Alison Johnson
ITS #1209 Troupe Sponsor
California State Thespians
Hawkins Awards
STRONGER COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE ARTS ONE PERSON AT A TIME
“Won’t you please have a seat inside our magical tour wagon? Mwah, ah ah!” The scared neighborhood children gave themselves over to the Halloween creativeness of the famed collaboration, the fifth grade duo, of Shade Lane: Brian and Alison. With the use of a gated backyard, arbored patio, lots of good old-fashioned wooden orange crates--stacked up at least four high, a Panasonic cassette player, a bowl of peeled grapes, a discarded, ripped lace table cloth, and a “borrowed bottle” of Karo syrup, along with red food dye, the magic began. With me playing host to the ghastly feast, and Brian maneuvering behind the walls, setting off effects to the horror of our younger siblings and their friends, the wagon ride was deliciously scary. Three years running, this event was the highlight of our fall season. We used what we could find in our yards to build a set, learned skills of simple special effects, gained confidence sewing, gluing, nailing, mixing, and recording. Without the support of our families, the excitement of the other kids, our first experience at producing, directing, and acting, would not have become the important, memorable, creative experience in our lives. No doubt, I did not know what advocacy was at ten years of age, but it was there on the home front, which made all the difference in our fervor for building, and planning this event.
Inspired by my high school theatre arts teacher, Neil Coke, who I promised at one point in my senior year that I would someday have his job, the focus of my college studies were first theatre and then literature—the joy of analyzing the core of what makes a compelling story, and then creating the spectacle. I have had the privilege of teaching theatre arts at my alma mater since 1993 and have had the support of my school’s administration for our participation in theatre festivals, speech competitions, and extra-curricular productions. I have been trusted to select scripts that are appropriate and that will bring about a learning stretch for not only the cast and crew, but for our audiences as well, and I am confident that is the case. Through my participation with California State Thespians, over the past twenty plus years, as a troupe sponsor and as a board member, I have been able to train a more fully informed Drama Club leadership team who specifically look for opportunities to take part in the school’s and community’s culture. Whether we are performing in the city sponsored Red Ribbon Parade, gathering food for charity, performing diverse holiday one-acts for honors English classes, theming improv performances with informative topics, or called to perform scenes at the city library’s “Gatsby Night,” Santa Fe High’s theatre students are thought of as well-spoken communicators.
I strongly agree with the statement by Paul Ostergard, Vice President of Citicorp that “a broad education in the arts helps give children a better understanding of their world” and that “We need students who are culturally literate as well as math and science literate.” Whatever the historical, scientific, psychological, mathematical academics a society teaches its youth, culture is reflected in the arts. Academic answers can be found in books, yet the true meaning of study is grown in the arts. Theatre, with its multi-faceted skill set, is vital to advocate for on behalf of our students. I have advocated in Sacramento at California Youth in Theatre, meeting with state senators and assemblymen, and I have been trained in the benefit of having an “elevator speech” at the ready, since one never knows when the opportunity to advocate might present itself. I know that it is important to request meetings with our representatives and senators to speak with them about the arts and advocate with the passion and fervor which I have had since childhood. I would be honored “to push for developing strong public policies and increasing public funding for the arts,” along side my colleagues with Americans for the Arts in Washington, D.C.
“The Arts and Sciences, essential to the prosperity of the State and to the ornament of human life, have a primary claim to the encouragement of every lover of his country and mankind.”
–George Washington