Photos courtesy of Marie Verger

Escondido-based Arts Off Broadway youth theater recently partnered with Heart for Africa to take a group of approximately 30 students and parents to Swaziland, South Africa, as volunteers at the El Shaddai Orphanage.

The students participated in an art exchange and taught the children in the village the musical production of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.' In return, the students learned Swazi songs that were performed for the community. The students also helped plant 34 gardens, built onto the orphanage's dormitories, helped where needed in the surrounding community and helped distribute 30,000 pairs of new shoes donated by Soles for Souls.

AOB Artistic Director Siobhan Sullivan is in the process of finalizing plans for a playwriting project centered around the trip to Swaziland. The group has acquired professional playwright Seema Sueko from Mo'oleo Performing Arts Company, who will lead a workshop on the project. Youths college age and younger are invited to participate. Once completed, the play will be offered to school and community groups to help raise awareness of people in need, especially children in Africa.

For information, call (760) 735-3302 or go to http://www.artsoffbroadway.org.

Top photo: From left are AOB President Marie Verger and AOB students Sadie Verger and Amanda Mune, both holding children from the orphanage.

Second photo: AOB Artistic Director Siobhan Sullivan holds a baby from the orphanage.

Third photo: From left, students Janessa Gillette, Julianne Eyers and Allison Malacara help paint a mural on a wall in the boys' dormitory.

Bottom photo: Sullivan and AOB student Ian McGraw work with an orphaned youth on the production of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.'