Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts tagged as “musical theater”

Storycatchers Theatre in Chicago Pays At-Risk Youth to Write, Produce and Perform Original Musicals

By goodblacknews on November 23, 2014
Screen Shot 2014-11-23 at 3.42.32 PM

GBN volunteer Becky Schonbrun recently informed us about an inspiring program out of Chicago for at-risk youth called Storycatchers Theatre, which, according to their website, has been “preparing young people to make thoughtful life choices through the process of writing, producing and performing original musical theatre inspired by personal stories” for over 30 years.

While participating in storytelling, scriptwriting, and performance-skills residencies with Storycatchers artists, the youth participants not only get a chance to write songs, poems, stories and scenes inspired by personal experiences, they get paid to do so. The process reinforces their recognition of choices and consequences, enhancing the ability and desire of participants to make choices that lead to positive outcomes.

NAHYPA photoIn November of 2013, Storycatchers received a NATIONAL ARTS & HUMANITIES YOUTH PROGRAM AWARD in recognition of its work with detained and incarcerated youth. Founder and Artistic Director Meade Palidofsky traveled to Washington DC to accept the award from First Lady Michelle Obama. The National Arts & Humanities Youth Program Awards are an initiative of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). The President’s Committee partners with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to administer the program.

To see video of this inspiring program and to hear from the participants in their own words, click here.

“Flip For Your Fate?”, a staged reading of works in progress by Storycatchers Theatre at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, will be held on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. Admission is free. Reservations are required.

To learn about other upcoming Storycatchers performances, click here.

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)

Keke Palmer Partners With Saving Our Daughters to Inspire Young Girls

By goodblacknews on October 29, 2014

KEKE CINDERELLA
Photo: (Cinderella on Broadway)

Keke Palmer is sort of living a fairytale life right now. Not only is Palmer starring in the Broadway version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, but she is also still managing to find time to help others. Now the actress is partnering with Saving Our Daughters to help other girls feel like Cinderella.
When we spoke with Palmer, she explained how meaningful the role of Cinderella was to her. Performing on Broadway has also given her “a new respect for entertainers who, night after night, are out there performing their hearts out.” Even though she’s giving it her all each night, Palmer is squeezing in some time to help Saving Our Daughters, an organization she has worked with since she was 12.

KekePalmerMain

According to Palmer, she’s partnered with the organization in the past to attack “issues such as bullying and self-esteem,” so joining forces when she’s playing Cinderella makes perfect sense; after all, Cinderella faces bullying at the hands of her stepsisters. On November 4th, Palmer is meeting with girls from the Boys & Girls Club of New York for an event called “Saving Our Cinderellas.”
At the event, Palmer will host a talk session with the girls to focus on “overcoming self-esteem challenges,” such as the type of bullying Cinderella endures when she is picked on by her mean stepsisters. The session will also “emphasize strong self-esteem and aim to empower girls to save themselves and become influential ‘princesses.’” Another “princess” who stepped in to help the girls was gospel singer Kierra Sheard; the gospel singer will sponsor tickets for girls without parents in their lives to a showing of Cinderella and the talk session.
Keke Cinderella FinalWhen we asked Palmer what her hope for the event was, she reiterated the importance of the theme of Cinderella: “to believe the impossible,” which is something she wants each girl to do.
article by Claire Biggs via act.mtv.com