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Since 1983, Early Stages has brought over 300,000 students to live performances on and off Broadway.
The immediacy and power of live theater opens students’ minds and hearts to new ideas and new perspectives. Uptown and down, on Broadway and off, Early Stages has introduced a diverse audience of students to a wide range of music, dance and theater performances. Going to the theater encourages positive social interaction, strengthens school communities, and integrates students into the cultural life of the city.
Goals of the Live Theater Program
Over 75% of our students experience live theater for the first time with Early Stages. For this reason, we don’t just offer tickets. From preparation to follow-up, we help students learn performing arts basics, from reading a playbill to analyzing content, and then encourage their responses through discussion and writing.
1. Our primary goal is to ensure that public school students of all social and economic backgrounds find a sense of belonging at the theater. Students attend regularly scheduled performances so they experience live theater in a “real-world” situation and gain confidence to return on their own. Early Stages chaperones meet students who travel with key adults (teachers and parents) in groups that include students from different classes. This allows students to feel comfortable and to create a theater culture within each school.
2. We provide pre-performance material and/or workshops for students and teachers to prepare them with basic information on theater going as well as specific background on performances. These workshops help integrate the theater experience into classroom learning. Early Stages has published a study guide Introducing Theater to Young People and for some productions we prepare lessons plans or locate materials created by other organizations.
3. We validate students’ response to the theater experience through discussion, writing, and other post-performance activities. After the show, participants leave as a group discussing their reactions much like regular aficionados. Students also write their response to the performance, which we publish on our website and frequently share with artists and producers.
We have found that only after these three goals have been met do students find their place as life-long theater goers. |
