Remote Partnership at Bronx Academy of Letters

At the start of the global pandemic when businesses shut down, masks and social distancing became the “new normal,” and schools were hurled into the world of remote learning, Literature to Life began considering how our programs could still reach students. We wondered how we could share our passion for books and drama, while connecting with students in an inspiring way despite the harrowing world in which we all suddenly found ourselves.

With the help of company member Lidia Ramirez, who works as an educator at the Bronx Academy of Letters, we found our opportunity to make an impact. Supported by the Exploring the Arts Foundation (https://www.exploringthearts.org/), we piloted a remote residency program for a class of 11th grade drama students using The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Our residency extended over a three week period in which students learned about monologues, performance tools, and character development. Due to lockdown restrictions, our actor Kelvin Grullon and Teaching Artist Channie Waites each worked from their respective homes in the Bronx, NY and Virginia Beach, VA - turning their homes into both a classroom and an intimate virtual theater. In response to performances and exercises in each live session, students developed and presented their own monologue work.

Click Here for a summary video of the remote residency experience at Bronx Academy of Letters.