Goleta Valley Voice
March 1-7, 2001

Words Give Kids A Fighting Chance  
by Melinda Ann Yao

Tucked away in the Los Padres National Forest, tough boys at the Lo Prietos  Boys Camp and the Tri-Counties Boot Camp discover the power of language through a program known as Word Up!—Speaking of Stories’ outreach program.

Speaking of Stories (SOS) is a nonprofit group that brings dramatic readings of short stories to the stage. In 1995, founder Steve Gilbar brought the concept to audiences in Santa Barbara.  Three years later, SOS’s artistic director, Karin delaPeña received a grant to teach expressive reading to youth-at-risk.

In a large gym that doubles as both recreation and meeting room for the Los Prietos Boys Camp and the Tri-Counties Boot Camp, Bohdan Porendowsky works with six to eight boys for eight-week sessions on Mondays. He offers the program to two groups in the morning from the Tri-Counties Boot Camp, a juvenile detention facility for younger (ages 14-16), first time offenders and one group in the afternoon for the Los Prietos Boys Camp, a similar center for boys 14-18 whose crimes require lengthier sentences.

Before Porendowsky arrives, eight boys shoot hoops. An officer gives the boys seven seconds to adjust their uniforms and take a seat. Seated in a circle, boots shined, shirts tucked in, the boys' clean-cut appearance betray a shadow of youthful innocence.

Porendowsky asks the group to stretch before reading a poem. The boys take turns reading the poem aloud. The reading facilitates an environment of respect and encouragement. One boy stumbles on a word, the next boy chimes in to help with pronunciation. On a portable chalkboard, Porendowsky writes down the difficult vocabulary words, such as “Bamboozled," “Trodden" and "Pusillanimous." The group examines the text to pull the meaning out of the words.

SOS is a big hit with the county's Juvenile Probation Department, especially the kids who sign up. Pedro, 14, and Ryan, 16, from Los Prietos said the program improved their self-esteem and helped them overcome shyness. Sixteen-year-old Francisco says the program excelled his reading comprehension. "We read stories and learn how to pronounce more things," Francisco said. "We learn how to explain and better understand the stories"

Los Prietos Probation Institutions  Supervisor  Steve DeLira, applauds the program for its positive influence on the kids. "It taps into their potential and creativ­ity,” he said.

"Who wouldn't support literacy?" Larry Chavez, senior juvenile institutions officer asks.  After attending two sessions, Chavez has nothing but praise for SOS.

"Miss delaPeña and Mr. Porendowsky are able to draw people out. They encourage discovery as a group, sharing, hearing and being listened to for their mind and opinion and being encouraged to think. It's nice to see people grow­ing before your eyes. There's a metamorphosis. They're going to take SOS with them when they go"

delaPeña developed Word Up! by combining her ability to direct the actors who perform SOS at the Lobero Theater with her experience as a licensed clinical social worker at Santa Barbara County Mental Health. She tailors each program and provides culturally relevant selections of literature.

When she first presented her outreach program to the county's Juvenile Probation Department, delaPeña spoke from a position of authority. She says it also helped to have the support and encouragement of her friend and probation officer, Eugene Hutton.

"I wasn't just seen as an artist with a good idea. They knew me as a social worker first. It was in my heart to do this outreach project and my own understanding that a lot of people can benefit from this technique that I work with.”

Her directing methods at SOS evolved from delaPeña’s theatrical training. She says she's always been precocious about language and has been reading since she was three years old. She began her theatre training at age nine.

With such a background, it’s nearly impossible for anyone not to pay close attention to anything delaPeña  says. delaPeña’s voice and British accent command attention.  Her gift is to teach others how to command a strong stage presence by working with actors to understand every nuance of a given text. "Actors working at Speaking of Stories have an extra challenge. They have to anatomize the language so that the audience doesn't space out. My job as the director is to make sure that this dense material is articulated, is made as accessible as possible. Our rehearsal process became a matter of training as well as directing.”

"A director acts as a third eye to help the actor be most effective. By the time we finish, the actor has a  deeper sense of the piece. So, I decided to formalize technique  that I myself have been using all my life."

delaPeña is proud that she can share the useful tools of her acting career to youth-at-risk. Speaking of Stories has also implemented out­reach programs through local colleges, Adult Ed, and some schools in Santa Barbara and Goleta. delaPeña  would like to make the program available to all schools and teachers.

For more information on SOS' outreach programs, call 805-966-3875 or www.speakingofstories.org.

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