CRT Youth Outreach Tour focused on diversity and acceptance

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CREEDE—The Creede Repertory Theatre is in the sixth week of their Youth Outreach Program and by the end will have reached 22,000 to 23,000 students throughout the tour. This year the message was loud and clear, “We are all important, and we are all special,” said program Director Johamy Morales. The tour has reached rural schools in New Mexico, Utah, Oklahoma, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. Every school within the Valley received a visit from the cast and crew except for the Del Norte School District due to scheduling conflicts.
According to Morales, “Albert Porter is an ordinary kid in every sort of way. At least that’s what he thinks – until he discovers the people and stories from the past that make him exceptional. Throughout his journey he learns about the many cultures that make up Colorado’s diverse landscape: including the Pueblos and the Utes, Hispano explorers, French fur trappers and Angelo ranchers. Travel with Albert as he adventures through time, discovering the rich cultures that weave together the contemporary landscape of the Southwest.
Celebrating 34 years of bringing excellent bilingual musical theatre to schools throughout the southwest, CRT’s Young Audience Outreach Tour brings professional theatre performances to more than 24,000 children in rural and underserved communities by keeping fees low, and connecting to school curriculum. After the performance each child receives an original book that reinforces the play’s themes.”
The play was written by Lojo Simon, who according to her bio is, “Extraordinarily excited to bring Albert Porter: Boy Explorer (Niño Explorador) to children and families in Creede and the Four Corners area! Lojo’s other plays for young audiences include Nice & Slow, which won the Old Miner Playwriting Award and toured Utah schools earlier this year; Mi Corazón and a commissioned middle-school play for Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre. She also writes grown-up plays, which have won awards and been produced nationwide, making audiences laugh and cry and hopefully spend more time thinking about their humanity and connection to the people and world around them. To learn more about Lojo see www.lojosimon.com and read her plays on the New Play Exchange.”
“Albert Porter: Boy Explorer (Niño Explorador) relays the message of diversity and acceptance, which is a beautiful message that we must teach our children,” explains Morales. “Now more than ever we need to discuss the difficult things happening in the world with our students and show them the way.”
Simon will also be working on her second production for next year’s outreach program that will focus on math, science and the environment. “These are the topics we feel that need to be discussed with our youth. It’s important to empower our children with knowledge of the world,” said Morales.
The outreach tour will finish up in Lake City and finally make its way back to Creede. Morales continued stating that a promo video is available online at www.creederep.org/yaot for anyone wanting to view the play from this year’s tour. 


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