Otselic Valley Central School District

Was that a brilliant blue morpho butterfly, an elusive jaguar, and...chattering monkeys on the MPR stage this morning? Yes, in a way!As part of Arts in Education at Otselic Valley, the REV Theatre Company is providing sequential dramatic programs for our students with in-class lessons followed by single-grade stage performances, all of which align with NYS Learning Standards for the Arts and Next Generation ELA Standards. Today 5th graders got a taste of the Amazon rainforest, thanks to a REV On Tour company who presented “Emilia and the Heart of the Amazon” (written by Kyle Adkins and Rachel Benjamin). Vikings learned about the interconnectedness of all things and the importance of conserving natural resources through their class and the performance that followed. But another off-script moment was especially memorable. While lights were being adjusted for the morning’s performance, a cast member sat on the edge of the stage to answer student questions and share a little more about live theatre. She explained the unusual masks worn by the actors, their intensive performance schedule, and how different audiences bring different energy that the cast can sense. Vikings spoke up, saying they know something about performance too because of “Bubba the Cowboy Prince,” the elementary musical airing tonight. “What?!” asked the actress. She was visibly pleased and excited. Students told her about their upcoming virtual performance, and they all shared notes on nerves (“That’s okay! Nervousness means you care”). Interconnectedness doesn’t just happen in the rainforest, apparently. Thank you for your voice and don’t forget to use it. [Photos can be seen in our Facebook photo album.]