An appearance by MWAH! at Brooks Middle School in Bolingbrook
(The Bolingbrook Patch Online News)
November 2, 2013
The MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe following its performance at MacArthur
Middle School in Berkeley, a western suburb of Chicago, on October 15, 2013
(photo by Jeremy Reed of Impact Life Photography)
By Ron Kremer, Bolingbrook Patch News Editor
Awareness and choices will be common themes in a special appearance in Bolingbrook on Monday morning, November 4, by the youthful MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe.
The 90–minute current issues–oriented assembly at Brooks Middle School for all eighth grade students will begin at 8:40 a.m. in the auditorium of the school, located at 350 Blair Lane in Bolingbrook.
In addition to highlighting a recent influx of narcotics in the western suburbs, resulting in tragic consequences for area teenagers, the troupe will focus on several recent cyber–bullying related youth suicides, including a 12–year–old girl from Florida and several youth from Downstate Illinois and the Chicago suburbs; and, in a positive contrast, recent success stories involving Brooks Middle School students and staff members.
Other true story issues, using various forms of the performing arts, include the challenges of dealing with divorce and family break–ups; coping with racial and ethnic discrimination; and the appropriate handling of abusive situations, both at school at home, including current procedures at Brooks for dealing with bullying.
The essence of the 12–member MWAH! ensemble – an acronym for Messages Which Are Hopeful – is real life drama combined with contemporary music and lots of audience interaction.
A key objective on Monday will be to cause Brooks eighth graders to think about some real life and death issues presented by peers and then relate the messages to their own lives.
In a rousing finale, a number of Brooks students will join MWAH! troupe members in a choreographed hip hop dance finale, having rehearsed together earlier on Monday morning.
Current troupe members range in age from 12 to 18, and they attend 11 schools in seven cities and towns throughout the western suburbs of Chicago as well as Rockford.
The not–for–profit troupe is affiliated with Kids Do Count, Inc. and the Chicago Area Project, a grass–roots service and advocacy program based in downtown Chicago and part of an Illinois–wide community services network targeting at–risk youth and their families.
Arranging for the troupe’s appearance at Brooks has been Loretta Furtute, assistant principal; Danielle McDermott, 8th grade counselor; and Cheryl Jordan, administrative assistant at the Bolingbrook site of the Du Page County Area Project, sponsor of the event.
Further information about the MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe is available on its website at mwah.net .