The Early Stages Program was created in 1983 to bridge the gap between the world class cultural offerings of New York City and the under served cultural needs of the City's school children. Conceived and founded by dedicated theater luminaries Alvin Ailey, Lillian Gish, Michael Bennett, Helen Hayes and Jack Gilford, Early Stages is an established, integral part of the performing arts and education community in New York.

Early Stages is dedicated to a holistic, integrated approach to arts education. Early Stages serves students in all five boroughs, from kindergarten through 12th grade. Through our Live Theatre Program we are able to bring students to the City's leading commercial theaters and non-profit performing arts institutions. Performances range from mainstream Broadway productions and music concerts to dance performances and circus. Since 1983 we have brought over 300,000 students to over 3,000 performances of live theater, dance and music.