During my Winter Break, I visited my Alma Mater, Wallace Rider Farrington High School, and met with my former Theatre Director, George Kon. I began writing and acting for T-Shirt Theatre when I was an 8th grader and continued working with the troupe until I graduated high school. With each rehearsal, workshop and showing, the cast and I learned to “Rehearse for Life” with George and the late Walt Dulaney (Co-Founder, playwright) guiding us through each lesson. T-Shirt Theatre encouraged me to chase after dreams and to break out of my comfort zone. This program inspired me to do things that scared me, go above and beyond and ask for help when I really need it and that the world is my oyster when I truly believe it is. During work days, George and Walt asked questions such as, “Where do you want to see yourself in 20 years?” or “What would you do in this situation?” and felt that my answers were surely important.
Without T-Shirt Theatre, I really don’t know what would have become of me, an at-risk youngster. I am a second generation student and I struggled with finding out how the American education system worked. I had no idea on how to pave the pathway to academic success for my younger sisters. My parents are blue-collared workers just like many other adults who lived in the Kalihi community. With mom and dad constantly working many hours at their two–sometimes three– jobs, I did not want to depend too much on them for fear of causing them more stress (and causing myself more stress). I refrained from asking my parents questions about school (homework, SATs, college etc.) especially when they didn’t understand them. How could they? Because of my hardworking parents, I am blessed with educational opportunities that they’ve never had the privilege to experience. I grew up with so many obstacles that discouraged me from progressing academically but T-Shirt Theatre was among one of the many programs that helped me overcome them all.
I interviewed George because I wanted to learn more about the birth and purpose of this amazing program that helped mold me into this person I am today. His take on teaching “poor theatre” to at-risk students is beneficial to student excellence. I like to believe that I’m living proof of that.
George Kon is a co-founder of the Alliance for Drama Education. Since 1985, ADE has continued to work with every incoming FHS student, inviting the most talented and generous ones from Farrington, Kalakaua and Dole High Schools to audition for ADE’s flagship, T-Shirt Theatre of Kalihi. This low tech, high zest company of performers embodies our mission to help Hawaii’s youth rehearse for a life full of jobs, justice and joy.
“We want to change the perception to more accurately reflect the wide array of positive talents, accomplishments and possibilities of our urban youth.”
DemiFromTheRock 