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To Kill a Mocking Bird at Young People's Theatre

10/28/2014

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By Sarah Ning (age 12)

What are you waiting for? Hurry up, or you'll be late for the "To Kill a Mocking bird" play at the Toronto's Young People's Theater (YPT)! From October 6 to November 2, the successful 1960 classic was turned into a play, by artistic director Allen Macinnis.

"This whole season is about fairness," says director Macinnis, "This play, and all the plays in this season have some idea of fairness. This is a play that's all about that."

The play is set in 1935. It is about a young girl named Scout who, while growing up, learns more about the way of life. She lives with her brother Jem, her widowed father Atticus Finch, and her maid Calpurnia. During the summer, she and Jem befriend a boy named Dill. They all share an obsession with the Radley house, because of a mysterious man who lives there: Arthur Radley, but the kids call him Boo. Soon after, the children's father, who is a lawyer, takes on a difficult case that includes a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white woman. Scout and Jem go on a journey which will teach them about racism, injustices, and simply, the ways of humanity and life.

Macinnis really likes the part where the jury reveals that Tom Robinson is guilty and the children was shocked by the ruling. He loved that because children should be shocked and outraged and that this is what racism can be like. His favourite part of being the artistic director is casting for the show. Macinnis says that trying to find the right people to play each character is difficult, but it’s really fun to do.

The opening night has full house and the theatre is packed with people. The show in my opinion is a very creative, original work of art. I personally liked the setting ─ how they made the beautiful trees  ─ because it's extremely unique and imaginative. I also really liked how Scout is both the main character and the narrator of the play. It's really cool that while everyone is acting their own part in the scene, Scout is simply just narrating the story; it's as if the cast pretends she's invisible!  The YPT turned the novel into such an amazing play!

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Courtroom scene
PictureSarah Ning with Lisa Berry (Calpurnia)
"I really liked the courtroom scene. I loved the staging of it, and I loved the use of the space," says Dustyn Wales, one of the audiences who really loved the play. Wales says that being Scout in the play would be an eye-opening experience; it would really change the way you looked at the rest of your life and the world. When I asked about the way he felt about racism and injustices in our society, he replied that it was still a big issue today, and that it's something that we're always dealing with.

"We've come a long way, but there's still a long way to go. And I think that's why this show is important; it's important to teach younger people that racism is still an issue," says Wales.

I also interviewed a younger kid in the audience. 13-year-old Sebastian Dal Belo said that he thought it was a good play and that it was pretty interesting. He said that if he was part of this play, he would want to be Jem, because he is like the leader of the play. Sebastian’s favourite part of the play is also the courtroom scene; because he thought it was the most upbeat part of the play. Belo also said that racism and injustices is bad and unfair.

Last but not least, I interviewed Lisa Berry, who plays the role of the black maid Calpurnia. She

"I love being a part in this play! It’s an important play, with a beautiful message that leaves people thinking about their own lives in a different way." says Berry.

Berry loves being an actress, because she simply loves being an artist. She says it really forces you to get to know yourself more.

"It gives you an opportunity to stop and smell the roses, and appreciates the little things, because you’ll have to play those moments,” says Berry about her life as an actress. “It [Acting] lets you see life from a lot of people’s perspectives because you’re building these three dimensional characters.”

Berry and the rest of the crew rehearsed for 3 weeks, 6 days a week, and 8 hours a day for the play. That’s a lot of work! One of the most challenging obstacles she faced was playing a character that was older than she is. Calpurnia, the character she was playing, is in her 40’s, but the 40’s in our era is different from the 40’s in 1935. Berry’s favourite part of the play is working on the scene where she really takes care of the kids when the mad dog threat happens, because it really shows how important she is in the family, and how important the kids are to her, even though she isn’t blood related to them.

In my opinion, this was a very interesting play to watch! It was a very good experience for me too, to learn what it was like to live in the 1930s, learn what the life of an actor was like, and learn more about racism and injustice! I would love to go back to the YPT and watch more of these plays anytime, and I hope you will feel the same way too!

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From left: Dana Osborne, the Set and Costume Designer of Kill a Mockingbird, Allen Macinnis, Artistic Director of YPT, Sarah Ning, Voice K Journalist
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Hi! My name is Sarah, and I'm 12 years old. I am currently in grade 7, and go to  Erin Center Middle School. My favourite colour is yellow, which I think is a very unique colour, because not many people choose it as their favourite. During my free time, I like to read, draw, play video games, hang out with my friends, and write my own little short stories. My favourite sports are badminton and volleyball. I have a 3 year old cat named Lily, and if you've seen her, your heart will melt! I honestly can say, I am very proud of my amazing talent: the piano. I've won multiple awards in many different competitions. In the nationals for piano, I've won 3rd for 2 years in a row, and last year, I won 5th! I've even been to some international competitions, though I don't actually win much outside of the country! Anyways, that's really all you need to know about me so... BYE! 
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HarbourKids Fall 4 U (Thanksgiving 2014)

10/21/2014

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On this Thanksgiving, HarbourKids decided to camp with the kids, and celebrate fall. The HarbourKids Fall for U event brought great fun to everyone on a warm and cloudy day.  

by Raymond Qiu (Age 10)
PictureVoice K journalists interviewing the Artistic Associate of HarbourKids program. From left: Katherine Sanders, Emma Zhang, Raymond Qiu
About HarbourKids 

HarbourKids was started in 2007, and it celebrates three holidays which are specifically: Victoria Day, Family day, and Thanksgiving.

 “HarbourKids is a program for children under 12.  Instead of doing Shakespeare, or something, we do contemporary art. It is a place that children have fun and gather,” introduced by Katherine Sanders, the Artistic Associate of HarbourKids program.  Katherine has worked with Harbourfront for 7 years and done the HarbourKids festival for 5 years.

There are similar events in different cities around Canada.  A lot of different art centers also have activities for kids, but what makes HarbourKids unique? “It is free and we do so many different kinds of art.  We don’t do just theatre, or music, or crafts.  We do everything,” Katherine told us proudly. 

While you see all the interesting things in HarbourKids, have you ever wondered about the background effort?  Katherine had to face many difficulties while setting up HarbourKids events, such as filing up the massive building with as much cool stuff as she could.  Katherine told us, “My favorite part of this event is seeing kids like you have a good time.  That’s the payoff.  I spend all year working on programming to make this festival awesome.  When I see kids actually show up and enjoy, it is the best part for sure.”    

This fall, there were more than 15 activities being setup inside and outside of the Harbourfront Center.  The festival was fun for everyone and it wouldn’t be hard to keep you busy for the day.                                                                                                               


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 Arts and Crafts           

The Arts and Crafts are certainly one thing many children love. The place looked crowded with youngsters even with its size. The activities attracted kids from all ages. Kids were eager to check out the “Lego Construction Zone”, “Cool Crafts with Mary Breen & Friends”, “Let’s Talk Science”, and “Stroller Salon.”  

When I stepped into the LEGO room, the display table was filled with creations by other children.  Very quickly, I built a temple and a face of an alien, and squeezed them on the table. 

The idea of Stroller Salon was really cool too.  You can design a stroller for the Natrel Stroller Parade.  I made a car in blue, black and yellow color, with a pair of plastic sticks attached to the top as the windshield.  During the parade, my stroller box was selected by a family to decorate their double stroller to be a wedding carriage.  I felt happy to see my stroller box get marched down the fields. 

Among all these activities, I have to say my favorite one is “Cool Crafts with Mary Breen & Friends”.  It was amusing to make paper pumpkins and design them, and create pins with your own drawings.  I created a pin whose face shows ‘Voice K’, and a pumpkin with a red eye.

At the corner of the same tent, a nice lady wearing a wool jacket was showing kids how to make yarn with spindle tools used in the old times.  It’s pretty impressive to see the raw wool be spun into yarn string.  Of course people nowadays don’t use this inefficient tool anymore, but it reminded me about pioneers. These activities definitely inspired children to think and design creatively.

Music and Dance 
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No matter what type of the festival it is, music is always welcomed to cheer up people, and yes there is music here at HarbourKids. On the Lakeside Terrace, people were lying on the lawn around the stage, listening to the booming tempo ejected from the drums, and watching performers on stage barefoot flipping here and there, doing something called an “African Dance.”  The clothes they wore were floppy as if it were made of animal’s skin. The rhythm gave me the sensation that a lion was hunting for food and chasing after an impala. 

You must admire how these great performers can translate the music into such a breathtaking piece. Would you also like to try? It’s possible here. HarbourKids has brought you a chance to try out different instruments, demonstrated by Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo” with Sistema Toronto. I bet your fist experience of playing an instrument is surly memorable.


Literature  
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It may sound boring to those who are not bookworms. Don’t worry; it’s not really like what you thought of. HarbourKids brought us more than books.

In the theater of the West Arcade, I watched a series of 17 films named “Handmade Puppet Dreams”, presented by Heather Henson.  I actually loved them more than cartoons.  Although the word ‘puppets’ might sound immature, when it is funny, you won’t describe it that way. Every few seconds, the entire stage would burst into a cry of laughter.  Also, the music was nicely attached to the film.  Nearby, there was also a storytelling session called “Imagination on the Loose”.  It was presented in 2 different languages by Nathalie Vachon.  


Do you like comics as much as I do? Little Island Comics store is a good place for you to explore. You can also create hilarious comics in a neighboring room. I had a chance to interview a lady named Betina Krebs, who was a library service coordinator in Little Island Comics.  She was enthusiastic about the interview and told me, “We get a lot of books from different categories, and schools also order from us.”  Although it’s much smaller comparing with Chapter and Scholastic, so far Little Island Comics is the only store that carries the most kid comic books in Canada. 

 Entertainment
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Now, it’s time to just have fun and relax. Smaller kids definitely loved the tour on the HarbourKids express.  Girls and boys can dress up silly or cool as knights, princess, and zombies at “Cool Costume Collection“. We can also get tattoo at “Tattoo Parlour”. Look what I’ve got! A knight with helmet, vest, and a play horse.  I’m ready for the Halloween!

After a busy day exploring all the activities, you must feel hungry and thirsty. Soymilk, ice cream, burgers …feel free to enjoy the yummy refreshments with your parents and friends.

Conclusion
HarbourKids events are  well-known in Toronto for many years.  But how can HarbourKids keep the reputation going forward the same way?  Katherine told us that the biggest challenge is funding. Turning a really big budget from a large requirement to smaller budget is never easy. Besides of that, finding all of these attractive ideas is tough too. This year, organizers thought of a fresh new idea of gathering for fall, as a title of Fall 4 U. No matter what the theme is for the next holiday, I pretty sure it will be an awesome event that people have long awaited.  

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Raymond Qiu

Hi there!  My name is Raymond Qiu.  I’m 10 years old and go to Vista Heights P.S, which I’m really proud of. My favorite sports are swimming, skiing, and volleyball.  I also enjoy playing Chess and Lego with my friends.  On the breaks, I love to travel to cool destinations to take pictures and enjoy the delicious food.  When I’m tired of homework, I like to create random pieces on the piano and be my own audience. I admire those who can speak many different languages, and I wish I could learn more too. This great skill can help me communicate and make friends when I travel, and also support me become a businessman with a global business in the future. Let’s start from VoiceK. 
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