to a talkback with Disney team members who brought the show to the stage, a companion study guide, and a dance tutorial featuring choreography from the show.
Broadening Students’ Horizons
Smith Center student matinees, whether in-person or virtual, offer students the opportunity to see something they wouldn’t normally come across in their everyday lives, Thompson says.
“Most of them have never seen a live show or theater,” says Thompson. “If they have, it was probably because they took a field trip to The Smith Center.”
With her school’s demographics mostly represented by the underserved, Thompson says it’s really important to expose her students to the performing arts whenever possible.
“They really enjoy it, and at the same time it helps them to open their minds to so much more,” she says.
Her students greatly enjoyed “Newsies,” she adds.
“The performance was energetic, filmed really well and gave my students a chance to see sets up close like they hadn’t before,” she says.
Bringing the Magic of Broadway into Classrooms
As The Smith Center’s first theater-based virtual student matinee, Disney’s “Newsies” offered many students the experience of seeing a high-quality, award-winning Broadway production for the very first time.
That had great appeal for Thompson, who says that teaching theater during the pandemic has involved teaching more about the principles of theater rather than actually staging performances.
“Presenting ‘Newsies’ in the classroom was a great way to bring professional theater to life for my students,” she says.
Many other educators feel the same, including Jeff Williams, coordinator for Secondary Music, Dance and Theatre with the Clark County School District’s Curriculum and Instruction Division.
“The ‘Newsies’ virtual field trip was a fabulous opportunity for our students to experience a professional musical and learn from its production team,” Williams says.
The supplemental materials ensured the experience had a deep and lasting impact on students, he adds.
“During a year full of challenge for our students, we are deeply grateful for Disney, The Smith Center and virtual student matinees like ‘Newsies’ that are offered at no cost to schools,” says Williams.
For more information about The Smith Center's education and outreach programs, click here.