Grads talk about the influence of their school years

The Notebook tracked down a number of Philadelphia public school graduates who are accomplished in the arts and invited them to respond to the question: How did your arts experience in Philadelphia public schools affect your development as an artist? Here are the responses we received.

Teller
Magician, Penn & Teller

My artistic mentor was David G. Rosenbaum, my Central High School English teacher and drama coach, who was also a magician. He was a man who had such great faith in the power of classic dramatic literature that he boldly staged “Oedipus Rex” in modern dress in the style of a school assembly. He gave his young actors the technical and “depth acting” training to carry off his conceptions. He devised a performance of “Macbeth” in which magic tricks were adapted to enact the terrifying images in the poetry.

Rosey (as we called him) and I spent innumerable afterschool hours talking about theater and stage magic in the drama club room under the Central High stage. The ideas we developed there inform everything I’ve done since. His was the only formal acting training I ever had, and it has stood me in mighty good stead.

Rosey himself was a superb actor, deep and convincing; a frequent contributor to magicians’ journals, and a magician of great charm. He carried himself with immense style, verve, and presence. Rosey died over a decade ago, but anytime I’m working on a new bit or walking onto a stage, he’s right there inside me.

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Photo: Scheherazade Tillet

Aishah Shahidah Simmons
Filmmaker, www.NOtheRapeDocumentary.org

I attended AMY Center City (Alternative Middle Years) from 1980 to 1983. My experience at AMY played a transformational role in my educational career. Classes were small, students had a lot of access to the teachers, and there were a lot of extracurricular activities. The arts were an integral part of the educational process. I was supported and nurtured by almost all the staff. Three teachers – Gloria Mitchell, Sonjia Stanton, and Ricardo Martin – not only demanded my academic excellence but also encouraged my creativity, supporting my academic and creative journeys long after I graduated.