An extremely interesting proposition has been put forward to the schools and Comune here in Barga for the possibility of putting on a series of social awareness plays or productions here in the city.
The contact is coming via Douglas MacKenzie who has been a resident here in Barga for sometime and as you can hear in the audio boo below is passing on a message from his daughter Sarah who is a presenter and actress who has been performing social awareness plays in the UK and in the states and is looking to see if there is the possibility of putting on their production here in Barga.
The plays are the work of Larry Heimgartner, who has written 15 or so of these social awareness plays which according to him can make a difference to the way students from 15 years onwards might think about themselves and the world around them and help them meet some of the challenges that they might meet as a young person.
The plays are written in English (as Larry is an American) but have been performed in other countries and in other languages and there is absolutely no reason why they could not be done here in Italian.
The Bridge effect is a website created by Cornwall college and Larry Heimgartner and shows the type of cultural exchanges that the Italian students could experience – here
So, as we come to the end of 2013, a shout out – is there anybody out there interested in some community theatre which could be performed not just in Barga but right through the Serchio valley ?
If so make yourself heard.
Sarah MacKenzie
Sarah is a London based actress and presenter originally from Glasgow. She is a versatile actress in Drama and comedy, a member of Equity and can be viewed on Spotlight and Cast Call Pro. Sarah has completed her BA Performing Arts degree at London Metropolitan University where she learned a range of disciplines such as Shakespeare, Commedia dell ‘Arte, storytelling, presenting and directing.
Over the past few years her work has included performances with theatre companies such as Goat and Monkey, Complicite and Periplum Productions. She has also performed in several Shakespeare plays (including Venus and Adonis and Comedy of Errors) at the historic Rose theatre on London’s bank side.
Most recently she has been producing and acting in an Aids awareness play. The play (Are you positive?) will continue to tour London, Los Angeles and the UK in conjunction with Make a difference trust (MAD) one of the West end’s official charities.
Larry Heimgartner
Professor Heimgartner has long directed his considerable talents and energy toward the education of children. He has written, produced, and directed a series of musical “plays with a moral” for children. These plays are presented annually as a part of the U.S. Marine Corps’ “Toys for Tots” program, and as a feature of Harbor College’s Summer Children’s Theater events. He has also presented “America’s Youth,” which addresses the challenges confronting our children today, and “Don’t Get Too Close,” a hard-edged presentation regarding the dangers of AIDS and HIV.
Professor Heimgartner is an educational innovator. He has developed and instituted a variety of laudatory programs for the benefit of his students and the community. He has conducted study programs in Europe through a cooperative exchange program with England’s Barnsley College, directed interactive teleconferencing sessions in the state, nation and in the international community, and introduced the More Opportunities for the Developmentally Disabled program. The MODD Squad, as the professor calls it, is an innovative program which provides opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in the College’s original dramas.
Larry William Heimgartner is an esteemed and respected faculty member of Harbor College. He is the recipient of the Eugene Pimentel Award for Teaching Excellence, and has been named in Outstanding Young Men of America. – source