Our Education Program

“Celebrating Voices: Storytelling & Playwriting,” created by Co-Artistic Director Elina de Santos, is co-directed by Elina, Marni Ayers (playwright, fund raiser) and Marc Antonio Pritchett (fight instructor, actor and director). It seeks to empower students by helping them create their own unique stories, both personal and fiction, for the stage and gain confidence in their reading, writing and story telling abilities.

 

The program is offered at several Boys & Girls Clubs every summer for the past 6 years. It has been funded by the Sylvia & Firestone Trust, Bank of America and California Arts Council.

 

Our objective is to teach youth (predominantly from underserved LMI households) the craft of playwriting/storytelling through constructive and fun reading, writing and theatre exercises that increase reading comprehension and writing skills while boosting critical thinking skills, confidence, problem solving abilities, artistic and team-building skills.

 

Simultaneously, these experiences support and promote cultural and life experiences through creative expression and involvement in the arts. “Celebrating Voices” provides students with a creative platform to share their life experiences without being defined by them.