Over Spring Break, WAM Theatre hosted the 9th annual Teen Ensemble at our new home-base in downtown Lenox. The four-day devised theatre program, co-facilitated by Kaia Jackson (Teaching Artist and outgoing Director of Community Engagement) and Maizy Scarpa (Teaching Artist and incoming Director of Community Engagement) focused on individual self-expression and collective empowerment.
This year’s Teen Ensemble, which was open to Berkshire-based female, femme, non-binary and trans youth ages 13-18, explored themes of freedom, choice, activism, and bodily sovereignty through the medium of theatre. We introduced the term “bodily sovereignty” as “agency in relation to one’s own body and the stories it chooses to tell.”
Members of the Teen Ensemble create a group tableaux.
From drafting and discussing a Community Agreement–a living document to ground the group in shared needs, values, and practices– to learning and practicing Restorative Justice Circle Process, the eight teen participants co-created a culture that uplifted their shared values and experiences of bodily sovereignty. Specific practices such as self-care, active listening, need-based communication, and boundary-setting were affirmed and celebrated throughout each creative exploration.
“I learned how to do more activism by practicing in this ensemble.”
Teen Ensemble 2023 Member
So what exactly did the teens do, one might ask? As a devised theatre ensemble, the teens had the opportunity to play theatre & comedy improvisation games, reflect on the week’s themes through creative writing & drawing exercises, role-play puppet characters facing relatable challenges, and so much more! The group embraced comedy and humanity; they discussed issues in their communities (personal, school, local, national, and global) with passion, and found humor and playfulness throughout the process.
When asked what they will remember most, many of the teens noted “Hitchhiker,” an improvisation game where the group goes on an imaginary road trip, picking up quirky “hitchhikers” and swiftly adopting their moods and mannerisms.
Maizy Scarpa and members of Teen Ensemble 2023 playing an improv game.
In the final interactive invite-only showcase at the WAM Hub in Lenox, many of the teens stepped into both performance and leadership roles, explaining games such as Hitchhiker to audience members before inviting them to improvise alongside them. This created a dynamic exchange that highlighted the teens’ growing confidence in their own leadership skills, and the audience’s inherent creativity!
WAM’s 2023 Teen Ensemble was made possible by the generosity of our Community Engagement sponsors including the Scarlet Sock Foundation and MillTown Foundation.
By Kaia Jackson and Maizy Scarpa