MESA, AZ — Valley nonprofit ACT ONE and Southwest Shakespeare Company brought the works of Edgar Allan Poe to life on stage for nearly 200 Arizona students just in time for Halloween season, providing an experience many might not otherwise have.
The students come from school districts across the Valley and range from fifth grade to high school seniors. They attend schools that receive federal funding. Many have already read some of Poe's work, which was written close to 200 years ago but has stood the test of time.
"I'm really excited to see it, actually," Zyan Negrete, am eighth grader from Sun Valley Academy, said.
Excitement swelled for students as drama played out on stage. Estrella High School senior Nicolas Sandoval says he dreams of being on stage someday.
"It's an educational idea of how Edgar Allan Poe's life was. The history books or teachers and the things teachers don't tell you," Sandoval said.
"You can actually see the actors and actresses and their emotions while being on stage. It's a lot more fun because you can actually see them act," Olivia Marines, an eighth grader from Sun Valley Academy, said on Wednesday.
ACT ONE sits at the center of these field trips, which are designed to expose kids to the arts in its many forms, according to Executive Director Dr. Beth Maloney.
"It's seeing it. It's experiencing it. It's feeling his agony and seeing the results of his alcoholism and seeing things live on stage they'll never forget," Maloney said.
ACT ONE points to a study from the University of Arkansas that says students who take at least three field trips rooted in the arts each year show stronger academic success.
Maloney says the best part of ACT ONE field trips is the lifelong effect they have on students. She wonders aloud if one of these students might be a future writer.
Southwest Shakespeare Company makes its home at the Mesa Arts Center. Here's a link to their upcoming performance schedule.
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