It takes more than six words to cover the whole scope of Heartscape

Funny. Happy. Sad. Love. Talent. Entertaining.

Those are the six words my 9-year-old daughter used to describe Heartscape, the performance put on by Goodman Theatre’s General Theater Studies group. She only used six words because that’s what the 80 cast members used as their bios in the “who’s who” section of the program. This was a great way to peak our interest before the show started. 

By the end, when the cast introduced themselves, we wanted to find out who Kyle was (his six words were “I’m the sexiest person here, baby.”) and who played Detective Pumpernickel. She had us laughing so much, we had to read the six words she used in her short bio.

But the Goodman’s GTS Program can’t possibly be described in only six words. It is so much more than that. A comprehensive six-week program is designed to further critical thinking, literacy and storytelling skills in 14-18 year-old students, emphasizing the fundamentals of writing, oral history, storytelling and ensemble. Members also learn the basics of production, direction and design from some of the finest teaching artists in the city. At the end of the six weeks, the teenagers come together for two performances at the Goodman Theatre. This year, the focus was on love. The participants did research with family, friends and members of their communities around the question “When was a moment you had to fight for love?” The resulting showcase, titled Heartscape, was a mixture of comedy and tragedy, with songs and dancing to keep the energy level high and upbeat. 

What struck me the most about the performance was how well the students worked together and how much fun they seemed to be having —especially apparent at the very end when they each introduced themselves to the audience. They really put their heart (and soul) into Heartscape—and it showed.

The mission of the Goodman Theatre’s GTS program is very similar to that of StudentsXpress—to give young people a voice to express themselves through their joys and pains, triumphs and sorrows. Heartscape did all of this. As Director of Education and Community Engagement, Willa Taylor, explained before the students took to the stage, "if we allow young people the power of their voices, the power of their stories, the world will be a much better place. The arts have the power to transform lives." It was obvious that Heartscape was more than just a performance for these teenagers. I can only imagine what a wonderful summer they must have had learning all they did, working together to put on such a wonderful show.

I attended the performance on Monday, August 11, with my daughter and my 11-year-old son. Here is his review:

What I loved so much about the play Heartscape was that there was one big story that consisted of so many elements inside and was executed so well. Never was I even close to being bored, my mind was only fixated on the play. The story was in-a-way dramatic but the comedy incorporated in it made it all very pleasant to watch, and I can truly tell you that I enjoyed every bit of this play, from start to finish—for its elements of laughter and overall story line.

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