Hey......here's to NC School of the Arts!

Wow what an awesome day!! We just got back to Susan's house.....it's 10:15 but we are all so jazzed sleeping is not going to come easy. The students put on a spectacular show tonight. It was an interactive art exhibit and play. They had all sorts of stations, the first was a time line of AIDS in the US, they had incredible photos and facts and they also compiled a series of original news clips that were playing. The second section was a wall of beautiful photos of people who were then portrayed in the play. The third station was a tribute to Tori Dent, she was an incredible poet who died of HIV last year. Her poetry was used as the back drop for several of the stations. Next there was a white pedestal that a young woman dressed all in white stood on. She was surrounded by pictures on silver elastic cords from the floor to the ceiling. She was viewing each photo as if to remember a loving memory. The next station was a young woman in red with a wall of red ribbons that she was assembling again ceiling to floor. The last station was an interpretive dance performed by two young men it was the story of the fight against the disease and eventual death of the characters. Finally the play was called the "Support Group". The cast spent the last month visiting local groups and patients and created an incredibly real production of what a support group is like.
After all the performances I spoke. The audience was electric with awesome questions and wonderful interactions. I was so honored to be there tonight and to meet such great kids, faculty and staff. A huge thank you to each of them and the members of AIDS Care Services who also attended tonight. I will definitely be looking forward to coming back next time.
Hand and hand we all make the difference.
Cathy