www.mywebtimes.com, Ottawa, Illinois
October 04, 2010
MWAH! -- Marseilles Elementary School students honored in inspirational assembly
By newsroom@mywebtimes.com, 815-433-2000
Posted October 04, 2010, 10:30 pm
In a special assembly at Marseilles Elementary School, students in grades 5 through 8 were treated to a heartwarming and humorous production of the MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe.
Made up of 14 kids and teens ranging from ages 10 to 19, MWAH! (an acronym for "Messages Which Are Hopeful") incorporates song, dance, acting and improvisation to address a wide array of subjects faced by teenagers.
The non-profit organization was created by Ray Moffitt, a former Maywood police social worker and began touring in 1993. MWAH! is affiliated with the Chicago Area Project and Kids Do Count teen outreach programs.
When Marseilles science teacher Gayle Bianchi discovered the troupe at a teen showcase held at Illinois Valley Community College a few years ago, she rushed back to share news of the inspirational performance with school social worker Stacy Brannan. MWAH! made its first appearance at the school two years ago and Brannan couldn't wait to get them back.
"They put on an excellent show and the kids go bananas when they know the show is coming. They just love it," Brannan said.
Beth Oeschel has three of her children in the ensemble cast and her oldest, now a junior in college, started the family affair five years ago. The other children — 16-year-old Chris, Alex,14, and Taylor,10 — spend many hours practicing and touring with the group dedicated to sharing positive messages about teen issues, core values and making good choices.
"It's kids talking to kids about the things that face our children these days. Kids seem to listen to other kids more sometimes so this really works," Oeschel said.
The performance opened with a heated dispute between the narrator and an "audience member," played by another troupe member planted in the bleachers among the other students. A verbal and somewhat physical battle ensued over the currently proposed Muslim mosque controversy in attempts at promoting acceptance in diversity.
Other topics addressed by MWAH! included teen suicide, drinking and driving, abusive relationships and texting while driving. Marseilles Police Chief Jim Hovious spoke of the dangers of drinking, texting while driving and cyber-bullying.
"Words, both written and spoken, are out there forever. Don't say or write anything you wouldn't say to your mother or want on the front page of the newspaper." he said.
Hovious pleaded with the students to never drive drunk or get in the car with someone who's been drinking, adding, "Call someone. Call the police for a ride if you have to. Believe it or not, we enjoy saving people more than arresting them."
Audience participation plays a big role in MWAH! presentations. As such, several pre-selected students were incorporated in the program, including eighth-grader, Daniel Close, who played a role in an improvisational skit about diversity.
Several other students were honored for their efforts in humanitarianism, academic achievements and being overall "everyday heroes." Selected by Bannan, they included Emmitt Doty, Autumn Oley, Jesse Alvarez, Madeline Orbell, Tommy Vangelisiti, Dan Heaton and Haylei Roark — who received a special tribute for her efforts as a good role model.
The students were brought onto the set and personally serenaded with vocals to the pop song lyrics, "I can be your hero, baby."
Closing the assembly was a special dance performance by approximately 40 Marseilles elementary students. After a two-hour morning rehearsal, the students joined the troupe in a dance and song rendition of The Black-Eyed Peas song "I Got A Feeling." Lyrics to the song were changed to "I gotta feeling. ... that I'm gonna live a good life" to further instill a desire to make good choices and hold strong to good values and morals.
For more information about MWAH! or to book an event, call Moffitt at 630-993-0003, or visit the website MWAH! page.
