Altruism starts where the 'Sidewalk' ends

By Ann Ritter

Director Carolyn Mae Little, DIV '67, standing watch over her cast in a floral dress and knee-high snowboots, admits that her job is a hard one. The cast of the play consists of six children from the New Haven community, ranging from five to 12 years in age, an energetic group that is currently involved in a home-schooling program with Little.

A veteran of many children's drama projects, including similar productions in Brooklyn and Philadelphia, Little is familiar with the difficult task of organizing and controlling a cast that consists solely of a usually hyperactive group of children.

Little sees theater as a way to enhance and color the learning experience of the children involved. By creating dramatic adaptations of literary works, students gain a better, more thorough understanding of the pieces. In the show's program, Little writes: "Reading comes alive when children are challenged to read good literature and then work on a production to spread the message to others." Little has also participated in children's drama workshops in Nicaragua, England, and Italy. She began her work in the New Haven community at the Dixwell Community House, having become familiar with the local community while doing graduate work at Yale.

Urban Umbrella, the program under which the play was produced, is a product of Little's individual commitment to teaching urban children the value of non-violence and altruism. Almost entirely on her own, Little coordinated and raised all of the funds for the project. "I did it just to show people that it can be done," she said.

Based on the book of the same name by respected children's author Sharon Bell Mathis, Sidewalk Story tells a story of friendship in the inner city. When a young girl and her family are evicted from their apartment, their belongings are thrown carelessly out onto the sidewalk. As the family takes shelter in a relative's house, the girl's best friend promises to watch over and protect the family's belongings, showing true friendship and loyalty.

With sets made out of cardboard boxes and a tap-dance number in place of a curtain call, it's clear that the children have put an extraordinary amount of effort, time, and creativity into the production. An enormous undertaking for such a small group of young people, the play understandably has the feel of a middle-school production. As the actors invite the audience to join them onstage for a closing rendition of "We Shall Overcome," Little's commitment to both the social principles behind the play and the cast she's chosen to take shines through.

Back to A&E...