A review from Julia Samartini, ArtsAlive@Kent Center School:
As Dexter performed, he established eye contact with each and every student at some time during his performance.
At the end, with a sound round of applause, including many teachers who had "crept" in to observe(!), he then announced he would take questions, but that he wanted to tell them about himself, first. THAT was inspired. They were riveted. He then became a real person, and his journey to acting, playwriting and directing became clear and appealing. Then he took questions. At the end of those, Ron Viafore (principal) called upon the class, asking if any of them had comments (rather than questions). This evoked an entirely new group of raised hands and wonderful feedback for Dexter as they told him what had moved them about his play.
I don't think there was a soul in that classroom that was not touched by this visit and performance. Greatest of kudos to Dexter Singleton! We would recommend him without hesitation.
One of the greatest gifts that Dexter gave to the children through his play is to not judge harshly, quickly or in ignorance, but to listen and learn and gather information in a situation of confrontation, before coming to judgment
Comments on "Harriet Tubman: The Story of the Underground Railroad":
What the students of West Hill Elementary in Rocky Hill are saying about this program: "I liked the way the actress moved across the river. It made me feel like I was actually in the river when she (Harriet) was escaping." "The actress used different voice to become other characters". "I felt that I was right alongside Harriet in the field and in the water". The teachers stated, "This was a powerful presentation", "The actress was talented and engaging", "This presentation added a new dimension to our study of the South"
Comments on "Shakespeare: The Remix ":
"Shakespeare: The Remix" was the perfect show for us to use in reaching out to the community - it is able to reach people of all shapes and sizes. As soon as the first beats came out of the boombox, the young people were hooked. Not only was it entertaining for the kids, but I had parents come up to me saying they learned more about Shakespeare in these 45 minutes then they did all through high school and college! THE REMIX is a truly unique piece of the musical theater."
- Michael Harrington, Artistic Director, The Arts Farm