Posted March 20, 2013
Middle School Rowers Tackle Middle School Issues on Theater Field Trip
By Brittany Aiello
Middle School Program Director, Manhattan
The Manhattan middle school team traveled to Baruch College on Saturday, March 2nd, to see the original production of Inside Out, performed by the CAT Youth Theatre Group. The CAT Youth Theatre is a free afterschool program for high school kids throughout New York City. Now in its 18th year, CAT Youth Theatre has presented over 40 original productions and has performed by invitation nationally and internationally. There is no audition for this group, and members are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Working together, the members create and present original ensemble theatre productions on topical subjects and concepts.
After four train switches (and surprisingly not having lost anyone along the way!), the middle school team arrived at Baruch College for the 2:30 performance. Just walking into the Performing Arts Center was an image in itself for some of the middle school kids. Although we have been to Sarah Lawrence College to visit the tanks, it was a positive experience for the middle school students to explore the facilities of another college. We were directed down a set of winding stairs and into the lobby of the theatre. Maureen Donohue, the organizer for this event, welcomed our kids and briefly explained more about the production and the actors in the production.
The CAT Youth Theatre performers did an excellent job at portraying situations in which people’s lives can be turned inside out. Each topic covered was about ten minutes in length. The topics they covered included the following:
“Out of the Picture” (the experience of being an adopted child)
“The In Crowd” (succumbing to peer pressure versus staying true to oneself)
“An Inside Look at Gender” (focusing on gender stereotypes related to dress)
“Turned Inside Out by Hurricane Sandy” (effects on families after natural disasters hit)
“Kicked Out” (the experience of a family being evicted from their home)
“Keep Out” (issues surrounding interracial relationships)
“Inside The Body” (what happens to the inside of the body when not eating healthy)
“Inside the Mind” (experiences and stereotypes of people who suffer with mental illness)
“An Inside Look at Beauty” (focused on inside beauty versus outside beauty)
“In and Out of Love” (feelings of being single versus being in a relationship)
“Inside the Body ll” (succumbing to peer pressure of having sex)
Although most of the topics were heavy, the CAT Youth Theatre performers presented each one in a very creative and comical way, without making light of each situation. Our middle school kids were able to walk away from the production both enjoying the experience and also having learned a little more about the topics covered.
