Good News Friday!

I mentioned a couple of months ago that Imagine!’s Out & About department was putting on its annual Centre Stage performance.

For three months, Out & About Centre Stage class participants had the opportunity to learn the basics of theater. Each activity focused on integral aspects of theater production, including acting, singing, dancing, choreography, set and costume design, and lighting. Throughout this class, participants worked together to create a stage production.

The class culminated in late February with a live performance of “"CJ's Karaoke Café," where

“co-owners of the café, Charlie and Jamie, await the arrival of a Denver Post food critic when they uncover a threat left by a local gang, The Wild Scorpions. Karaoke regulars perform their audition pieces with the help of a voice-activated computerized jukebox named "Lindsay" before the food critic takes her turn. The hip-hop playing Wild Scorpions upset the peaceful scene until they are challenged by the Ghostriders, a rock 'n' roll motorcycle gang. It appears that the café will erupt in violence when Jamie intervenes and convinces the gangs that it's better to sing than fight and, with Lindsay's help, she teaches them that 'all you need is love' by performing the Beatles classic.”

The program and performance were facilitated by Oliver Gerland, Associate Professor/Director of Graduate Studies Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Colorado. Oliver teaches theatre classes including Drama and Disability.

By all accounts, the performance was a huge hit!

In fact, the class and the performance were highlighted in articles on the University of Colorado Outreach and Engagement website (the quote above is from that article), and on the University of Colorado College of Arts and Sciences website.

Both articles were great, but I want to mention one quote that I think sums up the whole experience: “We accomplished all that in 20 hours! It's crazy and completely wonderful! And impossible without the awesome support of Imagine!'s Out & About staff,” Gerland said.

Congratulations to Out & About staff members and participants for demonstrating in a very public way the skills, talents, and strengths that the individuals we serve at Imagine! are bringing to their communities every day!