The cast of "I am Me" (Photo by Taylor Brown)
While life seems to slowly be getting back to normal, the COVID-19 pandemic and its residual effects have wreaked havoc on the adolescent population with increased rates of anxiety, depression, isolation and other mental health issues, mental health experts report.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 7.1 percent of children and teens aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) have been diagnosed with anxiety and 3.2 percent of children and teens aged 3-17 years (approximately 1.9 million) have depression that has been medically diagnosed.
"I am Me" student workshop at Hialeah-Miami Lakes. (Photo by Morgan Sophia Photography)
Compared to pre-pandemic levels, the rates of both in youth have doubled, according to some experts, leading some researchers to call it a global mental health crisis for children and teens.
In an attempt to address some of these issues, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts imagined, produced and presented “I Am Me,” the latest of more than a dozen Arsht Center arts education programs for Miami-Dade County students.
"I am Me" is a professionally produced play and the culmination of a 16-year partnership between the Arsht Center and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS), created especially for ninth graders.
"I am Me" student workshop at Hialeah-Miami Lakes. (Photo by Morgan Sophia Photography)
“Our partnership with the Adrienne Arsht Center has provided a cultural passport for thousands of Miami-Dade students over the course of their scholastic career,” former superintendent of schools Alberto M. Carvalho said in a statement before he left his post in February to accept a new position as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
" 'I am Me' is the culmination of a partnership, which began in 2010, as a commitment to provide every fifth, seventh and ninth grader live theater performances,” he said. “Together, we are building the next generation of arts lovers/patrons and supporters.”
The productions are provided by the Arsht Center at no cost to every ninth-grade student and teacher in the Miami-Dade County public schools.
“As our students continue to deal with isolation and stress magnified by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Arsht Center hopes to introduce the arts to students as a tool for coping, self-expression, healing and processing emotions,” said Jairo Ontiveros, vice president of education and community engagement at the Arsht Center.
Ninth graders get to experience "I am Me" as part of the Arsht Center's Learning Through the Arts program. (Photo by Taylor Brow)
“These kids have a lot to contend with,” he said. “They face peer pressure, mental health issues and isolation. In Miami, many are dealing with assimilation issues and language and cultural issues.”
Ontiveros continued: “Some of our teens suffer from feelings of belonging, anxiety and depression. It’s a very Miami-centric experience and we hope to provide a space for conversations to take place and show how the performing arts are a non-threatening way to share these feelings.”
The program, focused on teen mental health and wellness, began at the end of January and include a world premiere play directed by Teo Castellanos.
Ninth graders watch I am Me at Hialeah High School (Photo by WorldRedEye)
“Credit goes to the Arsht Center for taking the lead with this mental health initiative,” said Castellanos. “It’s super important knowing how COVID-19 has affected all of us and exacerbated underlying mental health issues in teens and all of us.”
Noting that the project was created using a process known as “devised theater,” when a team of artists work together to devise a show from inception to completion, Castellanos gives credit as well to all the Miami-based artists, writers, stage manager, designers and technical crew for their collaboration.
“The work was developed through experimentation and exploration and artists’ participation is encouraged,” he said.
LEFT: Krystal Millie Valdes as Jodi in I am Me / CENTER: Inez Barlatier as Iamme in I am Me / RIGHT: Diana Buitrago as Yamely in I am Me. (Photos by Taylor Brown)
Designed to be performed at high schools in Miami-Dade County, the performance featured six young people sharing what it’s like for them to be teenagers living in Miami during a time of uncertainty and flux.
Anxious about the pandemic, climate change, parental expectations, societal pressures and their still-forming identities, they find hope and comfort in one another, in art and ultimately within themselves.
LEFT: Dayron Leon in I am Me / CENTER: Rayner Gabriel Garranchan as Juan in I am Me / RIGHT: Thiana Berrick as Madelyn in I am Me. (Photos by Taylor Brown)
The cast consisted of Inez Barlatier, Thiana Berrick, Diana Buitrago, Rayner Gabriel, Dayron Leon and Kristie Millie Valdes, all Miami based actors and performers. Their characters express their fears, frustrations and triumphs, mirroring the lives of their student audiences, as they navigate through adolescence.
The program also included after-school workshops and detailed resource guides for teachers to incorporate the arts as a tool for self-expression and healing.
The traveling production wrapped in April, where the tour visited 50 schools.
The Arsht Center plans to integrate teaching artists into the school district’s afterschool wellness clubs to engage students in arts-focused self-expression workshops as a way to help students channel their emotions through the arts: poetry, music, dance and theater.
