On July 2, 2019, the Cleveland Job Corps Center hosted the Cleveland Showagon, a traveling performing arts troupe with youth that perform throughout the city at various venues. The performance troupe consists of 60 -70 participating youth ranging in ages from 5 to 19 years old from all backgrounds.
The troupe dances, sings, acts and recites poetry during a 2-hour show that showcases their skills on a mobile stage unit that tours around the Cleveland area during the summer months. The Showagon has been performing around the City of Cleveland since 1958. This program has impacted the lives of inner-city youth and families that have never experienced live theatre before.
The students and staff at the Cleveland Job Corps were excited and thrilled to see such a wonderful performance from other Cleveland youth around the city. This year’s performance was about summer reading. The troupe performed renditions of different books such as Happy Potter, Hunger Games, Kolby Book, and Wocket in My Pocket. The staff and students were singing, clapping and enjoying the performance. They were inspired to think about performing arts in different ways.