Anita Dashiell-Sparks

Vaney Poyey

If all the world is a stage, then the students at Los Angeles’ Burton Green School are taking their place in the limelight through Building Bridges, an after-school theater arts program for kids identified as emotionally disturbed or emotionally handicapped.

Building Bridges was introduced at the school last fall, thanks to a grant from the USC Neighborhood Outreach program. Under the direction of Anita Dashiell-Sparks, an adjunct professor in the USC School of Theatre, the program creates an environment that fosters healthy self-expression and creativity for the students.

“We wanted to give them a creative place that they could call their own,” she said, likening Building Bridges to an arts therapy program. “The skills and tools that one gains from the arts can be used in every facet of life.”

By using theater, dance, art and the written word, Dashiell-Sparks and her assembled team of USC theater students give the youngsters an outlet to develop strong communication skills. She engages the students in theater games, stages vignettes and encourages them to pen their own poetry. In turn, they learn about problem solving, anger management, stress relief and leadership - valuable lessons for children labeled emotionally unfit to attend regular schools.

Noting that most of the students there spend their lives under constant scrutiny, Dashiell-Sparks devoted the program’s inaugural semester to exploring themes of identity. Through acting and written-word exercises, she taught them how to take ownership of their lives and transcend the stigma society places on them.

“I strongly believe that through our program they are learning and understanding that being accountable for their choices and the consequences of their actions makes an impact and a positive difference in their lives,” said Merice Cole, the workability coordinator at Burton Green School.

This semester Dashiell-Sparks is taking the program in a more global direction by coordinating a multicultural theater unit culminating in a fair for the students to showcase their creativity.

With Los Angeles as their playground, the students not only learn to channel their own inner thespian or poet, but Dashiell-Sparks and her colleagues give them a total arts experience to supplement their classroom activities. Together, they explore the city’s museums and attend theatrical performances, with upcoming excursions to the Museum of Tolerance and LACMA’s East Asian exhibit planned.

In the future, Dashiell-Sparks hopes to establish a stronger mentoring program pairing the Burton Green pupils with USC theater students and to start a publication showcasing their work. But already, she has seen the students blossom under the program.

“The students are so open and willing to learn and be engaged,” she said. “They’re so talented and creative. It’s nothing short of inspirational to see what they want to express.”