Bethesda's Imagination Stage drew local students recently for the culmination of an after-school drama program geared towards underserved middle school students.

Students from Argyle Middle School and White Oak Middle School — many of whom are immigrants from Africa or the Caribbean new to the U.S. — have been participating in the program, dubbed Project X, for several months. The project was a way to use creative outlets to overcome barriers, and culminated last week during the students' Spring Break as they performed for family, friends and project donors at the Christopher and Dana Reeve Studio Theatre at Imagination Stage.

At White Oak Middle School, the program is run in conjunction with the African Immigrant and Refugee Foundation.

From Monday through Thursday, students worked with teaching artists in workshops including fight choreography, visual arts, and drumming in order to develop a performance around the theme of "home." The theme was a relevant one to many of the students, who hail from different cultural backgrounds and are learning English.

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