The Shreveport Opera produced a stirring display at the Marshall Junior High School Thursday morning. But General and Artistic Director Steve Aiken said the play holds another significance.

"It's about remembering everybody who lived and struggled through the Great Depression," said Aiken of "Voices of a Nation."

(ENLARGE)

The group performed two 40-minute productions in a junior high auditorium that was packed with eager students and teachers.

Aiken said such a production is important for the students to witness and learn from.

The Great Depression was one of the longest and most severe economic slumps of the western world, lasting from about 1929 to 1939.

"It's important that these kids know why we're all here today living in a better country," said Aiken.

"It's on the news today that we're supposedly living through a recession, but when we think about all of the things that were put in place by our forefathers and great-grandparents, we really have to celebrate what they lived through and did," he added.

"It's important that we reach out to these kids. I think it will help us to understand why we have better schools and free education."

Aiken said the production consisted both of a musical play and presentation — providing personal accounts of children and adults who lived through the Great Depression.

The play even highlighted the construction of the Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier, La., one of the largest bases at that time and one that created a number of jobs for residents, Aiken said.

The event included 11 different musical selections.

"It's really a musical presentation," said Aiken.

"It's a mix of images and music."

Aiken says the Shreveport Opera tours all across the Ark-La-Tex region frequently, performing in front of 50,000 children a year.

Its mission is to "further educational efforts which support the growth, development and appreciation of opera as a viable art form," according to its Web site.

Contact Charles Iyoho: ciyoho@marshallnewsmessenger.com or 903-927-5964.