Yesterday, the non-profit theater group Making Books Sing–which performs for approximately 8,000 city kids and families each year–announced that it is changing its name to New York City Children’s Theater.
“We are here in New York working with all five boroughs. This is all being done by, with, and, for New York and our work speaks to adults as much as it does to children,” says Barbara Zinn Krieger, the theater’s founder and artistic director, of the renaming.
The theater, which frequently gives in-school theater performances for students in all five boroughs, gears many of its performances towards children with special needs and those coming from lower-income communities. The New York City Children’s Theater strives to engage both young audiences and adults in their performances. Many of their theater programs also tie into the New York State ELA curriculum, fostering language development and promoting self- confidence for young people. One of their many goals is to use interactive theater programs and performances to address current issues that are relatable to their audiences.
One of the group’s upcoming performances, “Two Bugs are Better Than One,” is a prime example of this goal. After conducting much research on the topic, they found that many pre-schoolers experience difficulties connecting with others in school settings. Thus, “Two Bugs are Better Than One” addresses these issues by showing the benefit of two strong individual bugs working together as a team.
The New York City Children’s Theater is working hard to bring theater to schools all over New York City, especially those lacking the arts in their curricula. For more information on their work and upcoming events, visit nychildrenstheater.org.
And don’t forget to check out one of their new shows, “The Amazing Adventures of Harvey and the Princess,” opening on November 15!
