Collaborative on Global Children's Issues

Imagination Stage created Óyeme in partnership with Montgomery County’s Department of Recreation, the Street Outreach Network, and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation in 2014 in response to the large number of migrant and asylum-seeking youth from Central America arriving in the county. It began as a small afterschool program—providing space for newcomer youth to explore their stories and share their experiences in a culturally-sensitive and trauma-informed way. Over time, the students helped playwright Miriam Gonzales create the play Óyeme, the Beautiful.

Óyeme means “hear me” in Spanish. The production follows a group of teens from Central America who are making the dangerous trek across the border to the Washington, DC, region. The play helps build awareness and empathy within the broader community. As a result of Imagination Stage’s partnership with Montgomery County and D.C. Public Schools, Óyeme workshops continue to take place in more than 25 English Language Learner classrooms during the school day, and the play has reached more than 7,000 audience members.

Joanne Seelig is the artistic director of education and theatre for change at Imagination Stage. An arts educator with more than 18 years of experience, Seelig leads the development of new work based on youth voices that have been performed on Capitol Hill, at the Smithsonian, and at the National Building Museum.