Students Star in 'From the Dust'

As part of its commitment to engaging young people through arts participation, Intiman Theatre presents "From the Dust," an original theatrical performance created by students from Cleveland and Roosevelt High Schools. The play will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14, at Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer St. at the Seattle Center.

The project, which will be performed on the set of Intiman's production of John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath," is based on the themes of Steinbeck's classic novel and influenced by their own stories. "From the Dust," part of Intiman's American Cycle series, will be followed by a conversation with the students moderated by journalist Ann Powers.

The Rough Eagles project was launched in 2003 by students from Roosevelt, a north end high school, and the south end's Cleveland High School. The students were inspired to use the arts to break down the barriers of race, class, economic disparity and physical distance. Intiman works annually with teachers, artists, students and educators from the two schools, making a collaboratively developed original creative response to the plays in The American Cycle series, a cornerstone of the five-year Rough Eagles initiative.

Over the course of the past several months, the Rough Eagles participants have come together for a guided retreat and rehearsals with director Timeca Briggs, playwright Wesley Middleton and Kate Collins, Intiman's director of Education and Community Programs. The rehearsal process has combined movement-based workshops and writing exercises, and each student has kept a journal throughout the developmental stage of the performance.

The final script, which draws on the personal stories of the students' own families and their literal and metaphorical journeys and migrations, is drawn directly from the students' writing and inspired by quotations from Steinbeck's text.
"From the Dust" is free and open to the public. For reservations, call 206-269-1900.

"The Grapes of Wrath," adapted by Frank Galati and directed by Linda Hartzell, artistic director of Seattle Children's Theatre, is now playing an extended run at Intiman Theatre through Nov. 19. For tickets, call 206-269-1900 or visit intiman.org.