The kids of
Mosaic Youth Theatre have more talent in their little fingers than most of us could ever hope for, but they’ve worked hard to hone their skills.
Mosaic, a Detroit institution that delivers professional-grade
theatrical training to youth, also gives kids a chance to explore
Detroit’s rich past to find inspiration for the future. The nonprofit
theater company’s original shows have immersed the young actors and
techies into the classic sounds of the city. They discovered the world
of Motown in last year’s
Now That I Can Dance — Motown 1962 and now 1940s jazz, blues and swing in this season’s
Hastings Street.
Ken Anderson, Mosaic artistic director of programming, says not just
the teens, but all Detroiters take for granted the depth of history
here. The Mosaic kids are carrying the torch for youth and creativity
in the city.
“There is such a rich history, one of teenagers and the arts. There’s so much talent here," he says.
“Detroit teens don’t grow up with a lot of glamour. They have to create
their own,” Anderson says. “Detroit culture is one that is gritty and
tough. And teenagers here grow up with that kind of character. But
there’s an upside to gritty and tough. The teens take direction better
and they have a great sense of perseverance.”
While they are getting a history lesson, the young Mosaic actors also
get to discover their talents and gain confidence through the
performing arts.
“The goal is to expose people to a wide range of voices. Mosaic is
about expecting excellence — not just enough to go on stage and to be
great at it. Mosaic Youth Theatre is all about excellence; creating
excellence in the work and excellence in yourself,” Anderson says.
Life-changing experience
Anderson is not only the artistic director, but he’s also an alumnus of
the troupe. “I started out as a kid in the program about 14 years ago,
and it was an amazing experience,” he says. “It changed my life. The
members of the Mosaic are so motivated and inspired by the experience
that it teaches them not only about art but life skills as well.”
In addition to the acting ensemble, Mosaic features 60-voice choir
whose repertoire includes everything from classical to spirituals, and
from musical theater to hip-hop and R&B. “I tell the young
people that Handel was a lot like hip-hop in his time — that he was a
catalyst to change, and that they can also be catalysts to change.”
About 600 kids participate in Mosaic’s programs each year, including
acting and singing but also working on the tech side of theater —
learning to run the lights, do make-up and costumes, build sets, etc.
So, when you see a Mosaic show, the kids have had a hand in about every
aspect of it.
“We don’t want to define for them what art should be. We want to give
them a range of cognitive and conceptual tools to help them define that
for themselves,” Anderson says.
The kids come from all over metro Detroit — including students from the
Detroit School for the Arts and suburban cities like Birmingham. They
range in age from 8 to 18, and the curriculum is demanding.
Their teachers are pros and demand professionalism from the kids. Such
is commitment to quality that the group has gotten national attention
from places like National Public Radio and the
Today Show.
But it pays off: 95 percent of the youth ensemble goes on to college after graduating high school.
Hastings Street re-imagined
Their upcoming show,
Hastings Street,
explores the lives of teenagers in 1940s Detroit and their experiences
during the city’s race riots. “Most of the teens didn’t know that
there were riots in the 1940s,” says Anderson. “The experience has
gotten them into the music of the 1940s. The experience has helped
shape their opinions of the times they’re living in. They didn’t have
knowledge about the city, their history and why the city is what it is.
It has provided insight.”
The work is an ensemble piece with a cast of 110. The story is based
around the character of Langston Hughes and his experiences with a
group of youngsters during his visit to Detroit. For the first time,
Mosaic has invited a professional adult, Council Cargle, a
well-known Detroit actor, to join them. He’ll play Hughes.
Set in 1945, the play follows the story of a group of Miller High
schools students as they attempt to create a play about their own lives
to be performed at an annual talent competition called the
“Jabberwock,” and Hughes’ character helps inspire them.
Cast members interviewed people who experienced the city at the time,
and the young actors became inspired by their stories, fostering what
Anderson calls “credibility and understanding between generations."
“It frames young people’s lives and the lives of those who came before
them,” Anderson says of the history lesson. “It gives it an absolute
context — all the good and the bad is a result of what came before. And
it gives them a reason to stay inspired.”
Mosaic Youth Theatre’s Hastings Street
runs
May 12-14 and 19-21 at the Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit
Institute of Arts. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 4
p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $18 and $12 and available online at www.dia.org, or charge by phone at 313.833.4005.
The company’s first-ever summer musical production, Purlie
, will run in August. The theater group is calling all alumni and other adult actors to audition for the show. Click here for more information.
Mosaic Theatre Rehersal Photos Copyright Dave Krieger
Promotional Shot and Poster Copyright Mosaic Youth Theatre