BIO
It’s inspirational gospel…rock…pop…hip hop…country…and bluegrass…all conveying messages of hope. The 12 current troupe members, ranging in age from 9 to 18, live in Chicago’s western suburbs of Aurora, Naperville, and Plainfield as well as in Cherry Valley and Rockford in northern Illinois.
The issues-oriented and audience-interactive performances are a combination of reality drama, pantomime, hip hop dance, and various genres of both original and cover songs with a focus on what is hopeful and good in true life situations.
A common thread is choices and the importance of continually striving to make the right
ones.
Among the issues included in the MWAH! repertoire are:
Options regarding abusive and controlling boyfriend-girlfriend relationships
The importance of not rushing into teen boyfriend-girlfriend relationships too quickly
Options for dealing with child abuse in the home and elsewhere – a piece based on the death of a little girl named Alyssa
The tragic effects of alcohol and other drugs – a piece on the alcohol-related care crash in February 2007 which killed five Oswego, Illinois teenagers
Dangers and options associated with various kinds of bullying, including cyber-bullying, with reference to Megan Meier, a 13-year-old from suburban St. Louis, who committed suicide following a MySpace hoax
The importance of cultural, racial, and religious diversity – reality pieces based on the need for society to embrace differences among people
The awareness and treatment options for teen depression and related personal problems – a true story of a teen who kept a journal of his thoughts
Danger signs and treatment options associated with self-injury and excessive teen weight loss (anorexia and bulimia) in efforts to emulate celebrity lifestyles and for other reasons
What a hero really means today – a piece customized for a particular school or community
Coping mechanisms in dealing with street gangs and other negative influences in today’s society – a true story of an honor student who became a hero in sacrificing his life for a friend when gang members entered a Chicago bus after school and began firing towards someone they thought was a rival gang member
The importance of accepting oneself, being the best that one can be, and discovering what is hopeful and good in negative situations
The MWAH! performance time can be flexible, but 60-90 minutes is preferred. All
of the issues are appropriate for follow-up discussion sessions, which the troupe
strongly recommends.
Because all of the troupe members are students themselves – primarily middle school and
high school – the number of performance days scheduled during the school months must be limited somewhat. The troupe members being about the same age as school and youth conference audiences seems to add immensely to the effectiveness of the presentations as shown consistently in the feedback received. There simply must be a constant effort not to over-book.
As with the performance length, the cost arrangements also can be flexible, based on budget allotments and restraints. In some cases it may be necessary for overnight accommodations for nights before shows that would include breakfast. Appreciated also would be arrangements for lunch following any morning performance with students who had attended that performance, not only for the food, but also for any brief fellowship with audience members. The time for sound equipment set-up and testing is about 90 minutes, and take-down time is about 45 minutes.
The troupe is a not-for-profit charitable organization (Federal Tax or FEIN number
36-389-8810) affiliated with Kids Do Count, Inc. and the Chicago Area Project, a grass-roots service and advocacy agency based in downtown Chicago and part of a statewide community services network targeting at-risk youth and their families.
Besides its website (www.mwah.net), the troupe may be reached by phone at 630-993-0003.
COST
Fees range $500. - $750.00 - Discounts for Members of this web circle. Illinois Arts Council Fee Assistance is available. All fees are negotiable and adapted to fit the venue, event, audience and budget of host agency.
