Autumn Bond-Ross described the program in a June 14 article on the SundayPaper website:
Five minutes ago, they were giggling and roughhousing, just like any other fresh-faced young girls. Now, the tone at the South Bend Center for Art and Culture has turned serious, even haunting. The girls stomp their feet in unison to a staccato beat, and begin chanting a cappella:"PFGs original focus on working with Georgia [Regional Youth Detention Centers] remains," Bond-Ross reported. "But since [2002], it has expanded to include after-school programs for at-risk teens, a summer follow-up for girls who were previously incarcerated, and a satellite program targeting junior-high and high school teachers. Plans for a mentoring program are also underway."
"Violence -- it's everywhere/ Though it seems no one gives a care/ A bullet in the head, a fallen friend/ Will this ever end?/ An innocent life just gone -- taken/ In this nightmare that dont awaken."
More powerful lyrics follow, each more poignant and shocking than the last. The room is quiet. Some audience members tear up; others have goose bumps.
This is a normal occurrence at Playmaking for Girls, an empowering theater program for incarcerated and at-risk girls. Kids in this age group are usually known for being boy-crazy and obsessing over Beyonce's latest single, but tonight these girls are using the power of their own voices to confront disturbing social issues.
Labels: mentoring, girls, theater
Posted By: Aspen/CRC
