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    A Theater With Heart

    The River runs with hope: TUTS' affiliate gives disabled kids a chance to bestage stars

    Joel Luks
    Aug 9, 2011 | 12:12 pm
    • For these children, little things indicate huge developmental benchmarks.
      Photo by Christian Brown
    • Making new friends is one of the biggest benefits of the program.
      Photo by Christian Brown
    • At The River's Fine Arts Summer Camp, all art disciplines mingle to create afinal performance week after week.
      Photo by Christian Brown
    • Children of all backgrounds and their siblings are welcome. Scholarships areavailable.
      Photo by Christian Brown
    • Audience and performers alike, smiles were plentiful.
      Photo by Christian Brown
    • Some expressed themselves by reciting lines.
      Photo by Christian Brown
    • Others preferred to dance.
      Photo by Christian Brown
    • Katey Tidwell, in blue, helping kids through their choreography.
      Photo by Christian Brown
    • In a rendition of "Hair," children brought out colorful wigs and adorable dancemoves.
      Photo by Christian Brown
    • Beyond just performance, children at The River develop meaningful friendships.
      Photo by Christian Brown

    Not all art is about the final product. Sometimes, it's all in the process. And the process has the ability to transform.

    Faculty and staff of The River Performing and Visual Arts Center, an affiliate of Theater Under the Stars (TUTS), know how to engage children with a wide range of disabilities — from mild to severe — children with chronic illnesses, children who are disadvantaged economically. Some are non-verbal, blind, with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities, or come from abusive environments.

    Ultimately, the goal is not to coach stars but to use the creative process to help children develop in ways traditional teaching and communication methods have failed to do.

    Imagine an introverted child who doesn't speak open up on stage facing 100 or so people. Or one whose coordination skills aren't fully matured being able to follow basic steps and choreography. Or a kid who's lacking social skills finding himself collaborating and making friends, easily.

    With loud cheers and wild applause, you would have thought The River's summer Seussical performance at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center was filled with the hottest celebs du jour. Indeed, the room was filled with bright young stars, each making huge strides in his/her own personal development. Families and friends were not shy to offer their encouragement, love and a tear — or two.

     Seussical was the culmination of one of many one-week Fine Arts Summer Camp programs where music, song, dancing, art and theater mingle to create holistic educational opportunities allowing these children to benefit from creative activities.

    Colorful art on the walls expressed each child's individuality. Some participated by dancing. Others by reciting lines, often with comedic delivery while wearing wigs and using amusing props. And there was plenty of live music.

     

      The room was filled with bright young stars, each making huge strides in his/her own personal development. Families and friends were not shy to offer their encouragement, love and a tear — or two.  

    At 6 years old, Jessica suffers from tuberous sclerosis, a condition that causes the growth of benign tumors in the brain and other vital organs causing developmental and behavioral problems.

    "I have seen her continuously grow and mature, improving many of her faculties," Jeannine Garnett, Jessica's mother, says. "She responds very well to music and dance, both which have helped develop her speech."

    For Karen Jacobson, watching her 16-year old autistic grandson Gage flourish is emotional.

    "This is his second summer," she says."I saw a difference in Gage after only one week. He's been able to make and keep friends, and everyone participates."

    "The little things that a student achieves like staying on stage, saying their name and standing in front of a large audience are huge benchmarks in their development," says Rozie Curtis, community outreach manager.

    Susanna Moses has two daughters enrolled in the program. "Monica is 14 years old and has high functioning autism," she says. Siblings are also welcome, enabling children to make a smoother transition into the program and giving parents some breathing room.

    "It's brought Monica out of her shell, making many friends," Moses says. "She's singing all the time and has become passionate about designing cartoons. Her dream is create a website where children like her are able to send in artwork and stories to share."

    Monica was also part of The River's Performance Troupe, a special program where students from Theater Under the Stars' Humphrey School of Musical Theatre learn and perform side-by-side. The troupe performed at TUTS gala in April, where even this reporter was moved by the display of students helping students in a spirited rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

    One of Humphrey's students is now an assistant teacher in the program and a University of Houston dance major. Meet Katey Tidwell.

    "The River has changed the direction of my life," Tidwell says. "Since joining The River, I have begun learning sign language and learning more about each different disorder that I come across with a child. I want to give them a chance to shine and show everyone what they can do."

    It's been roughly a year since TUTS and The River merged, enabling its executive director, Sandy Wicoff, to dedicate the nonprofit's administrative staff of three to concentrate mostly on programming while avoiding duplication of services and work.

    "The merger grew out of joint programming beginning in 2007," John Breckenridge, president and CEO of TUTS, says. "Early in the process and during a visit to the The River, one of the more severely disabled children named Christine sat on my lap. I fell in love with her and knew there was more TUTS could do by partnering with Sandy."

    The merger was approved in April, 2010. With synergy, opportunities emerge.

     

      One of Humphrey's students is now an assistant teacher in the program and a University of Houston dance major. "The River has changed the direction of my life," Katey Tidwell says.  

    "We have developed evaluation methods to assess and measure the outcome of our programs," Wicoff says. "With the arts being intangible, attaining measurables is very challenging. We want to document the efficacy of our programs to ensure we are offering what the community needs and what benefits the child the most."

    With serious concerns about education funding, the merger has enabled The River to maintain its programs and services and look forward to future areas of need.

    "Once they turn 19, they are too old to be at the younger level," Wicoff explains. "In Houston, they would have little to do, though the need doesn't just go away. We are exploring ways to add adult programming with new relationships."

    The River serves 1,700 students yearly through summer camps, life skill classes and residencies in public schools, community service organizations and hospitals — all on a $350,000 budget, about a third of TUTS' education funds.

    In 1996, The River began out of the need of founders Cathy and Bob Binstock. They were looking for a venue where their 3-year-old Samantha, who suffered from cerebral palsy, could take ballet. In its infancy the program provided a movement class for seven girls with disabilities. To date, it has served more than 10,000 children and their siblings.

    "I can't believe what I am watching sometimes," Wicoff says. "Turning shyness into confidence and disabilities into abilities is an overwhelming reward for everyone involved."

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    Movie review

    New movie Eddington confronts the chaos of early pandemic life

    Alex Bentley
    Jul 18, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in Eddington
    Photo courtesy of A24
    Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in Eddington.

    The coronavirus pandemic had a profound impact on the entire world, one that has been shown in various ways by movies and TV shows. However, even though a number of productions have attempted to show what life was like during the early days of the pandemic, few have tried to truly reckon with the way lockdowns and restrictions changed people.

    Filmmaker provocateur Ari Aster does just that in Eddington, set in a fictional small town in New Mexico in early 2020 that proves to be a microcosm of the debates taking place worldwide at that time. Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) is not a fan of mask mandates or other restrictions imposed by the government, while mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) tries to lead by example in an effort to keep his community safe.

    The men butt heads not just on how to deal with the pandemic, but also over a personal history involving Joe’s wife, Louise (Emma Stone). When news of the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota makes its way to town, it starts a slow simmer among the town’s youth population, putting even more stress on Joe and his small department. Conspiracy theories, white guilt, partisan politics, cults, and more combine to make the community into a powder keg that threatens to explode at the slightest provocation.

    Aster (Midsommar, Beau is Afraid) takes aim at all sides in a film that’s part satire and part thriller. No matter how each viewer reacted to the pandemic, the film offers at least a character or two that will come close to representing their viewpoint. Although opinions may differ, it seems clear that Aster is not portraying one side as “right” or more righteous than the other. What he is doing is demonstrating just how much was happening in a short period of time, and how those things could negatively affect anyone.

    On the flip side, the film also challenges viewers with viewpoints that may not match their own, which can make for an uncomfortable experience at times. The reactions various characters have to certain events range from rational to wholly unexpected, and Aster seems to delight in keeping the audience on their toes the entire time. This is especially true when violence rears its ugly head, resulting in some intense and upsetting scenes.

    Not everything in the film lands, though. A subplot involving Louise and Vernon (Austin Butler), a cult leader who preys on her fears, feels tacked on, with no relation to the film as a whole. In fact, the character of Louise is a misfire in general, one whose purpose makes little sense. Aster also lets (asks?) some actors speak in almost inaudible tones at various points in the film, a frustrating experience in a film as dialogue-heavy as this one.

    Phoenix loves to dig into off-kilter characters, and this one ranks high on that scale. Even if you don’t enjoy what his character does, it’s hard to fault the performance that brings him to life. Most of Pascal’s scenes are with Phoenix, and while he matches Phoenix’s energy, the lower key nature of his character leaves him overshadowed. The nature of the film means few others make an impact, although Deidre O’Connell as Joe’s passive-aggressive mother-in-law and William Belleau as Officer Jiminiz Butterfly stand out in their scenes.

    Few of us would volunteer to go back to the baffling days of early 2020, but Eddington does a great job of examining what was happening at the time and how events united some and divided others. It’s not a feel-good film, but it is one that will make viewers re-examine their reactions at the time and how those influenced the current reality.

    ---

    Eddington is now playing in theaters.

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