Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
>> IT IS FRIDAY NIGHT,
WHICH MEANS IT IS TIME
TO TUROUR ATTENTION TO
OUR NEW YORKER OF THE
WEEK.
TONIGHT WE HONOR A WOMAN
WHO'S BRINGING LITERACY
TO LIFE IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS ACROSS THE
CITY.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> 1, 2, 3.
>> >>: THIS IS NO
ORDINARY ENGLISH
LESSON.
AT PS199 IN QUEENS,
WORDS ARE COMING TO LIFE
THANKS TO BARBARA
CREGGER AND HER
NONPROFIT ARTS, MAKING
BOOKS SING, THESE
CHILDREN ARE IMPROVING
THEIR LITERACY THROUGH
SOUND, SMELL AND
MOVEMENT.
>> SO MUCH OF EDUCATION
TODAY IS ABOUT LEARNING
SOMETHING FROM SOMEONE
ELSE.
AND THE CREATIVE PART OF
YOU HAS TO BE PUT
ASIDE.
WHEN WE COME INTO THE
CLASSROOM, WE SAY
NOTHING'S WRONG.
NOTHING -- IF IT'S WHAT
YOU FEEL, THEN IT'S
GOOD.
IT'S EXCITING AND IT'S
ARTISTIC.
>> KREIGER STARTED THE
PROGRAM TO INTRODUCE
THET TORE YOUNG PEOPLE.
PUTTING ON PLAYS AND
STARTING WORKSHOPS.
THEIR CUSTOMER
PROANTDUCTION "THE
BUTTER PLY" TELLS THE
STORY OF TWO GIRLS
DURING WORLD WAR II, ONE
JEWISH, ONE CATHOLIC.
>> IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE
DOING A STORY LIKE THE
BUTTERFLY BECAUSE
UNFORTUNATELY THE SAME
KIND OF PREJUDICE IS
STILL AROUND.
IF SAME KIND OF PROBLEMS
THAT CAUSE WORLD WAR II
IS GOING ON IN OTHER
PLACES.
>> BACK IN THE
CLASSROOM, THE EFFECT OF
THE PROGRAM IS EVIDENT.
>> IT REALLY HELPS THE
CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO
HAVE A MORE DEEPER
UNDERSTANDING OF BOOKS
THAT THEY'RE READING.
>> I LIKE TO DO THIS
LIKE EVERY DAY BECAUSE
IT SHOWS MY TALENTS.
>> THERE'S A HUGE CHANGE
IN THE STUDENTS.
THEY GET SO EXCITED.
AND THEN EVEN JUST
SPEAKING IN FRONT OF A
GROUP OF PEOPLE, THEY
DEVELOP CONFIDENCE.
>> FOR KREIGER, A LIFE
LONG NEW YORKER, RUNNING
THE PROGRAM HAS ITS
BENEFITS, TOO.
>> YOU DON'T GROW OLD
WHEN YOU'RE WORKING LIKE
THIS.
PASSION FOR CREATIVITY
IS WONDERFUL.
IF I CAN STIR THAT UP IN
CHILDREN AND HAVE THEM
BELIEVE IN THEIR
ABILITY, I FEEL VERY,
VERY GRATEFUL THAT I CAN
BE A PART OF THAT.
>> AND SO FOR MAKING
BOOKS SING, BARBARA
ZINN KREIGER IS OUR NEW
YORKER OF THE WEEK.
AND JOINING ME NOW IN
STUDIO TONIGHT IS OUR
NEW YORKER OF THE WEEK,
BARBARA ZIN KREIGER, THE
FOUNDER OF MAKING BOOKS
SING.
THANK YOU FOR COMING
IN.
>> SUCH A PLEASURE.
>> THANKS FOR BEING OUR
NEW YORKER OF THE WEEK.
SO HOW DID THE IDEA FOR
YOUR ORGANIZATION FIRST
COME TO BE?
>> WELL I'VE BEEN IN
THEATER ALL MY LIFE.
I FOUNDED THE VINEYARD
THEATER IN UNION SQUARE
AND I WAS LOOKING FOR
WORK THAT WAS EXCITING
AND VALUABLE FOR
CHILDREN JUST LIKE THE
KIND OF WORK THAT WE
WERE DOING FOR ADULTS.
>> SO YOU FIRST -- YOU
ENTERED A SCHOOL, YOU
PITCHED THE IDEA TO A
SCHOOL.
AND THEN WHEN DID YOU
REALIZE, HEY, THIS IS
WORKING?
>> WE ACTUALLY CREATED
THEATER.
AND THEN WANTED TO BRING
THE KIDS IN AND GET THEM
INVOLVED BY HAVING THEM
DO THEATER THEMSELVES.
WE TOOK IT INTO A SCHOOL
AND THEY SAID "OKAY,
WE'LL GIVE YOU A TRUE."
AND WE WENT IN AND DID
IDEA IT AND THE KIDS
LOVEDDED IT AND THE
SCHOOL SAID THIS IS
GOOD.
>> IT'S A GOOD THING.
>> RIGHT.
>> WALK US THROUGH SOME
OF THE WAYS YOU MAY
CONNECT WITH CHILDREN
WHO MAY BE A LITTLE BIT
SHY, MAYBE THEY HAVEN'T
DONE THEATER BEFORE.
HOW CAN YOU SHAKE A KID
OUT OF THE SHELL IN THE
CORNER AND GET THEM TO
THE NOT PERFORM AT LEAST
BE THERE?
>> WELL, YOU FIND A BOOK
THAT HAS -- THAT SAYS
SOMETHING TO THEM.
AND THEN YOU TAKE THAT
BOOK AND YOU SAY OKAY,
NOW IF YOU WERE THE
CHARACTER IN THIS BOOK,
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL?
HOW WOULD YOU ACT?
HOW WOULD YOU TALK?
WELL WHY DON'T YOU SHOW
US?
AND IF YOU ASK A KID TO
SHOW YOU, THEY DO IT.
THEY LOVE THAT.
>> AND THE PIECE, IT
LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE
HAVING SOME FUN, TOO.
>> OH YEAH.
>> WHAT HAS IT DONE FOR
YOU?
>> WELL, AS I SAID, IT
HAS KEPT ME YOUNG.
I CAN'T IMAGINE RETIRING
BECAUSE THIS IS MY
LOVE.
AND I WOULD WANT TO DO
THIS AS LONG AS I
POSSIBLY COULD.
>> COMPARE THE CHILD
ACTOR TO THE ADULT
ACTOR.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE
CHILD ACTOR AND THE
CHILD AUDIENCE, YOU
CANNOT FOOL THEM.
IF THEY ARE BORED, THEY
WILL LET YOU KNOW.
AND IF THE CHILD ACTOR
FEELS SOMETHING, IT'S
RIGHT THERE.
I THINK WE USE CHILDREN
AND ADULTS IN OUR WORK.
AND I THINK THAT THEY'RE
MORE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT
WE DO.
THERE'S AN 11-YEAR-OLD
IN THE BUTTERFLY.
AND SHE LOVES IT.
SHE LOVES WHAT SHE'S
DOING.
AND SHE HAS INSPIRED ALL
THE ADULT ACTORS IN THE
PIECE TO BE AS GOOD AS
THEY COULD BE.
>> SO DO YOU ONLY WORK
IN SCHOOLS?
CAN OTHER GROUPS CONTACT
YOU?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> YOU'RE ABLE TO GO
THERE?
>> OH, YEAH.
WE DO COMMUNITY WORK.
WE WORK IN SHELTERS.
WE WORKED IN LIBRARIES.
WE'VE WORKED IN
MUSEUMS.
SO ANY GROUP THAT WOULD
LIKE TO BE PART OF
MAKING BOOKS SING, WE'RE
ALWAYS VERY WELCOMING
TO.
>> WHAT ABOUT ROLES FOR
VOLUNTEERS?
HOW MANY PEOPLE
VOLUNTEER FOR THE
ORGANIZATION?
HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK FOR
THE ORGANIZATION?
>> WE HAVE A MOM GROUP.
A MOM SQUAD.
AND THEY LIKE TO GO OUT
AND LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT
WE'RE DOING SO THAT KIDS
AND PARENTS WILL COME
AND BE PART OF OUR
THEATER PROGRAMS LIKE
"THE BUTTERFLY" WHICH
WE'LL BE DOING IN
APRIL.
AND YOU CAN JUST CALL US
OR GO TO OUR WEBSITE,
WWW.MAKINGBOOKSSING.ORG
AND SAY I WANT TO
VOLUNTEER.
>> SIM IMAS THAT?
>> YES.
>> TELL US MORE ABOUT
THE BUTTERFLY.
WE ONLY HAVE A MINUTE TO
GO IN THE PROGRAM.
WHERE CAN PEOPLE SEE
IT?
>> APRIL 14TH THROUGH
29TH THEATER 3 ON 43RD
STREET AND EIGHTH
AVENUE.
OUR WEBSITE HAS ALL THE
INFORMATION AND YOU CAN
BUY TICKETS RIGHT
THERE.
>> HOW LONG WILL YOU BE
DOING THIS?
>> FOREVER.
I HOPE.
>> BARBARA ZIN KREIGER,
WE ARE GOING TO SAY
THANKS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> IT'S A BEAUTIFUL
THING YOU'RE DOING AND
WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE
IT.
LET'S GET THE WEBSITE
BACK ON THE SCREEN FOR
OUR FOLKS WHO ARE
INTERESTED IN PERHAPS
SEEING THE BUTTER FULLY
OR VOLUNTEERING OR
FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT
THE ORGANIZATION.
YOU CAN ALWAYS GO ONLINE
FOR
MAKINGBOOKSSING.ORG.
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO
WOULD MAKE A GOOD NEW
YORKER OF THE WEEK,
EMAIL US AT NIER
@NY1.COM OR YOU CAN SEND
US A LETTER.
ADDRESS IT TO NEW YORK 1
NEWS, NEW YORKER OF THE
WEEK.
75 NINTH AVENUE ON THE
SIXTED FLOOR, NEW YORK
NEW YORK 10011.
THAT IS AN ALL THE TIME
FOR NOW.
BARBARA ZIN KREIGER,
THANKS AGAIN TO YOU FOR
COMING IN.
IF YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT
OUR TOP YOU CAN ALWAYS
GO ONLINE WHERE THE
CONVERSATION CONTINUES.
YOU CAN READ OUR BLOCK
AT NY1.COM.
AND YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW
US ON TWITTER AT
NY1THECALL.
I'M JOHN SCHIUMO AND
I'LL TALK WITH YOU
MONDAY.