On Her Shoulders was produced and performed by Rising Action in the spring of 2013. The multi-media theater piece celebrated and applauded the lives of nine female veterans. The cast was composed of eight high-school girls with varying theater experience.
After contacting willing veterans and selecting a cast, Noelle invited us all to meet at the VA where she led a workshop for the veteran women to write and talk about their lives and insights. A videographer and a photographer documented the day.
The session at the VA was valuable beyond measure. The veterans were generous with their time and in sharing themselves. They spoke with a raw honesty. Their words painted vibrant images that captivated the young actors. In turn, the cast’s insights and curiosity complimented the veterans’ reflections.
After the workshop, Noelle, Amelia, and the cast began brainstorming on how to meld the material we gathered from the veterans into a theatrical production.
As playwright, Amelia was privileged to transcribe the women’s accounts to script. Their strong characters shined through their words to create beautiful art.
In rehearsal, the actors oozed affecting commiseration. The On Her Shoulders ensemble was impassioned. We melded our wide-ranged perspectives to present the veteran women’s plights on stage. It became our duty to honor these women and extend the gift of their testimonies to the audience.
On Her Shoulders took strides to bridge the gap between female veterans and the rest of us. The stage closed this distance and reminded us we are the same; we are all people struggling with and celebrating the human experience.
Our spring productions were sold out and very well-received. We were featured in The Metroland (http://metroland.net/2013/05/08/war-stories/), twice in The Times Union (http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Raising-curtain-on-fear-4500599.php and http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Female-veterans-find-stage-might-4952082.php), and in The Daily Gazette (http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2013/may/09/play-gives-voice-female-veterans/). We sold-out two encore presentations that fall.
Watch an On Her Shoulders behind the scenes video on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw1LiK9nmZs
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
When the Lights Go Out
In the summer of 2013, Noelle Gentile, Amelia Whalen, and a group of middle and high school students attended a SUNY Empire State College sponsored conference in New York City. We had the opportunity the meet with and interview some of the laborers and volunteers that helped rebuild New York City after the devastation of Superstorm Sandy in Fall of 2012.
Amelia scripted When the Lights Go Out based on her interviews with the laborers and volunteers, and written impressions from the kids.
Noelle directed the resulting multimedia presentations performed at the Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Center for Labor Studies in New York City and SUNY Empire State College in Saratoga, NY.
Online news articles about When the Lights Go Out: http://blog.timesunion.com/saratogaseen/superstorm-sandy-stories/20293/
https://www.esc.edu/news/releases/2013/sandy-stories-organized-labor-rebuilds-new-york.html
https://www.esc.edu/news/releases/2014/sandy-stories-return.html
Amelia scripted When the Lights Go Out based on her interviews with the laborers and volunteers, and written impressions from the kids.
Noelle directed the resulting multimedia presentations performed at the Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Center for Labor Studies in New York City and SUNY Empire State College in Saratoga, NY.
Online news articles about When the Lights Go Out: http://blog.timesunion.com/saratogaseen/superstorm-sandy-stories/20293/
https://www.esc.edu/news/releases/2013/sandy-stories-organized-labor-rebuilds-new-york.html
https://www.esc.edu/news/releases/2014/sandy-stories-return.html
Her Everywhere
Amelia and Noelle were so inspired by the lives of the students they worked with to create On Her Shoulders, they created Her Everywhere.
Her Everywhere deals with the struggles of high school girls. The multimedia theater presentation portrays the personal traumas and losses the girls have faced.
The play was scripted after a weekend long workshop with the students in the summer of 2013 and was presented at Albany High School that winter.
Mission Statement
We have established an artistic process to address, explore, and share social justice issues. We strive to connect people and bridge gaps in society. We are all the same, enduring the same human experience. Through art, we are able to break down walls and stereotypes that divide us. Theater has the power to heal. We strive to choose subject matter that is compelling and relevant and share insights that unite and broaden the perspectives of the community.
Who We Are
Noelle Gentile and Amelia Whalen formed Rising Action Interactive Theater Group in the spring of 2013. Noelle's theater and Amelia's writing backgrounds are complementary. They share deep artistic bonds and are driven by a common goal: to make art that
shares human experiences to join disconnected communities and bridge social gaps.
Together, they work to create social justice multimedia theater events.
Noelle Gentile, Director
Noelle Gentile’s career in theater education began with the New York State Theatre Institute as a performer and outreach teacher. She has built a career in which her passions for social justice, education, and the arts were melded through charging young people with the task of finding their unique voice and artistry and to ultimately bring about change in their communities through performance.
Noelle spent 6 years in the New York City Public Schools as the drama teacher encouraging students to explore and respond to issues in their world through student derived theater pieces. Noelle has worked as a teaching artist with the Brooklyn Arts Exchange and ISTA. She also worked as a facilitator for the NYC DOE’s Special Arts Programs city-wide professional development for theater teachers. Training with the Royal Shakespeare Company led here to appear on WNYC’s Greenspace, speaking to the importance for children to be exposed to and immersed in the works of Shakespeare. Her work with Shakespeare and exploring social issues became the centerpiece of a documentary that was featured at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival for Kids and NYC DOCS in November 2012.
Noelle’s own work, as the creator of a documentary experimental short “Push”, received an award at the Pen & Brush Gallery in NYC.
Amelia Whalen, Playwright
Amelia Whalen is the author of true life adventure stories. She is in the process of seeking a publisher for her first full-length memoir, Everything You’ve Ever Done. She documents her travels and adventures as a rock climber and outdoorswoman. These true life adventure stories are circulated via email and the web. Amelia is a freelance graphic designer, technical writer, and editor. Amelia practices yoga and meditation, and is committed to living and working for the good of all beings and the universe. As a professional artist, she seeks work that will positively impact the community and raise spiritual awareness.
Noelle Gentile, Director
Noelle Gentile’s career in theater education began with the New York State Theatre Institute as a performer and outreach teacher. She has built a career in which her passions for social justice, education, and the arts were melded through charging young people with the task of finding their unique voice and artistry and to ultimately bring about change in their communities through performance.
Noelle spent 6 years in the New York City Public Schools as the drama teacher encouraging students to explore and respond to issues in their world through student derived theater pieces. Noelle has worked as a teaching artist with the Brooklyn Arts Exchange and ISTA. She also worked as a facilitator for the NYC DOE’s Special Arts Programs city-wide professional development for theater teachers. Training with the Royal Shakespeare Company led here to appear on WNYC’s Greenspace, speaking to the importance for children to be exposed to and immersed in the works of Shakespeare. Her work with Shakespeare and exploring social issues became the centerpiece of a documentary that was featured at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival for Kids and NYC DOCS in November 2012.
Noelle’s own work, as the creator of a documentary experimental short “Push”, received an award at the Pen & Brush Gallery in NYC.
Amelia Whalen, Playwright
Amelia Whalen is the author of true life adventure stories. She is in the process of seeking a publisher for her first full-length memoir, Everything You’ve Ever Done. She documents her travels and adventures as a rock climber and outdoorswoman. These true life adventure stories are circulated via email and the web. Amelia is a freelance graphic designer, technical writer, and editor. Amelia practices yoga and meditation, and is committed to living and working for the good of all beings and the universe. As a professional artist, she seeks work that will positively impact the community and raise spiritual awareness.
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