Huron County students enjoy African folklore

NORWALK — Norwalk Arts Center kicked off the 2023-24 Theatre Discovery series by bringing together more than 500 area third- and fourth- graders to enjoy "Anansi the Spider and the Middle Passage," a play based on African folklore and staged by Spark Theatre4Youth. "We are thrilled to be able to make this an annual program with the help of the Damian Henning family," said NAC co-founder Vanessa Cook. "I like to ask how many kids have never seen a live theatre performance when I'm introducing the show. When I see hands go up, I am so thankful Norwalk Arts Center is able to bring in high-quality productions to give them their first taste of live theatre." In addition to staging shows geared to school-aged children, Spark provides a study guide for teachers to use both before and after the performance that is aligned with state standards. "Spark brings so many elements together in their productions. Anansi covered history, folklore, lessons about standing up for yourself and 'brains over brawn' and the idea that communities need to work together to make it better for everyone," Cook said. "This is the fourth show we've brought in and each one has been outstanding. The actors are great at drawing the kids into the performance. After each show, the actors come out to answer any questions the kids can come up with." "I really enjoyed the performance," said Peyton, a fourth-grader from Norwalk. "It was funny and my favorite part was the Mysterious Moss-Covered Rock." Amy Krichbaum, a fourth-grade teacher in Norwalk, praised the program. "This was a great opportunity to experience the arts," she said. "We have been reading some of the Anansi stories in class and the kids loved seeing those stories come alive onstage." Theatre Discovery brings live theatre free of charge to all first through sixth graders in districts with students in Huron County and all home-schooled students. For this year, Anansi was the show for third and fourth grades. On Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, fifth- and sixth-graders are invited to see "I Never Saw Another Butterfly," based on the true stories of some of the 15,000 children who passed through the Terezin concentration camp. Raja, a prisoner who taught the children in the camp, created a world of laughter, flowers and butterflies behind the barbed wire and made it possible for them to live on and play happily while waiting to be transported. Themes include World War II, literature, poetry and hope. On Friday, May 10, 2024, first- and second-graders are invited to "Who Ate the Sun?? An Eclipse Story," a world premier written by Cleveland playwright Erin E. Dolan for next spring's solar eclipse. It tells the story of a boy who is fascinated by stars and planets and his animal friends as they see the sun disappear during a walk through the neighborhood. Themes include fables, astronomy, STEM and critical thinking. This school year is the second year for the NAC program, thanks to funding from the Damian Henning family. Damian Henning was a student at Western Reserve when he took his life in November of 2019. Each year, his family holds a 4K memorial race in Wakeman to raise funds to support youth suicide prevention. They donate the funds through Huron County Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the PROSPER Coalition.