A forged member from a Seventies TV comedy present is within the Virgin Islands on a mission to assist native youth. Now retired, actor Oscar De Gruy spoke to the Supply about his ongoing efforts to assist younger folks construct character, develop self-discipline, and discover out what it takes to carry out the perfect in themselves.
De Gruy’s go to to the territory is a part of his artist-in-residence affiliation with the Baha’i religion neighborhood, says Rod Clarken. Clarken is a professor emeritus from Northern Michigan College. De Gruy says he has been selling self-expression by way of the performing arts as a method to encourage self-awareness.
Since he arrived within the territory on Sept. 25, the actor says he’s dropped in on the Boys and Women Golf equipment on St. Thomas and St. John, paid a go to to the St. John College of the Arts and met the principal of 1 public college. By means of these and different visits, De Gruy mentioned he hopes to create the most recent iteration of a 10-week performing arts manufacturing.
Its working title is the Perception Empowerment Program.
“I’m making an attempt to work with quite a lot of organizations and faculties with this program I developed early in my appearing profession,” he mentioned. The same effort is deliberate to begin on St. Croix inside the subsequent few weeks.
He additionally talked about a parallel outreach effort meant to construct a program that may proceed after his keep within the V.I. is over. That effort seeks younger adults and faculty college students keen to be taught the parts of the empowerment program and use them to information future efficiency productions.
“If we are able to practice younger folks in the neighborhood who’re going to be right here, it’s going to develop,” he mentioned.
De Gruy appeared because the comedic character Mad Canine within the Seventies sitcom Good Instances and made appearances in different TV exhibits of the period, together with Room 222, the Streets of San Francisco, and Hill Road Blues.
Clarkson, his host within the Virgin Islands, mentioned the worth of passing alongside abilities De Gruy realized by way of his appearing profession might help younger folks take care of conditions they could face of their on a regular basis lives. “Youth is the treasure and the hope for the longer term,” Clarkson mentioned. “We’re very taken with serving to the world change into a greater place,” he mentioned.
