October 20, 2013
Dear Colleagues,
I want to share with you the week we just had with Joshua Kane at the Schauer Center. We booked Joshua as part of the NEA’s The Big Read as we’re focusing on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Joshua was scheduled for a 45-minute presentation at the local high school on Wednesday afternoon. Over 200 students attended and they enjoyed it so much, that he was asked back the following day to work with the forensics team. The students really connected with him and we saw many of them attend his Friday evening public show. But more importantly, the following occurred during his residency with us.
After the show on Friday, the forensics coach approached me and asked me to share this with Joshua, as she said she’s not able/ready to do so. You see, this summer, we experienced a tragedy in Hartford when a 19 year old student was murdered by her friend/ex-boyfriend. It turns out many of her closest friends, including her current (as of this summer) boyfriend, are on the forensics team and worked with Joshua on Thursday afternoon. Lora, the teacher, informed me that their workshop with Joshua was extremely cathartic and that many of them told her they finally felt able and comfortable to talk about their feelings and discuss what happened this summer. She said that for the first time, they feel like they’re healing and able to deal with the situation. They’re extremely grateful for the gift Joshua gave them and are already asking how and when we can bring him back to the school.
It is my understanding that we’ve tried many times in the past to work with the high school and we finally got through, thanks to Joshua. I have several emails from teachers asking us to sit down and talk about their curriculum needs and how we can work with them to provide value-added arts-related programs for the students.
Additionally, after the student matinee performance on Friday, a teacher from a neighboring middle school asked, during the Q&A, if Joshua could provide her Reader’s Theatre students with any tips/a workshop as they’re performing a Poe piece on Monday. Joshua asked if the buses could wait. The teachers immediately called the bus drivers and said they’d be another 20 minutes. Joshua then talked to the students about theatrical reading and invited the shyest student on stage and proceeded to work her through various exercises for over 10 minutes. Everyone saw immediate improvement in her presentation. This was an unplanned add-on that Joshua freely provided for he understands the importance of relationships and customer service.
Joshua and I went on the radio on Wednesday afternoon. On Friday we were called and asked to run over immediately to be back on. We had asked to be on twice this week. We were told we could only be on once so we chose Wednesday. They loved having him on so much, we were asked to come back!
Thanks to Joshua’s care for the community he visits and his commitment to the arts, Joshua took time to meet with individuals throughout his time here. He visited local stores and restaurants; spoke with people about the community and the importance not only the arts, but specifically the Schauer Center, have in it; and helped us build new supporters. Our sales for the public show doubled from the time Joshua arrived on Tuesday to the beginning of the show. We had many students attend and many first-timers join us. Joshua connected us to those we’ve been trying to reach for years and the relationships are sure to last for a long time.
Joshua takes great care to make your organization front and center in people’s minds while he visits. He’s a self-proclaimed evangelical for the arts and he gets your community and audiences to want to be the same. He closed the public show asking people to bring friends and loved ones the next time they visit the Schauer Center and they all agreed this is something they can and should be doing. Our week with Joshua will reap benefits for a long time to come and I highly recommend you bring him to your community too, and not just for The Big Read or Poe, but his other great shows and outreach opportunities. I’m happy to speak with anyone who has questions. I may be contacted at 262-670-0560 ext. 202. I gladly recommend Joshua Kane for any performance and outreach opportunities you’re considering for your community.
Sincerely,
Brenda Lee Johnston
Executive Director
Schauer Arts Center, Hartford, WI