Blog.

Taos Charter School and Teatro Serpiente are once again bringing original musical theater to Taos. The group is launching their after-school theater program for grades 6th through 12th grade, called Keep it Spinning! starting this February. The program will be offered free to Taos youth, Students only need to audition to secure a spot. The idea was brought to the group by Richard Greywolf, founding member of Teatro Serpiente and teacher at Taos Charter school. Greywolf spearheaded a similar project while teaching in North Carolina.  “Ten years ago when I was a teacher in the Great Smoky Mountains, in Bryson City, North Carolina I had a unique opportunity to work with some very talented youth. I was encouraged to incorporate theater and music into my curriculum. The result was a two month long project where students wrote, workshopped, performed and produced their own work as an original musical.”

Keep it Spinning! will take place over the course of six weeks. Throughout the program students will have the opportunity to create original songs, learn the basics of acting, directing and stagecraft, and most importantly work collaboratively on a creative adventure. The project’s final result  is a  weekend of performances with students experiencing the satisfaction of performing their work for family and friends at a professional theater in Taos.  “Fostering creativity in our youth and also teaching them the fine art of group collaboration — allowing each voice to be heard while blending unique perspectives into a cohesive whole- for me it’s the entire essence of what it means to effectively communicate,” says Gina Gargone, another member of Teatro Serpiente contributing to the project.