The Young Adult's View from the Stars
Read PlayhouseSquare's STAR Reporters only on Cool Cleveland

The PlayhouseSquare Arts Education Department has long been a wealth of knowledge and experience to local teens, anchoring their four teen programs with solid, real-world experience. The department's Slam U Peer Mentors, STAR Reporters, "Students Take A Role at the Square" (STARS) and Teen Advisory Council programs are packed with great experiential learning opportunities that engage young people in a meaningful way.

We here at Cool Cleveland are proud to showcase one of their programs, The STAR Reporters in the coming weeks and months ahead. Ten Northeast Ohio students will be contributing exclusive editorial content for our weekly e-blast newsletter and website, offering them an opportunity to be published, start a portfolio and gain the real-time experience writing on deadline for editors.

"STAR Reporters have an opportunity to react and comment to their experience in the theater and that's the value of live entertainment," says Colleen Porter, the Director of Education for PlayhouseSquare's Arts Education Department. "Instead of creating something, we let them tell the story. They've really shown us that they have a unique approach and interesting perspective in theater and arts."

STAR Reporters review KeyBank Broadway Series productions at PlayhouseSquare just like professional critics. From a wide field of applicants who submitted writing samples, ten students were selected for this program and receive admission to "Press Night" performances -- all with the expectation that their reviews will post to a Facebook, MySpace or blog page. Training for theatrical reviewing, helmed by Assistant Director Ray Gargano, was provided to the successful applicants, all Northeast Ohio residents ages 14-19.

In addition to fostering habits of attendance, conversation and community involvement in the the arts, Porter tells Cool Cleveland that the program is "competitive, with a lot of responsibility involved and helps promote a sense of ownership in a cultural organization and the community. And it teaches some essential communication and writing skills as well."

Visit PlayhouseSquare's Arts Education Department at http://www.playhousesquare.org/artseducation or learn more by calling 348-7909. And keep your eyes peeled for a handful of reviews with a STAR designation... those will be coming from the next generation of Cleveland's critics and reviewers and you'll only find them here at Cool Cleveland.

From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com
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