Through Early Stages Live Theater Program, over 300,000 public school children from all over the city have savored the unique and magical experience of attending live theater. Uptown and down, on Broadway and off, Early Stages has introduced a wider range of musical, dance and theater performance to a more diverse audience than any other arts and education program. The Early Stages multifaceted approach is designed to encourage a life long relationship with the performing arts and to enhance academic achievement.

The first and most basic goal of the Live Theater Program is to create a sense of comfort and belonging in this new, and often intimidating context of the theater. Our second objective is to prepare the students with basic information on the conventions of theater going and background for the performances they will see. The third, and perhaps most important goal is to validate the students responses to the theater experience through discussion and writing and other post performance activities. Only after these three objectives are accomplished do the students begin to see the cultural life of the city as a part of their own lives.

The immediacy and power of the live theater experience opens students minds and hearts to new ideas and new perspectives.

The Live Theater Program is structured around three goals, designed to open the world of the performing arts to students and enrich classroom learning:

To create in public school children - of all social and economic backgrounds - a sense of comfort and belonging in this new, somewhat intimidating context of 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.

For many of our students it is a first trip to Manhattan, as well as a first time to the theater. Early Stages chaperones our audience, easing any sense of "not belonging".

Students attend as a group which includes different classes from the same school. This creates a theater culture in schools, encourages positive social interactions and strengthens school communities.

To prepare the students with basic information on the conventions of theater going and background for the performances they will see.

Through Professional Development workshops, Early Stages helps teachers take full advantage of our ticket offerings, to familiarize students with basic theater protocol and to integrate arts experiences into classroom learning.

Early Stages has published a study guide "Early Stages: Introducing Theater To Young People". For many current productions we distribute reviews, background materials and educational materials prepare lesson plans and locate educational materials created by theater companies , as well as reviews of performances. To validate the students responses to the theater experience through discussion and writing and other post performance activities. After the show, participants leave as a group, discussing their reactions with teachers and companions, much like regular aficionados. They then hone reflective responses in class and share these often surprising experiences with other students. Students write about performances following each show. We publish student reviews on our website, www.earlystages.org, which has become a forum for lively arts dialogue among school children and youth. We also share student writing directly with performers and producers.