Blog | Shearwater Productions

A group of students planning out their project

How does the collaboration circle work

May 7, 2015

As I write this, I pause to quickly grab a pencil and jot down one more thing on my “Bring” list, so I don’t forget when I leave for a foreign country at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning. I have more anxiety than I typically do — normally I am happiest and most content moving through space (or preparing to), and love my collaborative-creative projects best of all. So what, I asked myself, was I worried about this time? I had done quite a bit of social, cultural, and language preparation, spent time with friends and colleagues from this country to

Living Art: creating common beauty

January 18, 2015

It’s winter, and winter wonderlands bring to mind evergreens and warmer climes — for me, at least! So this blog is focused on Living Art—projects to do with your school or community that engage everyone, are stunningly beautiful, functional, and full of science and history exploration opportunities. What the heck is Living Art? In a nutshell, structures and sculptures made from alive plants (and some people would include running water). These are not just your king’s topiary! I was recently in Texas, and visited the Houston Museum of Natural History and it’s adjacent Japanese Gardens in Hermann Park . Gracing

Mask making, part three: Manila Folders

October 5, 2014

Masks are a wonderful way to discover differences in cultural perspectives, character nuances, and the ideas of subtext and implication. They allow students to dive into the past and see into another’s eyes — literally. For that reason, I highly recommend them as a tool for many teachers in many subjects. But what if you are prohibited from ordering art supplies (and therefore aquaplast)? Well Ta DAA! Enter Manila Folder Masks. Made almost entirely out of Office Supplies!!! Manila Folder Mask: What is it? Believe it or not, Manila Folders have different properties than any other paper product, including card

War on Play?

September 28, 2014

Now that the school year is in full swing and folks are beginning to stress about test scores, the idea of extending the school day, cutting recess, eliminating creative activities and so on comes again to the fore. “Play is under pressure right now, as parents and policymakers try to make preschools more like schools. But pretend play is not only important for kids; it’s a crucial part of what makes all humans so smart, ” Alison Gopnik wrote in “Let the Children Play, It’s Good for Them! A leading researcher in the field of cognitive development says, “When children

Body in Motion, Spirit at Rest

August 18, 2014

I spent part of this past weekend attending New York Summer Sling, “a 4-day stage combat workshop sanctioned by the Society ofAmerican Fight Directors (SAFD). Classes are taught by SAFD certified fight directors and teachers from universities and theaters around the country. Class options include introductory instruction in all of our eight weapon disciplines for the stage, unique and specialized experimentation with period fighting styles, and master classes in advanced physical acting techniques” (from the Summer Sling website description). Despite an incredible lack of sleep and profound anxiety ahead of time, I had one of the most wonderful conference experiences

A group of clowns standing together during a performance

The Importance of Theatre Education

July 20, 2014

“Best times of my high school life.” I just received this comment on my Facebook page after posting a PSA on how theatre transforms students’ lives. This comment does not represent a desire to goof off and party, nor is it an isolated sentiment. Theatre Education programs provide a safe place for students to be themselves, explore relationships, develop compassion, and discover delayed gratification. These are the obvious take-aways. Here’s some less obvious ones. Success in school By any definition of “Youth at Risk,” the percentage of those who graduate from high school is doubled when those students are coming from

Interview with a Writer: Joan Reeves

June 22, 2014

I’m so honored to be interviewing writer Joan Reeves (we talk about writing tips, inspirations, and the whys of things)! Before I share her words with you, please take a moment to cruise around on the rabble.ca website, and support them if you can. It’s an amazing grassroots organization with real news and in-depth cultural content, and it’s not just for Canadians 🙂 June is Audiobook Month, and I personally love ‘reading by listening’. Whether I am cleaning or driving or doing paperwork, audiobooks delight me, inform me, comfort me, keep me awake, and so much more. Also, I am

Holly Adams in her studio recording an audiobook

“On the Spectrum” and On the Stage

May 5, 2014

My wonderful and amazing students from “A Class Act” with The Magic Paintbrush Project performed on April 27th (a play they wrote!) and hit the ball out of the park. They were amazing, they were incredible, they brought the house down. And every single one of them has a disability. I wrote about them last fall, when we were just beginning our process (see “Life is Washable”), but as a result of the show, folks have been asking about children, challenges, and performance, especially children who are on the Asperger-Autism spectrum. I last posted some specific observations and activities about working

Landing the next one: 3 tips for marketing yourself

April 27, 2014

I have had a rash of opportunities lately, both ones I applied for and some where they reached out to me. This may seem obvious, but as artists, educators, community leaders, we’re typically always looking for our next gig. But we too often forget that what begets success, even in the face of what looks like failure, is less WHO we are than HOW we are. Duh, right? Yet, I know that at least two of my current projects came to me, not because I was the “best” (most stellar, most talented), nor even because I am “very good” —