Educational Media Reviews Online

Many years ago, I took care of several children from different families, whose parents had just divorced. I was horrified one day to find the children playing an uncomfortably realistic game they called “Divorce”, complete with extremely adult dialogue and actions. I called a friend who was a children’s therapist and shared my unease with her. “Oh no”, she said. “It’s a really good sign that they are doing this. Children who are allowed to dramatize a tragedy are able to externalize rather than internalize the event. They heal much faster.”

This was the purpose of Standing Tall, a project founded by the New York Times Foundation School Arts Rescue Initiative. All the 4th and 5th graders of Manhattan’s P.S.3 witnessed the attacks on the World Trade Center through their classroom window. It was Rachel Croyle’s fourth day as a teacher. In the days that followed the attack, Rachel became convinced that her students needed help dealing with what they had seen and experienced. Using the expertise of City Lights, a youth theatre organization, and a drama therapist, Robert Landy, the children created stories and roles in a series of workshops. A play was written based on these creations and later performed for faculty, other students in the school, parents and friends. Crisp, clear audio and video, along with captivating close-ups of the students enhance this succinct film by award winning director Peggy Stern. It is to her credit that she only needed 24 minutes to convey completely the healing powers of drama. This is a very good film for both children and adults. It is extremely highly recommended for public and academic collections and would be especially useful in any educational setting with programs in children’s therapy or creative arts therapy.