Inner-City Shakespeare
Ensemble charms families with their youth-friendly performances
Young members of Inner-City Shakespeare Ensemble took a break from the Bard to perform a whimsical children’s play. The production, organized by the Church of Scientology Los Angeles, was part of the family-friendly summer festival held on L. Ron Hubbard Way.
This play featured children as young as 5 in vignettes based on famous children’s fables and fairy tales that promote traditional morals. Characters included the Three Little Pigs with their lesson that it takes hard work and foresight to prepare for future challenges. And the Frog Prince brought home the importance of keeping promises and not judging others by their appearance.
For more than a decade, Dr. Melanie Curtis-Andrews and the Inner-City Shakespeare Ensemble have introduced inner-city youth from diverse cultural and social backgrounds to the theater through the timeless plays of William Shakespeare. But the ensemble also rocked the house this May with their performance of Grease and presents blow-away Christmas shows at the Church of Scientology yearly lighting ceremonies that launch their holiday festival and annual toy drive.
Dr. Curtis-Andrews credits L. Ron Hubbard’s Study Technology for enhancing the confidence and skill of her ensemble. “People are often amazed to find that our young company can effectively perform the works of the Bard with such grace and understanding. Clearly, it is a challenge to do so with the varying educational and intellectual ability of our diverse casts. The key to our success is the use of L. Ron Hubbard’s Study Tech.”
L. Ron Hubbard recognized the failings of the educational system and developed an actual technology anyone can learn and use to master any subject. These educational breakthroughs are known as Study Technology. They provide students at every age and educational level with the missing ingredient of much of modern education—the ability to learn how to learn.
Following the performance, Dr. Curtis-Andrews presented the Church with a recognition of L. Ron Hubbard for his contribution to the community and his “technology that has helped millions enhance their abilities and find understanding in life and study.”
“The end goal of any society as it addresses the problem of education is to raise the ability, the initiative and the cultural level, and with all these the survival level of that society,” Mr. Hubbard wrote. And that is exactly what Dr. Curtis-Andrews and the Inner-City Shakespeare Ensemble do: increase the cultural and educational level of youth and help ensure a brighter future for the children in the community.
The Church of Scientology Los Angeles is an Ideal Scientology Organization, configured to service Scientologists in their ascent to spiritual freedom and serve as a home for the entire community—a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift people of all denominations. It was dedicated by Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige in 2010.
