Guest blog by Sharon O’Brien – Stories that Soar! Artistic Director
The last Stories that Soar! show of 2016 took place in December at Blenman Elementary, and it was a show to remember. The Stories that Soar! (STS!) cast and crew delivered a beautiful and well-rounded show that brought so many people together to laugh, cheer, rejoice and even shed tears.
One of the core outcomes of STS! is that kids come to understand WHY we write. STS! kid authors from Blenman Elementary talked about the joy of sharing their stories with simple but meaningful statements like: “It was awesome because I got to share my personal feelings.”
They talked about the freedom to express themselves: “Writing for the Magic Box is exciting because you don’t get restrained.”
In a nutshell, without fancy language, they are touching on the very core of why we write— to express ourselves freely and to share our thoughts beyond ourselves and the immediate moment.
This sentiment had special meaning when the principal shared with us after the show that the author of the ‘My Family’ story “doesn’t talk.” This situation was corroborated in the classroom during the author feedback. Written on the feedback form was: “He doesn’t talk, but nodded a lot. He likes writing.” How wonderful for this young person who is either unable or unwilling to speak to be able to share such a heart-warming story of his loving family and most importantly to have his ‘voice’ be part of the show.
The power of writing is real and our work has many layers.
A special thanks to the students, teachers, and staff at Blenman Elementary whose unique and lovely hearts were revealed through their stories and writing efforts.
