Falling in Love with Silence tells the story of four teenagers who struggle with real-world conflict, pain, and growth. They learn to not only embrace and overcome their own insecurities but also to love the imperfections in each other. Sometimes, this means learning how to communicate in a world where assumptions and judgement often guide interactions. When hearing and deaf individuals work together to build understanding and community, acceptance and friendship can heal deep wounds and break barriers. When Alexander, Nikki, Lukas, and Luna come together an entertaining story develops; but they also represent intricate stories of individualism that we hope our audience can relate to on a personal level. This original play has been written to bring the local hearing and deaf communities together as we acknowledge our unique differences and join together in our commonalities. Ultimately, we hope to raise awareness and bring encouragement to people who have stories of their own. Whether you struggle with depression, have been bullied, have overcome difficulties, or are someone who brings hope and joy to those around you, this story is for you. Join us for a balance of light-hearted humor and dramatic moments that lead to a meaningful and inspirational ending.
Enlightening the Dark-Theatre Arts Program was founded on the principle that the performing arts open the opportunity to confront deep topics in such a way that wisdom is gained. Youth do not need a "watered down" education, rather, they need guidance as they explore all that theatre has to offer. The main aspect of "darkness" that we hope to learn from is that of stories untold or misunderstood. We strive to help our students bring truth to their characters and performances by discussing the material in such a way that they grow in their own personal character, perform with excellence, and can impact their audience in a meaningful way. Our hope is that all people, including our performers, leave the theatre better than when they entered.
OUR STORY
The heart of this story comes from the heart and imagination of Kennedy Moore. Two years ago, Kennedy began formulating these characters and made a plan to one day present them on stage. She titled the story “Falling In Love With Silence” as it spoke volumes about bridging the gap between the deaf and hearing communities. Kennedy has developed a deep love for sign language and the community that comes along with it. It was this passion that lead her to formulating this story.
Over the summer of 2018, Kennedy presented her concepts to Bryanna Ruesche and Bryanna worked to prepare the story for the stage. Through weekly meetings, Bryanna connected with the story that Kennedy shared and worked to write a full script, in accordance with Kennedy’s vision. The final score was completed by the end of the summer and Kennedy and Bryanna prepared to teach a group of middle and high school homeschoolers how to bring the story to life.
Kennedy delved into sign language education and taught the students about the history of American Sign Language and the struggles and triumphs of individuals who live without sound. She also empowered and taught the students to communicate through sign language (both on and off stage).
Bryanna taught technical theatre along with acting and worked with the students to produce the original production. The students learned everything from costuming design and makeup techniques to prop collection and sound design. Bryanna also trained the students in character development and intensive acting strategies as the students learned to truly know their characters.
Our program prioritizes instilling collaboration, initiative, passion, and strong work ethic in each of our students so that they can perform their roles and responsibilities with excellence. It is our desire that each of our students take what they have learned from Kennedy and Bryanna, over this past school year, and carry it past this experience and into more endeavors.
TO LEARN MORE about our instructors and our ASL/Theatre homeschool program, please visit: http://enlighteningthedarktap.weebly.com/
Over the summer of 2018, Kennedy presented her concepts to Bryanna Ruesche and Bryanna worked to prepare the story for the stage. Through weekly meetings, Bryanna connected with the story that Kennedy shared and worked to write a full script, in accordance with Kennedy’s vision. The final score was completed by the end of the summer and Kennedy and Bryanna prepared to teach a group of middle and high school homeschoolers how to bring the story to life.
Kennedy delved into sign language education and taught the students about the history of American Sign Language and the struggles and triumphs of individuals who live without sound. She also empowered and taught the students to communicate through sign language (both on and off stage).
Bryanna taught technical theatre along with acting and worked with the students to produce the original production. The students learned everything from costuming design and makeup techniques to prop collection and sound design. Bryanna also trained the students in character development and intensive acting strategies as the students learned to truly know their characters.
Our program prioritizes instilling collaboration, initiative, passion, and strong work ethic in each of our students so that they can perform their roles and responsibilities with excellence. It is our desire that each of our students take what they have learned from Kennedy and Bryanna, over this past school year, and carry it past this experience and into more endeavors.
TO LEARN MORE about our instructors and our ASL/Theatre homeschool program, please visit: http://enlighteningthedarktap.weebly.com/