Cub Bagging

Here is the AM shift at the Hastings Cub Foods from a few weeks back. Smile!

Show Tunes meets Pop

This is for all you Gleeks out there. The Broadway cast of Anything Goes taking on One Direction!

Hip Hop preaches tolerance

Just spotted this today. A most unusual blend with rapper Adair Lion giving a rare shout out to tolerance. Clever retro samples of MJ and some really sweet images make this a must see. Tell me what you think??

Young Playwright Project

Steppingstone Theater is collaborating with Action Transport Theater in England to produce a new play called "Bully!" at this point. They are seeking 6 artists from MN to workshop and develop the piece with actors there. If you feel like you have a strong voice on the subject and would like to apply; here is the application for it. It needs to be received by May 18th. Go For It!

Youth Playwright Application

Dear 40 year Old Me

This is a new campaign, different than the It Gets Better where students jump 40 years ahead and look back on their struggles in the present. It is coming out of the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance and is pretty cool. It would be nice to have something like this on our homefront which mixes politics, education and human worth.

It Gets Better & Brigham Young

Yet another addition to the campaign - this one from a very conservative Mormon college. It seemed a bit more special than the average.

Students Speak Out

Now is your chance to actually have a voice in the Bullying cause. This is a link to a survey called Matthew's Place - in homage to Matthew Shepard. They are asking for feedback from teens about what a "real" bullying program needs to include. Be a part of the larger movement.

Matthew's Place Survey

When it is done, I will also include the link which could be a great resource for us in talk backs when the Bully issue rears its head.

Iowa tour

a few delayed pics of the Iowa gang and adventures had there...

 road stop @ Albert Lea

New teens app

For all you techno geeks; let me know what you think of this new app that has come by us via staff. It supposedly lets you tap into resources and answers for various teen topics. It doesn't look like it has a lot of bells and whistles - but wondering if you guys think it has worth as a "file cabinet" of material for our break outs.

TeenSphere - the app that answers teens questions to life

Bullying resources

These are from one of our biggest allies - Ellen Degeneres

They are links to organizations that are there to help teens dealing with different types of bullying. Check them out; this is the kind of information we need for our breakouts

Ellen's resource list

This Could Be Any One of You

An untimely death of a 17 yr old homeless youth who could not fight leukemia. Sad but true story of Blake Anderson @ Moundsview.

Blake Anderson - Homeless

The Bullying Project

Coming soon to a theater near you! This is going to be a huge bandwagon and we definitely need to be on it. Someone needs to organize this as a social event...

More LGBT Homelessness

Yet another article on teen homelessness. This one out of Miami and hits on gay, bullying, family abuse. Seems to be a new hot topic.

Think Progress homeless feature 

Feed Me!

A few pics from our first community service project at Feed My Starving Children

 The lovely Elaina and Kayla

 The girls - somehow Kayla manages to get in EVERY picture

Everyone on a job well done!

Winter Carnival skate team!

Look at the fear in Bailey's eyes!

Musical Theater Day

For all you musical geeks out there. This is everything we love and hate about it. Melodramatic over-acting on top of luscious vocals. This is Nick Pitera playing all three lead roles in Phantom. Let me know what you think?

And then to dispel all rumors! Taylor Swift is NOT playing Eponine. It is going to be Samantha Barks from the 25th anniversary concert. Yeah!

Eponine-in-Les-Miserables 

Hair - It Gets Better

Another one for La Gaga:

This one from students your age in Madson WI. We have been talking for a long while about using our other musical and dance talents here at SOS. I would love to see the EC and a roster of actors make something like this for ourselves. Don't talk it - DO IT!

Texting While Walking

Some simple texting etiquette. Part joke, but it does ring true at times. EVEN in rehearsals (Like whoever's cell phone was on eternal vibrate at yesterdays rehearsal!!!!) A possible comic sketch in here somewhere??

Lionel Richie's Hello @ the movies

And for something totally silly - for all you film buffs out there!

"Hello - Is It Me You're Looking For?"

Second Class Citizens

In our quest to develop new material touching on the divisive topic of Gay Tolerance, here is a new posting which shows a timeline of pivotal moments in the struggle over decades. Some shocking and brutal, others very positive and uplifting. This is a filmaker's first reel of clips that he is hoping to make into a full documentary feature called Second Class Citizens. Definite food for thought.

Our Own Ashley

Here is our own Ashley in a music video she made with her cute BF before the holidays. Tell her how special and talented she is!!!!

Alpenglow - "Mountain Man"

Shadow Puppets for Tolerance

This is a new music video from a Band called Bye June that supports LGBT Tolerance and uses world renown puppet artist Sati Achath to tell their story. More power of theater outside the box:

Two new posts today:

The First from Burning Man festival last year. It is a huge community based arts festival in the Black Rock Desert of NV where people come to express themselves for a week each year. And then disappear without leaving a trace of themselves after. It is all about self expression, being unique and what they bring to the world.

This is their take on Dr. Suess.

This is a recent video from a favorite improv company in NYC called Improv Everywhere. They do some ridiculously silly things spontaneously. I added their link to our Blog. But this one I thought was a great idea and I would love to see us pick a place and just try it come spring and warmer weather. Check it Out!

Major Reason - why color-blind casting does not work on the Racism sketch

Check out this link from Lavender Magazine - about homeless youth and their plight. It is autobiographical and I am heavily considering using it is source material to bring a new monologue into the script


A Portrait of Homeless Youth