Opera
A bold concept...
We underestimate the creative potential of elementary-age children, often greatly. Yet given the right opporities and encouragement, children can write and produce impressive dramatic productions.
Such is the concept behind Creating Original Opera, a program designed to encourage young children to write and perform their own opera completely from scratch. Patterened after the Metroplitan Opera, the student program consists of a production manager, stage manager, costume, make-up and set designers, carpenters, electricians, public relations, staff, documentation staff, writers, composers, and performers.
Fox Chapel began this program in 2001. Involving all the children in the Fourth grade Center Program, students invest about 100 hours throughout the school year to write and produce an opera for an early June performance. Directors include Meghan Murray, Kristy Fritschler (our Fourth grade Center teachers) and me.Students chose the name Two Paws Up Kids Opera Company, and have opted to keep this name ever since.
Opera is often typically alienating to children, because they believe it has no relationship to their own life experince. Yet it becomes deeply personal through Creating Original Opera. When students put together original materal about a subject they personally chose and create their own production from start to finish, they are able to appreciate and understand opera and to explore the multidisciplinary elements of the art form. The insight that come deepen their understanding of other dramatic generes as well.
For more information on the national program of Creating Original Opera, Visit the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Creating Original Opera teacher training program is made possible by the generous support of The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.