Middletown conversation to help all youth
Jim Salemi, Middletown Press
Catherine Avalone/The Middletown Press Owen, played by Mark Sumner, 15, right, teaches young Q Phipps played by D'Andrew Saunders, 10, to ride a bike during rehearsal Monday night of "Bigger Than You Think," a collaborative effort by the Middletown Youth Services Bureau, The Center for the Advancement of Youth, Family and Community Services and Community Performance International. Written by award-winning playwright Jules Corriere and directed by Richard Geer, the one-act play is based on several childhood stories of residents and will be performed by a cast of 40 tonight at 7, followed by an open community conversation at 8 at the Middletown High School Performing Arts Center.
MIDDLETOWN - The city Youth Service Bureau deals often in numbers, compiling and crunching studies, surveys, statistics and the like.
It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that those numbers represent real people dealing with real circumstances in life.
That was the logic behind the bureau’s decision to produce an ambitious play about the people of Middletown, some once represented in the surveys and statistics and overcoming the odds, and some not necessarily represented as a statistic, but making achievements nonetheless in the face of other obstacles.
"Behind every statistic there is a story. The young and old tell stories of growing up. It’s a play involving the community and the kids," said Justin Carbonella, youth services coordinator.
The one-act play, "
Bigger Than You Think," will be shown at 7 tonight at the Middletown High School auditorium.
.jpg)
