100 students participate in TO THE PROMSIED LAND Workshop



Students discuss different themes that are represented
throughout TO THE PROMISED LAND.

On Tuesday, January 29, students from Milwaukee Jewish Day School and Milwaukee College Prep participated in a special pre-show workshop before seeing the world premiere of TO THE PROMISED LAND.  Students worked together to explore themes from the play with First Stage teaching artists, Director Sheri Williams Pannell and volunteers from Future Milwaukee.  The workshop included activities based on the historical context of the play and prominent themes represented throughout the show. “The play is about the journey of a young person searching for truth while struggling with the tests that come with life in an urban setting,” said Director Sheri Williams Pannell. “TO THE PROMISED LAND serves as a catalyst to encourage dialogue about Milwaukee history,” she continued.

First Stage Education Director Julia Magnasco works closely with Milwaukee College Prep throughout the year planning field trips, literacy residencies, and theater workshops.  This is this first time the two schools were brought together to learn through theater and participate in a workshop like this. 





During the "What do you stand for?" exercise, students created
a sculpture titled "Stop the violence"

The activities were centered on themes including courage, endurance, perseverance, justice and equality.  The interactive sessions demonstrated inequality and offered an opportunity for discussion and exploring feelings associated with injustice.  Next, students participated in a dialogue about quotes from the show and their relevance to real life.  Lastly, the groups worked on an activity titled “What do you stand for?” by creating a sculpture with their bodies depicting an issue of injustice or importance that they feel strongly about and illustrating how they can make a difference. 

 The workshop was a success and, not only did the students enjoy the activities, but they also enjoyed meeting one another, sharing contact information, and making new friends in the process. 

Check out the photo gallery from this event on our Facebook page!