Brentwood High School creates Spanish-language arts program for bilingual students
Jeilany Matos faces her sister Melany, both ninth-graders, during a recent exercise with fellow members of the Spanish-speaking theater program for students at the Brentwood High School. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Yoselin Lorenzana joined the crew of a Brentwood High School theater production for bilingual Latin American students last spring and planned to stay in the wings again this year, but her teacher had bigger plans.
“[The teacher] said, ‘You have all your life to be an adult, but only a few years to be a student, to be young. You should try something new,’ ” said Lorenzana, 18. “And I loved it. I discovered that acting was something I was into, and it was a wonderful experience.”
Lorenzana, a junior, is among 30 students at Brentwood High participating in a new theater group for bilingual Latin American students called El Teatro de los Sueños, or “the theater of dreams.” The troupe performs in Spanish and includes many students who are learning English as a second language. School officials said the program is meant to reinforce the Spanish language arts curriculum using theater as an educational and social tool.
Students are taught how to analyze a theater script and learn about different components of theater production in addition to acting, such as stage direction, sound, lighting and costumes, according to school officials.
“The impact that theater has, or the arts in general have, on the lives of children, I mean, these are things that they’re taking with them for the rest of their lives,” said Ángel Pérez, the school district’s coordinator of the performing and fine arts department. “And right now, I would say the majority of the students — not that they couldn’t participate in the regular plays, but they probably would lack the confidence or the courage."
Margarita Espada, founder and executive-artistic director of Teatro Yerbabruja, was hired to direct the program. The Bay Shore-based art center aims to facilitate understanding among people of different cultural backgrounds and provide opportunities to artists of color.
The after-school extracurricular activity is funded through the school district. Its first production was held in June, with scenes from “Study in Black and White” by Virgilio Piñera, “The Story of the Man Who Turned Into a Dog” by Osvaldo Dragún and “The Story of a Horse That Was Very Fair” by Aquiles Nazoa.
All programming is in Spanish with scenes from classic literature. The most recent production on Dec. 12 included scenes from García Lorca’s “Blood Wedding,” Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and Sandra Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street.”
“I remind them that they are teenagers and that’s the part that I love, to see them laughing,” Espada said. The program offers a chance to learn collaboration and a “space where they can be who they are, related to the age and to the development and the student experience, because they’re already leaving too fast.”
Many students participating in the program are burdened with responsibilities beyond their age, such as babysitting or working to help their families make ends meet, Espada said. Some may have immigrated to the United States as unaccompanied minors or come with trauma, she said, adding that a program like this helps students build communication skills and find their voice.
“Art is important ... [and] it’s important to celebrate their own identity and the Spanish language,” Espada said.
Brentwood school officials expressed gratitude at a recent Thursday rehearsal to the district Board of Education and superintendent for supporting bilingual and bicultural education.
Lorenzana echoed that sentiment during a break in an improv session.
“It’s a great program and it helps us get over our fears, and somehow, it gives us a voice that we didn’t even know we had,” she said.
Yoselin Lorenzana joined the crew of a Brentwood High School theater production for bilingual Latin American students last spring and planned to stay in the wings again this year, but her teacher had bigger plans.
“[The teacher] said, ‘You have all your life to be an adult, but only a few years to be a student, to be young. You should try something new,’ ” said Lorenzana, 18. “And I loved it. I discovered that acting was something I was into, and it was a wonderful experience.”
Lorenzana, a junior, is among 30 students at Brentwood High participating in a new theater group for bilingual Latin American students called El Teatro de los Sueños, or “the theater of dreams.” The troupe performs in Spanish and includes many students who are learning English as a second language. School officials said the program is meant to reinforce the Spanish language arts curriculum using theater as an educational and social tool.
Students are taught how to analyze a theater script and learn about different components of theater production in addition to acting, such as stage direction, sound, lighting and costumes, according to school officials.
“The impact that theater has, or the arts in general have, on the lives of children, I mean, these are things that they’re taking with them for the rest of their lives,” said Ángel Pérez, the school district’s coordinator of the performing and fine arts department. “And right now, I would say the majority of the students — not that they couldn’t participate in the regular plays, but they probably would lack the confidence or the courage."
Margarita Espada, founder and executive-artistic director of Teatro Yerbabruja, was hired to direct the program. The Bay Shore-based art center aims to facilitate understanding among people of different cultural backgrounds and provide opportunities to artists of color.
The after-school extracurricular activity is funded through the school district. Its first production was held in June, with scenes from “Study in Black and White” by Virgilio Piñera, “The Story of the Man Who Turned Into a Dog” by Osvaldo Dragún and “The Story of a Horse That Was Very Fair” by Aquiles Nazoa.
All programming is in Spanish with scenes from classic literature. The most recent production on Dec. 12 included scenes from García Lorca’s “Blood Wedding,” Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and Sandra Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street.”
Melvin Santiago, a senior, and 11th-grader Aline Eugenio are members of a Spanish-speaking theater program at Brentwood High School that includes more than two dozen teenagers. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
“I remind them that they are teenagers and that’s the part that I love, to see them laughing,” Espada said. The program offers a chance to learn collaboration and a “space where they can be who they are, related to the age and to the development and the student experience, because they’re already leaving too fast.”
Many students participating in the program are burdened with responsibilities beyond their age, such as babysitting or working to help their families make ends meet, Espada said. Some may have immigrated to the United States as unaccompanied minors or come with trauma, she said, adding that a program like this helps students build communication skills and find their voice.
“Art is important ... [and] it’s important to celebrate their own identity and the Spanish language,” Espada said.
Brentwood school officials expressed gratitude at a recent Thursday rehearsal to the district Board of Education and superintendent for supporting bilingual and bicultural education.
Lorenzana echoed that sentiment during a break in an improv session.
“It’s a great program and it helps us get over our fears, and somehow, it gives us a voice that we didn’t even know we had,” she said.
A NEW VOICE
A theater program offered at Brentwood High School gives Spanish students the opportunity to perform in their native language.
School officials said the program is meant to reinforce the Spanish language arts curriculum using theater as an educational and social tool.
Brianne Ledda covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. She previously covered Southold and Greenport for The Suffolk Times and is a graduate of Stony Brook University.
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