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Wednesday marked our 22nd Kids’ Night Out (KNO) at Wingra School. Each year, when the lilacs are in bloom and the spring wind is dancing in the trees, we come together to watch our Lake and Sky children act out plays that they themselves have written, auditioned for, cast, directed, crewed, practiced and performed. For them, it is all about the big night.

We have a longer view.

This is a gift to our children. It is called a performance, but it really is about the children’s experience. We let them play. We let them lead. They love it. And they grow in so many ways. Last night as I tucked my son into bed after his first KNO, his eyes kept popping open as he recalled a line or an image that he wanted to re-live. “Remember the bear said, ‘I’m lonely’?” and “Wasn’t it funny when 'Steve Jobs' said ‘To the lab!’?” This morning as I checked in with kids at school, it was unanimous, according to the students, “The plays were super funny and super cool!”

Super funny and super cool? In my opinion, KNO is notoriously long and sometimes difficult to sit through. There are jokes that we (adults) do not get, moments of discomfort, awkward pauses, miscues and words we wouldn’t have chosen had we written the plays. But watch the faces of the children. They are transformed in a way that we do not otherwise see.

Students own KNO. First, they craft performance pieces of their own. They are taught how to do this during two weeks of literacy workshops. Then, those who choose to submit their pieces for KNO present them to the group and make multiple copies available for review.

Authors may direct, co-direct, or chose someone else to direct their play. With the support of classroom teachers, directors hold meetings during recess to prepare for their leadership role. They schedule auditions and agree on a system to coordinate the auditioning and casting. They also discuss strategies for facilitating the auditions and subsequent rehearsals.

Writers and directors take their work seriously. There are, of course, the details of making sure that actors have the scripts, costumes and props that they need. There are also the people-managing skills; facilitating effective rehearsals, making sure people memorize their lines, negotiating script changes, managing personality conflicts and overcoming creative differences.

Though students audition and rehearse during recess and lunch times, teachers are nearby. They monitor as directors and actors exercise the skills they have learned to navigate the complicated task before them. Teachers choose when to guide, question, set limits, give feedback, cut plays all together, cushion disappointments and re-direct energies.

Teachers see the value of KNO every day during this process. This year, students were CRACKING UP at the presentations. They so enjoy each other’s humor. We saw children perform who we never would have guessed we’d see on stage. We saw students come together across age and gender lines in camaraderie and shared purpose. We heard strong voices and saw strong stage presence from both expected and unexpected places. We saw moments of brilliance and imagery that will stay in our minds and hearts for years to come. We saw life through the eyes of adolescents.

This is why we value KNO. When else will kids be able to lead in this way? When will they have both the creative freedom and independence to try their own wings, while simultaneously being supported by such responsive and responsible adults?

Thank you all very much for making this gift possible. Your patience, your laughter, your appreciation, and your support mean so much to these students. They say all the world’s a stage. What a gift to our children that they have the opportunity to take these risks and make these mistakes and have these experiences and triumphs here and now, with us, together.

Mary Campbell
Education Director