Awesome Enterprise

This post is from the beneficent Beth Bostic. All last month, Beth spent most of her waking hours in the Stevens Center basement directing the cast in preparation for the debut of Big Shoes. She is pictured here leading the cast in a movement exercise.

While giving my house a long over-due vacuuming this morning, I finally had a chance to reflect on this Bold Adventure, this Awesome Enterprise that is "The Big Shoes" and the Open Dream Ensemble.

The mission of O.D.E. is, as I understand it to bring a theatrical experience incorporating as many disciplines as possible and of the highest esthetic quality to children in a school setting and to offer a classroom experience with the artists integrating active learning of actual curriculum topics.

Knowing the cast, as I now do, I can't imagine a better ensemble to fulfill this mission.
I have been continually over whelmed with their talent and courage in trying and succeeding beyond the boundaries of their comfort zones. And I have observed that each has a definite gift for teaching. In order to create the show, they have had to teach each other new skills.

We all know the old saw, "those that can do..."etc., but in the Performing Arts it's a little different; those that can also teach. A life in the Performing Arts is continual teaching and learning. It is one of the last bastions of the Master/Apprentice learning mode - to reach excellence there is no other way to learn it.

Directing "Big Shoes" has been such a joy. Working with this extraordinary cast, - I hope you know I love you all madly - and the wonderful folks at the Kenan Institute, has been a true high point in my artistic life. But a special and specially loud shout out has to go to Rebecca Nussbaum whose passion and dedication are remarkable and who holds the vision that is the Open Dream Ensemble.

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!