MOT adds educational programs to online content
Michigan Opera Theater may have canceled its current season at the Detroit Opera House but its tenacity to adjust and lead continues throughout its current 49th season with its new initiative “MOT at Home” and now “MOT Learns at Home.”
The former is the classical organization’s response to stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus with digital content available on all of their social media platforms to continue to engage with opera fans. Daily updates from MOT include blogs, recordings and fun operatic facts along with “Dance Fix,” which will provide the same sort of content as it relates to the dance world.
The latter is MOT’s latest endeavor to continue to connect and lift up young people in the arts by presenting their first-ever digital opera, “The Very Last Green Thing” performed by the Children’s Chorus on the MOT Facebook page at 11 a.m. May 22.
The unique offering is composed of 400 video submissions by 44 participants. The performance was originally slated to happen inside a historical theater in Detroit. But MOT Children’s Chorus Director, Suzanne Mallare Acton, says MOT is excited to still be able to provide students something to look forward to and help them continue their education this semester.
“While we are disappointed we are not able to perform live at the Fisher Theatre, we are thrilled to work together on something never done before at Michigan Opera Theatre and few places elsewhere,” she says. “During social distancing, we are glad to continue to provide musical education to our students and give them hope during these trying times.”
“The Very Last Green Thing” takes place in the year 2492, when students are taught and raised by an android with rare opportunities to go outside. After encountering a time capsule from the late 20th century, a plant is discovered that reveals secrets from
Earth’s past.
The story, while set in the distant future, certainly can resonate with students in Michigan presently, and around the country, as schools have been shut down and districts are forced to adapt the remainder of the academic year to online learning.
The opera also will include a supplementary curriculum for teachers and parents in the “MOT Learns at Home” section of the organization’s website as it makes online youth support a priority during the pandemic lockdown.
“Michigan Opera Theatre has always been committed to arts education and supporting the next generation of arts lovers and performers,” said MOT Director of Education Andrea
Scobie. “Our goal is to provide resources and support to teachers and parents to continue arts education for their students during this period of remote learning.”
Patrons of the arts may connect with MOT daily on social platforms including Twitter at twitter. com/DetOperaHouse, Facebook at facebook.com/de troitoperahouse and Instagram, instagram.com/ michiganopera, or via mobile apps.