RADFORD – Belle Heth Elementary School students were treated to a professional theater performance on Wednesday, compliments of the school’s Parent School Association (PSA).
The play, which was performed by Theater IV of Richmond, depicted the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and not only entertained the students but also taught them several Standards of Learning lessons.
“I Have a Dream; The Life and Times of Martin Luther King, Jr” was performed at Belle Heth on Wednesday. School Principal Jack McKinley said he feels the production taught valuable life lessons as well as SOLs.
“This play provided the children an opportunity to make real and visual connections to historical events that they have studied in their Social Studies classes,” McKinley said. “I hope they felt a sense of the important legacy that Martin Luther King, Jr. left behind and what we can do as citizens to make our world a better place.”
McKinley thanked the PSA for making the event possible for students.
“We are grateful to the PSA for their hard work in funding this great event,” he said. “Without their support, these programs would not be available to our students.”
The Theater IV website describes the play as a “compelling dramatization of the life of one of the most influential and charismatic leaders of the American Century and the Civil Rights Movement will inspire students as they experience the great leader’s struggle and his dream of lifting our nation.”
All Theater IV performances support SOL’s and encourage learning in the areas of history, biography, language, reading, public speaking, self-esteem and character development.
Theatre IV is a non-profit, professional theatre for young audiences. Since 1975 the company has toured from Wisconsin to Florida and Texas to Maine while also presenting productions in its home city of Richmond. Each year, the theatre company performs live before more than 500,000 children, teens, parents and teachers across the America.
