Mar/Apr 2007 - Arts Council of Placer County

Watching the arts work in Placer County Schools
by Arlene Evans
Poetry Out
Loud fan Stuart
Smith has an
ear for poetry
as drama director
for Roseville
High School and
artistic director for
the Mother Lode
Stage Company.
“
What I appreciate about Poetry Out Loud,
is it reminds everyone poetry is best experienced
first through the ear,”
says Stuart Smith, drama
director at Roseville High
School (RHS) and artistic
director for the Mother Lode
Stage Company.
That’s exactly the
intent of the Poetry Out
Loud competition. It was
developed for high school
students in 2005 by the
National Endowment for
the Arts (NEA) and the publisher
of Poetry Magazine.
It’s a unique education program encouraging
mastery of great poetry by offering educational
materials and a dynamic competition for reciting
poetry.
The Patti Baker Performing Arts Theater at
RHS will host the local poetry performance
that puts school champions before judges to
compete for the title of Placer County Regional
Champion. The school competition is March 7.
The winner of that event will go on to
Sacramento and compete at the state level to
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become eligible for scholarship funds. In addition
to Roseville, the Poetry Out Loud project
also will go to several other campuses across
Placer County this year thanks to the work
of PlacerArts, an Auburn-based non-profit
organization that is a ‘catalyst’ for the arts and
humanities throughout the county. The schools
of winning performers also are eligible to
receive NEA funds for poetry book purchases.
As Smith points out, there’s more to poems
than printed words. “There are many writers
– e e cummings and the like – who are interesting
poets to see on the page,” he says. “But
it’s only the performance of poetry in front of
us that gives us the full flavor of poetry.”
Working with Poets
The competition begins in the classroom as
students memorize and recite poetry of their
choosing. Students at each of the participating
schools in Placer County work with a
major California poet, such as Will Staple
of Nevada City, to develop original works
of poetry. Teachers then coach the students
in poetry recitation – both with their own
works and with the works of classic writers.
Poetryoutloud.org also has an online anthology
of poems from which the contestants may
select their performances.
Last year, 150,000 high school kids participated
in the program nationally, report officials.
The program has expanded in the 2006-
2007 school year. More than 200,000 students
across the nation will participate in Poetry Out
Loud this year.
NEA Chairman Dana Gioia told The
Associated Press in a 2005 interview: “There’s
a twofold importance in a program like this.
One half is education; students come into contact
with great poetry and language and learn
14 March/April 2007 Perspectives