Endless Possibilities

This post from the wonderful William vonReichbauer. William is pictured here during our reading of Big Shoes -- a new original show Open Dream Ensemble will present next season.


Season seven of the Open Dream Ensemble came to a close on Friday with an energetic and emotional performance of "Peril on the Red Planet" at Clemmons Middle School. Not only was Friday's performance the final performance of season seven, but as this is the last season that ODE is presenting this show, it was likely the final performance of "Peril."

This season has been an intense whirlwind of rehearsing, filming, performing, and teaching. It is hard to believe that three and a half months have passed by so quickly and that we managed to pack in so much. I feel so fortunate to have been a part of this amazing cast and to bring live theater and arts based education to so many students across the state. I was continuously inspired by my fellow cast members who never ceased to amaze me with the dedication and creativity they brought to their work both in the classroom and on the stage.

Just as Diana, Tristan, Demeter, and Dr. Ember begin the next chapter of their lives on a now-habitable Mars, so do we, the cast, begin the next chapters of our lives. Some of us will no doubt work with one another again and a few of us will probably return for another season with the Open Dream Ensemble, but many of us will go our separate ways and pursue our own goals and dreams. "Peril on the Red Planet" ends with Tristan's line, "Now the future holds endless possibilities." Let's hope so.

The Adventure Continues

This post is from Martian Cop, Adrian Knowels. A graduate of UNCSA School of Drama, Adrian is slated for a move to the chilly North which we hope will give him lots of warmth, roles, and wonder. Thanks, Adrian, for your work with Open Dream this season and keep in touch!


Well Open Dream has come to a close. Two days ago, we rocked our final show, loaded the set back into storage, and had a sweet lunch party provided for us by the Kenan Institute. Gosh, now what? I have quite a bit of money saved up (thanks to our hefty paychecks) which I'll live on for a month or two when I move to Chicago in January. Then it's life, I guess. I'll probably have to get a job in a restaurant or working as an usher in a theatre. Man, I'd love to continue working as an actor, but survival comes first. I truly loved Open Dream because I got work in the field I studied. I got to live as a professional actor. I'm still a professional actor, albeit an unemployed one. But that's ok. I'm going home for the holidays to spend time with family before I make the biggest move of my life. I've never lived in a city before. I've never even visited Chicago. But WOOO-HOO!! Time to grow up and figure out what this whole adult thing is all about. Thank you Open Dream for the being the springboard to my career! Stay strong.

Occupy Open Dream

This post from Andrew Jernigan was written before the Open Dream season ended. Andrew is now back enjoying Thanksgiving with his family in Texas. Thanks for being a part of our Open Dream family these past months -- and be sure to come back and visit!

At our last residency at STARS, I was profoundly moved when a student began to break down because our last day had come to end (we shall call him James). Actually, many students cry and need hugs when we leave, and I find myself in this limbo combination of flattery and uncomfortability, so I squeeze out before it becomes a popular movement. Occupy Open Dream... However, this one particular student was not outwardly seeking condolences from anybody.
James had a big role in our informance, shooting lava out of a volcano erected from a red fabric material, and he took stage direction like a champion. I hadn't necessarily thought he wanted to be a performer because he chose to be around the "too cool for school" boys that messed around during class. But something inside him changed when we finished singing the goodbye song one last time. He simply lowered his head into his hands and left me to wonder how the last two weeks had affected him.
The Open Dream Ensemble provides many children with the first theatrical experience of their lives. In fact, some of our students continued to call the play a "movie". Like many of them, I too grew up watching mainly television and film, but there was always something untouchable - or unattainable - about movies. And children, with their mind blowing imaginations, need to be able to explore their own stories because their creativity will change our culture's future. Fortunately, theater is an attainable facet for harboring an explosion of imagination combined with high levels of focus. Peter Brook, a renowned theater and film director, writes in his book, The Empty Space:

I can take an empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged.

Respectively, prior to entering the classrooms, we insist that the teachers have all the chairs and desks pushed to the walls so that there is an empty space in the middle of the room. Thus, a bare stage has been created where the teacher artists and students can tangibly create performances inhibited only by vast imagination. Finally there is a controlled environment in which the students can play and learn simultaneously. Many children separate the two into opposing categories; play is for fun, learning is boring. When the Open Dream enters the room, there is chance for both at the same time.
Students who write off their education because it lacks entertainment are not likely to develop critical thinking skills necessary for our present school system. I believe James fell into a circle of friends who were victims of that scenario, but maybe he was cognizant of the consequences. Within the two weeks of our residency, he pulled a 180 and excelled at something he could finally throw himself into - learning on his feet. Why should he sit down and learn about weathering and erosion when he can jump up and down and mirror the effects of these occurrences? Now the knowledge is not a fleeting thought passing through his brain, but is actually rooted in his body and memory. Now there is an excitement for education and a desire to learn more. Now there is a chance for growth.
The Open Dream Ensemble provides a gift for students who struggle with motivation. By playing silly games and staging simple skits, we activate their curiosity. Learning is best accomplished when it is sought, and we present a service that students yearn for; even as we say goodbye.

My Love Story

This post is from Open Dream's talented intern, Dian Permana. Dian is currently a graduate student in UNCSA's Performing Arts Management program.


I can probably say I fell in love at the first sight when I saw last year’s production of Peril on the Red Planet at UNCSA. I right away felt that this was where I wanted to be and I was a little bit disappointed to find out that the organization only recruits alumni of the school. That’s why I was so excited when I was finally able to meet and talk with the amazing General Manager of the Open Dream Ensemble, Rebecca Nussbaum, and was finally able to have the internship this summer and continue the work this semester.



The longer I work, the deeper I am in love with the organization. Alas, it almost comes to an end. But I will forever treasure the valuable experience and knowledge I have received in these five months. I will never forget how I learned so much more about science within these five months than what I have learned during my entire school time; how much fun I had working with the directors and other professionals during the production despite the cramped rehearsal month (until I had the songs from web series stuck in my head for months); how students always turned around when Diana said, “Behind that door is Zartok 3” (just like I did when I watched it for the first time) and how their eyes always light up when the Teaching Artists entered their classroom; how I get connected to people and places I might never otherwise do; how the super talented and lovely cast members have been like my older siblings, and how I am always impressed with Rebecca's outstanding knowledge and skills from arts integration to fixing costumes and baking super yummy pineapple vegan cupcakes, as well as her smart solution to every problem.


Open Dream Ensemble, you always make my day! Thank you, it is such an honor to have this privilege. I will always cherish these moments you were taking me to “go somewhere extraordinary”!

A New World

This post by the lovely Danielle Rennalls was written on November 16. The Open Dream season is now complete and Danielle is on her path to more fun and more work. We wish her the best!


It's a rainy night here in Camp Lejeune, off of the North Carolina coast. We are in the last leg of touring "Peril..." in Eastern North Carolina, having performed in Clarkton and, previously, Southern Pines, NC. I can't help but marvel at the various ecosystems all contained in this seemingly small state; each place has it own energy and pulse, the townspeople friendlier and more helpful than the last. This is my final blog post for the season... Four months flew by mindblowingly fast. I will miss this group of people and all they have taught me through Open Dream Ensemble. I'm grateful to them for allowing me to glean insight into the "business" at large and what it's really like to be a "working artist." I've found joy in speaking or sharing ideas in an open, non-judgmental forum whether it was through Teaching Artist training or formulating lesson plans. Diana shall always be apart of my "toolbox," she's truly reminded me what it was like to be 13 again (give or take a few murderous terraforming machines ;) ). She reinforced the notion that it does take a critical thinking, perseverance, and sacrifice to make dreams come true and I can only cross my fingers in the hopes that I'll have the opportunity to portray someone like her again. She's allowed me to step in myself as an actress after two years of being a director. All in all, I can honestly state this experience has changed me for the better and opened up a whole new world geared towards positive change within our school systems, utilizing a groups multiple intelligences, and, at Open Dreams very core, the importance of teamwork. A very special thank you to the Kenan Institute, Rebecca Nussbaum, and the good folks of NoRules Theater Company for giving me the gift of being apart of this ensemble. Until next year!

Going Somewhere Extraordinary

This post from the sick Haydee -- we are hoping you feel better soon!!!


Staying healthy on the road isn't easy. Being around hundreds of children during the change of seasons on a fast food diet makes a perfect storm of illness. Julianne and I lay here in our hotel room which acts more like an infirmary with a myriad of tissue boxes, medicine bottles and immunity boosters, strewn about like a drugstore hurricane. She coughs I sneeze in time like an orchestrated duet, we have to laugh. At least we are sick together. There is nothing worse than living with a sick person when healthy or being sick around a healthy person for that matter.
The O.D.E. Season is wrapping up and I feel satisfied. We have definitely accomplished a mission. We set out on an incredible adventure and along the way met so many great people and made friends. Thank You to all the schools, teachers and students who welcomed us. Thank You to my fellow troupe mates for being so talented on stage and in the classroom. Thank You to Rebecca and The Open Dream Ensemble for letting us go "somewhere extraordinary "!


The photo is of Professor Poople from The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble.

Full Throttle

This post is from our heavy-metal man, William vonReichbauer!



Our performance piece, "Peril on the Red Planet," explores some pretty heavy issues, including personal sacrifice, loss, perseverance in the face of adversity and even death (though not directly) and includes lots of loud, often scary sounds and sound effects as well as intense combat sequences. If we are performing for very young children, i.e. kindergarten and first grade, we typically tone certain elements of the show down so as not to frighten the audience. We also usually do a small "show and tell" before the show to introduce some of the louder and scarier sounds. Many of us take turns playing some of the musical instruments used in the show. We also wheel out the large gathering drum and let the kids have a go at banging on it for a little while. Occasionally, I will play a few of the more frightening sound effects for the children while one of my fellow cast members explains to them that the homicidal robot in the show, Zartok 3, is actually not real but is merely a set of sounds on my laptop. (The first time we did this little demo, though, we had three kids wailing in abject terror within two seconds of me hitting the play button. Oops.)

This afternoon, however, we gave our second performance of the season for a group of middle school students. Interestingly, "Peril on the Red Planet" was originally conceived for a middle school audience. It probably goes without saying that middle schoolers are very different from Elementary students: middle school students think they've seen it all, they're beginning to get a little cynical and a little jaded, and they're starting to think that they're too cool for school. This, of course, provides a wonderful opportunity for us to really open up the throttle and see what this show can do.

Today brought us to the Clarkton School of Discovery in eastern North Carolina's sandhills region. We performed on a beautiful stage with a nice set of stage lights (it's always a treat to perform under something other than gymnasium fluorescents) in the school's media center. As soon as we walked on stage in our shiny silver jackets, we could hear derisive chuckles rippling through the audience. Game on. From the show's opening heavy metal guitar riff to the wicked staff fight between Diana and Demeter to the epic final battle with Zartok 3, the whole show was as intense and as ferocious as we have ever performed it. Every catcall or inappropriate laugh from the audience pushed us to raise the intensity of the show even further. Ultimately, we received a great response from the audience who could scarcely contain a thunderous round of applause at the end of the show.

More Believable

This post is from our "Diana", Danielle Rennalls. Danielle is a graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama with an emphasis on directing.

Our second residency brought more confidence in my abilities as a teaching artist. It's probably been around Day 3 of the 1st week of Wendell's residency before it occurred to me that the classroom space (i.e. maintaining order, keeping students engaged, holding myself accountable for how well they understood/processed the material) wasn't all that different from directing a play in the theater. Like actors, if you gave the student(s) a role, a purpose and/or reason, the activities/task at hand instantly blossomed. I observed this happen time and time again with each grade level- most often with students considered behaviorally or mentally challenged. In fact, during the same residency at Wendell, we learned our 4th grade block would have 4 or 5 behaviorally challenged and 2 developmentally challenged children, whom all learned separately from most of the students. Yet it became apparent during the movement improvisations exploring landforms (and later types of fossilization) these "challenged" were always "in the moment," and hungry for guidance on how to make it more believable.

Travel, tissues and thanks

This post from the kleenex-toting Julianne Harper!



We are now approaching the end of Open Dream's season seven, and what a season it has been! We have traveled all over the state of North Carolina and through that journey have met so many amazing people. All of the schools we have performed at have taken such good care of us, offering us lunch or any accommodation that would make our day easier. At our Wendell residency we felt like royalty. Every day each department at the school provided us with lunch, some even homemade! One teacher hand crafted a beautiful cake with a very detailed Peril on the Red Planet theme. Our stay at STARS was wonderful as well. Each of our classes gave us a send off with special "thank you" cards all signed with messages from the children.
As rewarding as this work can be, it is still a very tough job. I can't remember that last time I wasn't surrounded by a pile of kleenex tissues, illness always being a close companion throughout the season. It is easy to get worn down, but when we encounter such support and appreciation from the schools we are working with, it makes the sneezing- sniffling- coughing- aching- stuffy head- fever-not being able to rest go away.

Reflection of the Season as Open Dream Enters Our Final Week of Season 7

This post is from musician and green robot, Guy Kelpin. This photo is from early in the rehearsal process. Thanks, Guy, for a great season!



Looking back, my experience with the Open Dream Ensemble has reinforced my original philosophy as an artist. I have a strong belief in making art accessible to the public and that teaching should be an “all-inclusive” experience. Multiple disciplines of art and science have already overlapped in my career, and I have always been an “opportunistic hunter” when it comes to jobs in the arts. So, the Open Dream Ensemble seemed to fit right into my line of work!

As a Teaching Artist, I was given all the necessary information for our residencies. During the training, it seemed a bit of a mystery, but having experienced it firsthand, now I understand the concepts of arts integration. The sheer massive amount of curriculum was a little overwhelming; it’s a lot to expect of us to tackle the entire K-5 material. But we managed! Admittedly, actually being a Teaching Artist is still a bit of a mystery to me. Fundamentally, I am a fairly traditional, straightforward “sit-and-get” type learner, so when I was asked to lead in a more “interpretive” and “expressive” manner of classroom learning, I needed to step outside of what comes naturally to me. That said, I think I understand the ideas of arts-integrated teaching, and I’ve begun to implement these ideas into my teaching. I hope to continue developing this approach in my career, though I know it often seems foreign and somewhat artificial for me.

There are many things I enjoyed along the journey of this season. It seems like years ago now, but the rehearsal process offered very few dull moments! Our time was well spent, balancing hard work and fun times. The cast built a camaraderie that lasted through the season. The web series was the surprise wild card for me. I didn’t expect to enjoy the process or the product so much. The cast put a lot of hard work into it, so waiting for the final cuts seemed to drag on forever, but now that it’s being released, the anticipation was worth the wait. And, to be truthful, I liked the opportunity to be supported monetarily for the use of my skills as an artist. Paying jobs are scarce for actors and musicians, and it’s nice that we can be rewarded for our talents, time, and willingness to teach. So, I believe the Open Dream Ensemble is ideally a “win-win situation” for both the community and the cast of artists.

Of course, there were a few challenges for me along the way. As a functioning freelance musician, it’s very difficult to drop everything local for weeks at a time, while remaining loyal to my current clients. So, I've had to be as dilligent as possible, keeping my priorities straight. Also, the task of attempting to transform myself into an “actor” has stretched me as a performer. I’m constantly reminded of my poor memorization skills and awkwardness on stage!

I will always remember the camaraderie amongst the cast. Honestly, I was somewhat apprehensive about being surrounded by a crowd of “creative people” for four months; artists are notoriously difficult! (And I'm notoriously reclusive.) But I can’t say how much I’ve enjoyed being with this bunch of artists. This year’s ensemble has a generosity, cooperative spirit, and genuine concern for each other’s well-being rare in such a group. Certainly, we had some great times on stage, in the classroom, in rehearsal, and “on the road.” Thanks guys!

Goodbye to STARS

This post is from the mighty Marissa. She provided this photo of a card from her class at STARS!


There's a goodbye song we sing with the students at the end of the class each day. This last residency, it was really the end of our time with them. It took a lot of self control to keep the tears back when I sang the last line of the song... "Now, it's time to say goodbye, and we'll see each other again". The sweat and exhaustion of learning how to teach and manage elementary school classes was worth every ounce of effort. The payoff was the adoration of all these fresh, young, wild and beautiful rascals... From the times they made me want to tear my hair out to the moments they had me rolling on the floor with laughter and moved by their individuality and wide open dreams. I have to give a shout-out to my rock star teaching partner, Andrew a.k.a Ace. You are a force of nature, and I'm glad we got to stick this one out together. We did it!!!!!

Now we're all in the home stretch with the teaching behind us and a few performances of Peril on the Red Planet to go. It's racing by, and I'm glad we all get to play some more- doing what we're trained to do. It's hard to believe we'll be leaving each other in less than a week. I'm so proud of every one of us. We're a stellar team.

What is the Open Dream Ensemble?

This post is from Guy Kelpin, a first-year Open Dreamer, trombonist and composer. Indeed, Guy is a graduate of UNCSA Schools of Music AND Filmmaking. Guy is pictured here dancing in the intro of our web series, The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble.

Having noticed a change in my regularly scheduled programming, I've been asked by many of my colleagues and acquaintances, "What have you been up to this
fall, Guy?" To which I reply, "I've been a cast member with the Open Dream Ensemble." I've been quite pleasantly surprised by how few times I've actually needed to offer much of an explanation. Many of my friends and fellow musicians seem to be quite familiar with the program, or at least have some preconceived notion of what we do. Many of the people I come in contact with are members of the UNCSA community, and some of them even know former ODE cast members. So, it has been exciting to be part of something that is so well recognized and respected by our local artists and arts-supporters.

Of course, I've also gotten the response of, "Open What Enwhomble? What's that?" (Wow, it's hard not to start singing the web series theme song!) I start to explain, "We are a group of multi-disciplinary UNCSA graduates who tour the state, putting on performances and working with elementary students to integrate the science curriculum through the arts. (*Gasp for breath*) It's been busy, but It's a lot of fun, and it seems to be a really effective way to impact the education system." Overwhelmingly, the response is always, "Wow. That sounds like an awesome idea. I'll bet there are some characters in that cast!" Then, I admit, "Yes, but fortunately, most of our drama stays on the stage." That statement couldn't be more true. Though we do have our moments, all things considered, this cast impresses me with its ability to not only cooperate, but thrive as a group. I feel honored to be included.

Then, I get asked, "Does the ensemble have a road crew?"

..."Yes, there are nine of us."

Video Blog

Check out this video blog from Haydee Thompson!

Things to Treasure

This post is from the amazing Ulung! Through out these 15-weeks of the Open Dream Season, Ulung has made countless contributions in his stage, screen and classroom work. He is pictured here during the web series shoot (in the triangle shirt).


When extraordinary things happen (even the bad ones), I believe in one thing: it can be a good story to tell.

We are at a hotel in Maggie Valley when I write this blogpost. We just got back from dining at Legends Sports Grill, next to the hotel. Well, I've never been to this area before and I'm always excited to see new place. Considering I'm far from home, it doubled the excitement. I enjoyed every place we traveled to. When this is over, I will miss the most frequent view on the road. It's not the green scenery that I'm talking about. It's the "Ryder" sign at the back of the Ryder van which is always be in front of the passenger van / "Happy Van" (with a smiley picture on the door) :) Ehmm… Back to the dinner at Legends Sports… When we were about to leave from the restaurant, Dian had a request for a group picture, she said that this would be her last time with us. Yes, the session will be over soon. Three months period is quite some time. I still remember working with my teaching partner, Julianne, who really knows how I forget things. I really "go somewhere extraordinary" by teaching science in elementary school. I never forget when I learned to pronounce "Don't hurt the rocks!" (hopefully I'm doing it better now). I enjoyed the break time when we did fun stuff like random recording session, photo session, jam session, Catan session, etc. I feel like, I know these guys more and more each day. Everybody is unique and I'm gonna miss it. Last but not least, I just watched the 2nd episode of the web series and I remembered how terrible I was in acting back when we were still in the first weeks of training (at the basement of the Steven's Center). Now I'm more comfortable doing it, because everyone in Open Dream Ensemble are so encouraging and helpful. I'm so glad that I'm part of it.
These three months will be a good story of my life.

Ulung

The Kinder in Kindergarten

This post is from the thought-filled William vonReichbauer. William is pictured here in his role as a teaching artist with Open Dream.

We are in our second week of our third and final two-week residency of the 2011 season at Sandhills Theatre Arts Renaissance School in Vass, NC. For the first time this season, my teaching artist partners, Danielle and Adrian, and I have been working with a class of Kindergarteners. A what a fun time it has been!

Kindergarten was developed in the early 19th Century (the term, meaning "children's garden," was coined in 1840) by Friedrich Fröbel for his educational institution for young children he founded in Bad Blankenburg in present-day Germany. Much like the Open Dream Ensemble, Fröbel recognized the importance of play in children's learning. The first kindergarten included singing, dancing, gardening, and self-directed play.

While we haven't been doing anything in the way of gardening, we have certainly had our fair share of playing, singing, and dancing. And we've been learning a lot in the process. Over the past week and a half we have covered comparing relative positions of various objects, exploring different ways that objects and organisms move, and comparing characteristics of living and nonliving things. The arts have really proven to be an excellent vehicle for teaching these topics.

In Repose

This post is from a relaxed Adrian Knowels. As you will read, Adrian has been enjoying the work and the down-time of Open Dream. He's the tall on in the lavender shirt pictured here working with students.



Sitting in a hotel, being serenaded by Andrew Jerningan. Could life get any better? Well, of course, but alas, I don't have Joanna Newsom's phone number, so I'll settle for listening to a guy and his guitar. But it's been a lot of fun. Rooming with a fellow actor, the creativity sparks on a regular basis. Personally, I'm content with flipping through channels hours on end when I'm staying in a hotel, but luckily I've got a roomie that won't let me settle for that junk. Being on the road, you get to know your fellow Open Dreamers better through sheer boredom, because when the boredom hits, the crazy ideas start. Necessity is the mother of invention. So we've taken some ridiculous band photos, discovered a new board game, and whiled away the hours with (mostly) inane conversation. But I wouldn't trade it for anything else. The challenges of being a teaching artist are great but the rewards are far greater. It's all about those awesome kids, and whatever we find to do in the in-between times, well, doesn't really matter.

Final Friday at Wendell

This post from the effervescent Andrew Jernigan was written as the cast concluded their residency at Wendell Elementary. Andrew is pictured here instructing a fourth-grade class at Wendell.


Thank goodness it's Friday!

We just wrapped up our two week residency at Wendell Elementary and pulled off a lot of spectacular informances (informative/informal performances). I think I can speak for the entire ensemble when I say this exceptional school had a lot of gifted and hardworking students. After rotating around the classes to see the various dances, plays, and songs the students created to recap what they had learned, I am inspired to push on to STARS and see what we can extract from the next school's future performing artists. But right now, it's time for some rest and relaxation over the weekend.
The fact that the school really centered it's interests into the arts was apparent through the children. The kids continued to point out on the walls which mounted paintings and drawings were their own. They really showed a pride in their work, and had an urgent desire to be a part of the work we were creating. Now, every school has creative and extroverted students, but not all can cultivate an environment that urges focus. Classes at Wendell had what's called a "mudroom", which is a buffer zone between classrooms used for art supplies, storage, and the children's belongings. So while the other classroom isn't necessarily visible, it is certainly audible. Needless to say, this can be distracting, especially when Mr. Adrian is next door doing his Dr. Boogie routine, accompanied by Mr. William's funk guitar riff and Mr. Ulung's bongo drumming, while we are discussing why a seed needs water to sprout. What would you rather be a part of? However, the level of concentration was impressive. I think the teacher's must have been quick to regulate wandering attention and nip it in the bud.
All of the teachers at Wendell Elementary were extremely supportive of the Open Dream mission. They participated in the circle discussions as often as possible, when we split into groups they helped guide the students if there weren't enough teacher artists, even the bold and daring joined the dance parties, and none could resist the joy of singing. Oh, and our entire ensemble was fed everyday, different home cooked meals... This was a fabulous school. We are truly gracious.
So, I leave Wendell Elementary feeling positive about the experience as a whole. Thanks to all the teachers, good luck to all the students, and now it's time for a well deserved nap!!!! Zzzzzz....

45-minutes of fun!

This post is from lovely Julianne Harper. Julianne is best known to our audiences as the tap-dancing Abeona and is pictured here leading a class in Wendell, NC.


We are now starting our last week of residencies for the season in Vass, NC at STARS. Mr. Ulung and I are working with first grade this time around, which has been an absolute pleasure! We love to sing about plants, dance like our favorite animals, and practice being "professional" performers as well as audience members. Our biggest challenge is trying to fit all of our fun into just forty-five minutes!
As this is our third residency together, Mr. Ulung and I have definitely found our groove as teaching partners. In past seasons I have taught with actors and other dancers, but this is my first time being paired with a musician. Mr. Ulung plays basically any instrument imaginable, so our classrooms have been filled with the beautiful sounds of the flute, saxophone, guitar, recorder, drums, and even the harmonica! Every lesson we teach is able to go so much further because of this wonderful music. The pairing of dance and music has proven to be such an effective combination to reach our learning goals. And I have to say, all of our STARS students are excellent little dancers and musicians!

Artist + Teaching + (…) = Teaching Artist

This post is from Ulung Tanoto. It's always fun to see which instruments Ulung brings into a classroom - guitar, drums, flute, saxophone, harmonica, and instruments from his native Indonesia have made appearances thus far -- and we still have a dozen days of residency work to go!


We are actors, musicians and dancers. And we are also teachers. Is that what makes us teaching artists? It's not that simple. After our first residency at Shuford Elementary, our manager, Rebecca Nussbaum brought us a piece of paper that, I have to admit, shocked me a little. That paper (contains information) about levels of art integration - how deep does art integration can reach the effectiveness of learning. (A lot of questions appeared in my mind. Have I done everything right? It seemed so difficult to achieve the top level of art integration in just 2 weeks of residency. Will the kids ever get it? I knew that (the point of showing us that paper) is to encourage us to be a better teaching artist team. And that's, to me, is the key that define teaching artist. Teaching artist has to know the art of teaching and keep exploring the way of art integration. I believe that we are a good teaching artist team because we have strong art background (and we are always challenged to always explore our artistry???). And, I feel more and more confident doing what I do as days gone by, thinking that I'm not pursuing an immediate result. (Instead, we are) planting seeds of creative learning to these young minds in a fun way.

Actor's Tools have Many Uses

This post comes from the wonderful, luau-dancing Andrew Jernigan. Andrew is pictured here leading a class in residency work.


After graduating from the Drama Department of UNCSA in 2010, I was well equipped with what the faculty described as a "toolbelt" of techniques to help further my craft in the performance arts. These included methods for enhancing clarity of voice, engagement of body, and active use of the imagination. When combined, the stage can be filled with stimulating story-telling. Of course, no one mentioned that these tools were applicable to teaching elementary students.
When dealing with the short attention span of students aging anywhere between seven and twelve years old, one must be quick on there feet to maintain the interest of the unforgiving geniuses. I try to maintain succinct and articulate speech because a mumbling voice is the first to lose the confidence of listeners. This goes both ways however, as I constantly encourage the children to use their "actor voices" during discussions in the circle, reading aloud the vocabulary words, and while narrating and performing in skits. Whether using a clear voice or not, circle discussions are most often the moments during a class that invite fidgetiness. To regain the focus of the class, I jump up and try to enliven the lesson by using my body as an interactive example. Whether I morph into a Volcano, an organism in a specific ecosystem, or even a jackhammer, suddenly the children remember why learning can be a fun part of there daily routine... Even if it does mean making a clown of myself. However, both the voice and body exercises are useless if there is no imagination backing them up, which is what brings me to the most important tool of a teacher artist. All of us constantly throw ourselves into imaginary circumstances when teaching, knowing that children's imaginations work exponentially faster than our own. So, as long as we create a fully visceral beach in the classroom when learning about sand, there shouldn't be a problem with wandering interests. And if all goes well, the reward will probably be an awesome dance party at a Hawaiian luau... Aloha!

Season Update and Stay Tuned!

This post is from the lovely Danielle Rennalls, a recent graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama. She is pictured here, battling Demeter, in the role of Diana.


We began on August 8th, dividing our 9 am to 5 pm workday between the two projects: "Peril..." and the beloved "Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble" web series.

In between the table work, music rehearsals, and fight choreography tutorials (3 years of combat training at UNCSA and I'm STILL getting the hang of it (0: ), we devoted any spare time to transition rehearsals and introductory teaching artistry training.

If this sounds like a lot, it was!

And yet, having recently graduated with a degree in Directing, I couldn't have been happier diving in to it all: To get the opportunity to finally get up from behind the table, to leave my analytical brain behind and to just, as Caroline Kava would say, "do the doing!" I must say it provided a renewed sense of confidence in my craft as well as in my ability to work hard in a group setting. Before the month of August came to an end, Open Dream Ensemble had pieced together two very different, very lively pieces.

After wrapping filming for the web series our attentions turned to teacher artistry. And trust me, they call it artistry for a reason. Our group learned about multiple intelligences, stages of child development by grade level, and classroom etiquette prior to any lesson planning. Along with the "mini" T.A. sessions during August rehearsals, these concepts helped form a solid foundation for new cast members like myself.

While I initially harbored some anxiety I soon learned (with reassurance/encouragement from my cast mates and Rebecca) that this, like every other craft, would take practice and it was okay if I didn't get something perfect the very first time my teaching artist partner and I taught a class. There would always be room for growth. Our 1st residency of the season took place in Conover, NC at Shuford Elementary. William and I constantly worked toward finding what kept our students engaged and what didn't, tossing out activities or tweaking them. One major challenge I faced, and still face, was relaying the science content in a manner that meets essential standards while simultaneously engaging with the students on a fun, creative level. We were lucky to observe some of the other teaching artist groups in action, using any helpful tidbits or ideas they'd have to match creativity and educational standards. By the end of Week 2, not only did we gain another member to our teaching artist team (Mr. Adrian aka Dr. Boogie), we managed to budget activity time more efficiently within the classroom without sacrificing content or fun.

We've spent the last two weeks touring "Peril" at schools around NC and VA, working on Kindergarten and Grade One lesson plans, and presented a staged reading of Michaela Morton's "Big Shoes."

These days we're in our second residency at Wendell Creative Arts and Science Magnet Elementary School in Wendell, NC. Stay tuned!

Learning, Laughing, and Living!

This post comes from Marissa Byers, an amazing clarinetist and fire dancer (yes, really!) Marissa is a high school graduate of UNCSA School of Music and first-year Open Dreamer.


The Open Dream Ensemble is one of the most significant reasons I'm glad to have moved from Manhattan back to my home town... The ever lovely, classy and bohemian, arts and history packed town of Winston Salem, NC. It's thrilling to witness the world class standard of excellence that resides right here in Camel City. The Open Dream Ensemblers rep-re-sent. What a driving, rocking, energetic and crazy fun cast of characters! Haydee, Julianne, Danielle, Ace, Adrien, Guy, William, and Ulung... It is safe to say that we have reached sibling status by now.

The first month of this season was incredibly demanding for all of us. I mean wow. Wow. Between learning and memorizing lines, music, choreography and stage direction for the show AND the six episode web series, and diving into education training- to learn classroom management, state standards, daily lesson planning to devise theater, music, and dance activities as our means to teach students about science ... Not to mention learning elementary school science(which is not that elementary), THEN teaching it as we embarked on our first residency AND performing our show Peril on the Red Planet(we are also the load in and load out crew)... I'm stunned that I still remember my own name.

Can I just mention now- after my rant- that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT?! Everyone in this group works hard and is phenomenal at what they do. We're all divas and we know it, but the generosity, humor, and sportsmanship of this ensemble is astounding. To the gorgeous brain mama of it all, Rebecca Nussbaum, hats off to you ;)

A lot of learning going around

This post is from the green guard robot, Guy Kelpin. A multi-talented fellow, Guy is a graduate of UNCSA School of Music in trombone performance and School of Filmmaking in film composition.


The first two months of the Open Dream Ensemble season have been a whirlwind! My brain kind of hurts a little. The amount of information we've covered in such a short time astonishes me, and it impresses me to realize that we mounted two productions while simultaneously tackling the elementary school curriculum. It seems each day brings a new revelation to me as both an artist and as a teacher. I feel like I'm just trying to keep up with all the activity, and I hope to be contributing as much as I can. I have to admit it's been pretty overwhelming! Luckily for me, I had already been pretty familiar with the curriculum material; however, the concepts of being a teaching-artist presented the highest learning curve for me. I have a relatively introverted personality, so perhaps my biggest learning experiences have been my own self-discovery. Let's hope my own new understandings will help have a positive impact on our students. Certainly, there is a lot of learning going on around here lately!

US vs Indonesian Education

This post is from the multi-talented Ulung Tanoto. Ulung hails from Indonesia and came to UNCSA to study film composition, graduating last year form the School of Filmmaking. Here he is teaching a fourth grade class in Conover.


It looks so fun! That was the first thing that came up to my mind when I was asked about my impression about elementary school in United States (US). Is it true? Well, what do you think? Colorful interior, fancy playground, indoor gym, fun library are things you commonly find in every elementary school in US, right? I am honestly jealous with the kids here for having schools that are very facilitating because I didn't grow up experiencing that. Being a very-developed country, it is not surprising that even in a remote areas, every school must meet a certain standard. Let's take a look at the curriculum. I have a feeling that it is less depth than my elementary experience. I could be wrong, but only couple of multiple choice questions after two weeks of training, come on?! That's too easy! I remember did hundreds of questions in a daily basis when I was in elementary school. However, from my point of view, in US curriculum, the understanding of the concept is more emphasized and creativity is triggered rather than giving too much extra. I actually like that. Again, I could be wrong, but that is my honest opinion.

One thing that is really interesting is the existence of A+ schools in US, which is very brilliant. I have never heard of it before I had this "teaching artist training" with Open Dream Ensemble. The way it uses multi-intelligence approach through arts-integrated curriculum can be more effective than the traditional-verbal training, in my opinion, of course if it's implemented correctly. Did I mention OPEN DREAM ENSEMBLE? I really respect how this group has a noble commitment to bring a high standard arts-integrated teaching through their teaching artist residencies program. I am glad to be part of it. Plus, I get to visit schools in US and take the positive values from their education system. I'll talk more about how I feel being a teaching artist in my next blog. To be continue…

How Do You Know If They Get IT???

This post comes from the delightful Julianne Harper. A third-year member of Open Dream Ensemble and UNCSA School of Dance graduate, Julianne has stepped into a leadership role this season as Co-Tour Manager. The many facets of her work for Open Dream are all greatly appreciated - as is her tap dancing robot!


HELLOOOO THERE! As you might know, Open Dream works with many students at various schools across North Carolina. We focus on teaching second through fifth grade science curriculum( as Haydee has mentioned). In many cases the students have yet to start their study on such topics, so we are the introduction. With this comes great responsibility and challenge on our end -- to make sure we get things started right!

Since Open Dream focuses on teaching science through the arts, the kids get to learn about ecosystems through raps, dances, and skits they develop themselves to showcase their understanding of the material. Just having a creative outlet to explore such concepts like ecosystems is new to the children, so that paired with the new science information can present a big question…"How do you know they get it?" Throughout the controlled chaos that ensues on these explorations, I find myself often wondering if they have grasped the curriculum, if I have done my job as a teacher. Of course they are having fun and when they present their work it is filled with inventive creativity, but the question still remains. So at the end of each class, each exploration, comes review time. "What can you tell me about ecosystems?" As almost every hand raises, the classroom is flooded with information the students have learned about ecosystems, or whatever the topic is for that day. And it's not just memorized information, it is discoveries that the kids have made that has ultimately led them to a true understanding of the material…SUCCESS!

Busy Times

This post is from one of the Open Dream newbies - Adrian Knowles. A recent graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama, Adrian is an actor and all-around nice fellow! (Despite what his character in our upcoming web series might have you believing).


Has time flown by that quickly? It's already late in September and it feels like yesterday that us Open Dreamers were meeting and greeting around a table in the basement of a local theater. 9-5 workdays, just like a real job! And believe me, what a real job it is. I graduated from UNCSA in May and I like telling myself I nailed my first professional audition, but I didn't know what I was in for. Rehearsing for a show that includes singing and playing music, both of which have been a struggle for me since I was a kid, has been an eye opening experience. But the beautiful thing is, all of us have been asked to step outside our comfort zone. The 4 musicians in the cast are being called on to act and the actors are being asked to play instruments. The support we receive from our fellow cast members has been essential to keeping positive in times of stress. But there's more! We're TEACHING. We just finished our first 2 week teaching gig on the 23rd. It was a little daunting, but we were well prepared thanks to a week long training session. The kids made the experience well worth it. I'm excited to see what we get into next.

Dirty Dishes and the Science Curriculum

This post is from the talented Haydee Thompson. When not studying science or doing dishes, Haydee is an actress with the Open Dream Ensemble. We are fortunate to have her as a member for the fifth year. This season she also takes up the post of Residency Manager.

So our first residency has ended and I am enjoying my first real weekend at home catching up on laundry and many other household chores.
We spent the last two weeks at Shuford Elementary in Conover NC. This year we are teaching the new science curriculum that will be in effect next school year.
Everyday, four different grades and four different science subjects, amounting to close to 40 separate lesson plans. PHEW! The troupe and I have a joke that if its not in the curriculum we just don't know. We had the pleasure of teaching everything from as far out as the universe to tiny seeds, and that was just the third grade. Add the water-cycle,
life-cycle, ecosystems, genetics, volcanoes, fossils, (the list does go on and on), and I find myself actually relearning a thing or two! The challenges were creating fun and effective experiential activities for each days focus. The reward was certainly the enthusiasm of the kids and the obvious learning and understanding that was apparent. It takes a lot of work to have fun, and although the dirty dishes in my sink might not think so, all this hard work is well worth it.

Season Seven

Amazing and true - Open Dream Ensemble is now in our seventh season of bringing original musical theater productions and in-school residencies to students across North Carolina and beyond!

We started season seven on August 8 with four weeks of rehearsal and shooting for our new season of our web series The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble. We then moved to a quick week of teaching artist training and pushed into a two-week residency at Shuford Elementary School in Conover, NC. Phew! Today is a well-earned day off then onto three weeks of performances before we begin another two-week residency.

Our blog is becoming active again. We'll be posting entries from our nine talented cast members in the coming months -- so stay tuned!

Script Competition Winner

When Open Dream Ensemble announced a script competition last summer, we did not know what to anticipate.

To our delight, we had a number of quality submissions and one that really stood out as a potential production for Open Dream Ensemble.

Through the next months we got to know Gordy Burton Brown, the Triplets Ish, Emily, Robber, Cobbler and a host of characters in addition to Venn diagrams, mapping, travel up Mount Blackmore, and how important it is to have shoes that you fit! We also got to know Michaela Morton, a young playwright with big ideas, a huge imagination and an enormous smile.

Michaela, a graduate of the UNCSA High School Drama program, had her initial visit from Gordy in the Dallas Airport, where in her own words, “I took out my laptop and started writing. The first sentence was 'In Gordy's world, everything was just Gordy's size.' The idea was a kid whose whole life fit him to a T, but all he could see was his brother's world, which was bigger than his.” Her idea grew into the play Big Shoes or, in full, Big Shoes: The Abbreviated but None-the-less Epic Tale of a Journey of the Soles of Gordy Brown

The next step for Gordy is a reading from the UNCSA high school drama students under the leadership of Kelly Maxner, former co-Artistic Director of Open Dream Ensemble. From there we’ll see if Gordy develops legs, but as for now, we are just happy to have him coming off the page and into a studio!

Congratulations to Michaela for her winning submission!