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Tarlatan MaskMaking at Heartwood

Act Up
The Story of a Performance

In the Fall and Winter of 1989 ten children trained and rehearsed at Heartwood for a performance of Broken Bough; the Child Labor Piece. Classes, rehearsals, and the final performance on March 3rd, 1990 were documented by WNPB, Morgantown, West Virginia for an educational tv series, directed by John Nakashima entitled Act Up; the Story of a Performance.

Our students are encouraged to develop an interest in the world and its people, and to understand that the past informs the present, and the present informs the future. We encourage our students to regard the successes of others as examples of what is possible for them. With this positive attitude, students are able to adopt practices of self discipline and perseverance, and to believe their ideas are valuable and can be brought to life. In its outreach activities and performances, Heartwood carries the message of joy in creation, and the unity of all people to the public, and invites the public to participate and join the celebration of the artist in every person.

The Great Blueness

Heartwood's 40th anniversary program Autumn on the Meadow 2022 concluded with The Great Blueness, a celebration of color and creativity. Fourteen children and seven adults enjoyed Heartwood's favorite theatre game based on "The Great Blueness and Other Predicaments" , a children's storybook by Arnold Lobel.

Heartwood is above all a school. We are situated in such a pristine rural setting that we are able to incorporate nature into our overall curriculum. Nature is our "textbook". We work with students to nurture the part of them that responds deeply to nature, which we refer to as the "artist" within them. We use nature and the arts as springboards to create a setting wherein students may break through creative barriers and step forward in their personhood.