Turn Loose the Voices is a video produced by Young Actors' Forum that "explores the impact of prejudice and the value of diversity from the point of view of young people." Originally produced as a musical for stage, it was remade as a video production following many requests from interested educators.
An immediate strength of the program is the diversity of the cast. The beginning is very powerful as the actors discuss a piece of their heritage in turn, each holding a picture from their family's history. The program consists of a variety of small sketches each giving rise to important diversity issues, and each begging for discussion.
Some issues in Turn Loose the Voices are presented directly, as one student makes an obviously prejudiced statement to another. Other issues are presented more indirectly, through movement and expression, allowing the audience to explore their own feelings and prejudices in relation to the actors'.
This video is ideal for K-12 teachers interested in starting a discussion of diversity issues and/or multiculturalism in the classroom. With its diverse cast and multiple approach attack of these issues, the Young Actors' Forum did a brilliant job of trying not to exclude any group of people based on cultural identity or learning style.
The video includes two versions of the show, the uninterrupted version (approx. 1 hr.), and the segmented teachers' version, divided into the sixteen short scenes. A closed-captioned version is also available. A study guide is also included which has short descriptions of each scene, activities, discussion ideas, etc. The study guide alone is an excellent resources, and along with the video, provides educators with an outstanding tool to begin discussion of diversity issues.
All profits from video sales go towards production costs fro creating more shows with kids.
To order, contact Will Weigler at:
Young Actors' Forum
183 Tioga Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94134
Phone/Fax: 415-467-3333
OR
e-mail: san-fran@ix.netcom.com
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