Sixteen Upper School students sat together, engaged in an enlightening lesson about immigration and what it means to be an American. The setting was not a classroom but the Black Box Theater, where rehearsals for the fall play, "Anon(ymous)," are in full swing. Written by Naomi Iizuka, the play is a modern re-telling of Homer's "The Odyssey" that follows an immigrant's eventful journey to the United States as he searches for a place to call home.
To help the cast more fully interpret the play's timely, multi-faceted themes and intricate characters, drama teacher Sarah Bellantoni turned to a handful of experts, one of whom was Erica Corbin, Chapin's Director of Community Life and Diversity.
"I invited Ms. Corbin to help us navigate some of the more challenging conversations about identity that this play explores," explained Ms. Bellantoni. Thus, during a recent afternoon, the cast of "Anon(ymous)" set aside their scripts to work with Ms. Corbin on a series of activities designed to help them better understand the myriad facts and figures around immigration and the international refugee crisis.
"I want you to walk away knowing something you didn't know before," Ms. Corbin told the eager students, who sat around her in a circle. After each cast member introduced herself and gave the name of the character she is playing, the group got ready to play an interesting game. Divided into two teams, they began answering questions about immigration. If one team responded incorrectly, the other could "steal" that question. Some questions Ms. Corbin posed included:
-How many new immigrants arrive to the United States every year? (Answer: 1,000,000).
-The largest group of undocumented immigrants comes from where? (Answer: Mexico).
-Name the top four countries of origin for new immigrants to the United States. (Answer: India, Mexico, China and Canada).
-Nearly half of all immigrants live in what three U.S. states? (Answer: California, New York and Texas).
The teams continued playing until the one with the most correct answers emerged victorious. However, in actuality, this game had no winners or losers. Rather, it was a fun and informative exercise to raise awareness about an urgent issue. "How many people learned something they didn't know?" Ms. Corbin asked the girls once they had resumed their spots in the circle. "What surprised you?"
"I did not know that the majority of immigrants come from India," commented a student.
"I didn't realize that a number of celebrities we assume are American are actually Canadian," added a second cast member, referencing Justin Bieber and Celine Dion.
"There are a lot of Irish people who are undocumented, but no one looks twice at them because they are white," offered a third.
Ms. Corbin also introduced the concept of "intersectionality," which recognizes that there are different aspects of our identity which, when combined, can create different outcomes. "You are never just your gender, race, age, sexual orientation or class. You are all these things at once. It is important to think about immigration along these lines," she emphasized. She also talked about the tremendous obstacles refugees encounter while fleeing their homes, including violence, discrimination, language barriers and poverty.
The lesson was indeed eye-opening for the students, who appreciated the supportive environment in which to discuss these important topics. As they move forward with the rehearsals, the young actors will no doubt draw on what they learned about immigration and the diversity of the American experience from Ms. Corbin and the other experts to give beautiful, fully realized performances.
"Anon(ymous)" will be performed on November 2, 3 and 4 in the Black Box Theater. Tickets are available at dramatickets@chapin.edu.