Monday, June 8, 1998
Outreach program puts children on center stage
ARTS: Equal Opportunity Productions works to educate youth,
foster appreciation for the arts
By Emi Kojima
Daily Bruin Staff
A group of 40 UCLA students took on 33 fifth-graders with the
goal of producing "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" in three weeks and
making Shakespeare fun in the process.
On Friday, the 10- and 11-year-olds from Warner Elementary
smoothly performed the play three times, donning overalls,
camouflage shirts and baggy jeans for their costumes in an updated
Shakespearian production.
"I feel so proud of myself," Lacey Mauher, 11, said after her
final performance at the Arm and Hammer Museum. "We did three
performances and each was better than the rest."
Headed by second-year theater student Michael Skolnik, Equal
Opportunity Productions (EqOp) is an upstart outreach program in
its first year. The nonprofit organization aims to bring the arts
back to schools, including many that have had their art programs
cut. Skolnik said he hopes to break down "social, economic and
racial barriers" with theater.
"When you put a kid with parents on welfare on stage together
with a kid whose parents make $2 million and you have them do a
dance number, they rely on each other," Skolnik said.
"They began to realize that they’re not that different and that
‘I need you.’ You create an environment that subconsciously brings
people together," he said.
Throughout the program, Skolnik emphasizes unity by making the
kids form "umoja" circles, holding hands. If a kid feels bad, then
they stand in the middle of the circle and their peers cheer them
up. "Umoja" is Swahili for unity.
"I learned to respect one another and to have everything equal
with other people," said Joshua Teymourr, 10.
Skolnik also had kids do "trust falls." One kid would close his
eyes and fall into the arms of another, trusting his peer to catch
him.
"Being with friends is the most important thing," Mauher said.
"Even if you’re not a good actor, it’s OK. You’re still good," she
said.
While Skolnik sees arts as having a unifying role in community,
politicians have been arguing the benefits of art since cuts in the
budget for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) began in 1995.
The NEA is a government agency that boosts public awareness of
art.
Skolnik, who is a strong supporter of the NEA, said that schools
also follow the national trend of cutting money in art programs. He
said that he visited 12 elementary schools and none of them had art
programs.
Lynda Edmundson, whose class performed, agreed that schools have
seen cuts in their art programs over the years.
"Unless the parents teach it, (the art programs are) left to the
teacher who isn’t always qualified to teach them," she said.
Skolnik, however, is extremely qualified to teach acting. He is
one of the youngest producers on and off-Broadway and began work in
a producer’s office at 14. His skills in producing a show have
helped in organizing EqOp.
"I’ve had a lot of success in my life at a very young age and
the success gets to my head sometimes," Skolnik said. "Kids keep me
humble."
"Technically, this show was easy. Emotionally, it was the
hardest thing I’ve ever done," he said of "A Midsummer Night’s
Dream."
Skolnik said that he decided to do Shakespeare to show its
universality. And, he says, his "egotistical self" wanted to show
up others who said that kids can’t do Shakespeare.
Skolnik said he hopes to expand the program and establish
similar projects in New York and San Francisco. For the UCLA group,
he said that he wants to produce seven plays from each continent
and hold a summer camp for children.
This summer he will work to raise $100,000 for future programs
while in New York.
"A Midsummer Night’s Dream" was funded by a friend of Skolnik
who inherited money and the Original Man Wear clothing line. The
budget for the show was $7,000 – much more than the normal $500 for
elementary school productions but less than the $10,000 to $15,000
spent on shows at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and
Television.
Skolnik got the idea from participating in a similar program for
fifth- graders. He announced his idea in Nov. 1997 to a theater
class and friends. Eventually, 40 people became mentors for the
kids who went to the elementary school during the afternoon.
"We always welcome new people. We have kids to help," Skolnik
said.
After the show, the kids ran around the museum, hopping on the
backs of their mentors and taking photographs.
"We are very good friends," said Simon Levis, 11, of his
mentor.
"He’s on the UCLA football team and gave me tickets to a game.
We will keep in touch," he said.