HR1373

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of  
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Representatives are pleased to honor the Child's Play Touring 
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Theatre for their outstanding work with the children of the 
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City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and throughout the 
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nation; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Based in Chicago, the Child's Play Touring Theatre 
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is the premiere theatre company in the United States dedicated 
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exclusively to performing works written by children; Child's 
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Play motivates elementary school students to read and write 
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through developing and staging original plays based on 
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children's poems, stories, and songs; and
 
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    WHEREAS, The goal of Child's Play is to help children 
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understand the value and significance that writing and reading 
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has on their lives; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Child's Play was founded by Victor and June 
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Podagrosi  in 1978 while Victor was teaching theatre at Parkland 
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College in Champaign; when asked to stage a performance of 
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children's writings for a Young Author's awards ceremony, 
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Victor was delighted with the sophistication and storytelling 
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abilities he discovered in children's writing; believing they 
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had identified a unique form of educational theatre, the 
 


 






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Podagrosis formed the Child's Play Touring Theatre and began 
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traveling to rural schools in east central Illinois; and

 

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    WHEREAS, Child's Play Touring Theatre believes in the 
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importance of contributing to the Chicago community; its 
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principal outreach program, the Chicago Young Writers Project, 
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aims to motivate Chicago public school students to write, as 
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well as provide teachers with drama-based methods for writing 
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instruction; and

 
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    WHEREAS, With the passing of Victor Podagrosi, his wife 
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took over the direction of Child's Play and established the 
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Victor Award to honor individuals and organizations who have 
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demonstrated outstanding commitment, generosity, and/or 
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service to Child's Play; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Child's Play was honored with an Emmy Award for 
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its contribution to the production of two child-focused Public 
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Service Announcements, "Educate Us" and "If I Were President"; 
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therefore, be it


 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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honor the Child's Play Touring Theatre for its outstanding 
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work, we thank the group for its dedication to the children of 
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the State of Illinois and the nation, and we wish the group 
 


 






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continued success in its future endeavors; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy be presented to June 
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Podagrosi as a symbol of our esteem and respect.