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Philip Livingston Magnet Academy Students, College of Saint Rose Perform Shakespeare Comedy

Students in Philip Livingston Magnet Academy's Theatre Ensemble will present William Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream on Thursday, June 9, and Friday, June 10, at 7 p.m. in the school's auditorium, 315 Northern Boulevard. Suggested donations for the performance are $5, with all proceeds supporting future arts programming for the magnet program at Philip Livingston Magnet Academy.

"For more than a decade the performing arts program at Livingston has prepared young performers to interpret a variety of dramatic literature, including Shakespeare," says Magnet Program Coordinator Ward Dales. "The performing arts program maintains high expectations of its students, and they never fail to meet them. Most newcomers to our show are speechless after a performance because their expectations of middle school student performers have been blown through the roof."

This year's performance has an added bonus. The district has forged a relationship with the College of Saint Rose, which has opened its doors to share resources and future possibilities. "Saint Rose is interested in partnerships that bring us into the community, as well as into the schools. This opportunity to explore the relationship between arts education and academic performance has been fantastic, and it also has helped us understand how we might provide resources and learning opportunities for all stakeholders in the education of Albany's young people," says Professor Leslie Lewis, who oversees the college's contribution to the project.

In addition to the rehearsal of the play, other after-school programs related to the production and the play's theme have included filmmaking, lighting, sound, and make-up design workshops. Also, an after-school writer's project has brought College of Saint Rose faculty and guest poets to the school. This project has strengthened student interest in writing through the exploration of Spoken Word poetic forms.

Brendan Fix, coordinator of the writing project, has seen firsthand what a powerful motivator the arts can be. "One of my students, who had been virtually unmotivated during the school day, has attended every workshop since the project began. In fact, she took charge of the screenplay writing component of our filmmaking workshop without any prompting."

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The City School District of Albany serves almost 9,400 students in 19 elementary, middle and high schools. The district includes several magnet schools and programs, as well as other innovative academic opportunities for students in addition to neighborhood schools. The district is more than halfway through its comprehensive facilities project to newly build and/or renovate nearly all of its elementary and middle schools. The ultimate goal of the facilities project is to provide schools with the resources necessary to help students succeed in the 21st Century.