SMARTS to present operas

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — Two original operas created by students from Youngstown State University’s SMARTS (Students Motivated by the Arts) will be performed 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Ford Family Recital Hall in the DeYor Performing Arts Center in downtown Youngstown.

General admission is $1.

The operas were created by more than 40 first– through 12th–grade students in the SMARTS class “Telling Stories through Opera.”

“Kid Wonders” was created by first- through third-graders and examines the ways that children wonder about the world. “The 2009 Young Persons Almanac of Relationships,” created by fourth– through 12th–grade students, examines the relationship between a bandit and a princess.

Both operas feature students from Youngstown and throughout the region, along with original music, sets and dialogue that have been created by students in the SMARTS opera classes.

Becky Keck is SMARTS director and Kelly Bancroft, coordinator. SMARTS teachers involved in the production are: Corinne Morini, YSU part–time faculty member and performing artist; Sara Williams, a current YSU music student; Mary Farragher, local artist and SMARTS liaison; Robert Joki, local performing artist; and Joel Stigliano, a current YSU music student.

SMARTS is an arts education partnership between YSU’s College of Fine & Performing Arts, the Beeghly College of Education, the Youngstown City Schools, and the many vital arts organizations in the community. SMARTS offers free quality arts education classes in music, dance, theater, visual arts and creative writing. The Original Opera is a project of SMARTS and the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s Creating Original Opera teacher training program.

For more information or to apply for classes, call (330) 941–2787 or visit www.fpa.ysu.edu/smarts.