Imagination Stage Selected to Co-Host National Theatre for Young Audiences Event

TYA/USA announces TYA/USA on Tour, a series of one-day events at Seattle Children's Theatre (October 20), First Stage (November 4), and Imagination Stage (November 18) to offer accessible opportunities for arts leaders, educators and artists in the field of Theatre for Young Audiences to participate in in-person professional and artistic exchange.

To expand the TYA/USA conference experience to its national membership, each TYA/USA on Tour event will feature a live TYA performance, inspiring keynote speakers, professional development breakout sessions, and opportunities to connect with colleagues at a culminating reception.

Recognizing the importance of virtual programming as an option for many members, TYA/USA also offers a TYA/USA on Tour Virtual Pass, an online engagement pathway that includes recorded versions of the shows, keynotes, and interactive webinars about the event.

Sponsors for TYA/USA on Tour include National Endowment for the Arts, Children's Theatre Foundation of America, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, Dramatic Publishing, Concord Theatricals, Playhouse Square, and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Program Highlights

October 20: Seattle Children's Theatre (Seattle, WA)

Kicking off TYA/USA on Tour in the Pacific Northwest, the first event at Seattle Children's Theatre will consider how we create new TYA work with a focus on crafting partnerships and community-centered programming.

Attendees will also:

• see a live performance of The Boy Who Kissed the Sky;

• hear a keynote conversation featuring Idris Goodwin & Shavonne Coleman with Tiffany Maltos titled "New Play Development & Centering Communities of Color on Stage;" and

• participate in breakout sessions with facilitators and connect with colleagues at a culminating reception. Breakout sessions include Artistic Advisors Circle at SCT: An Exploration of Alternative Leadership Models with Ramón Esquivel, Shavonne Coleman, & Kevin Malgesini, Reimagining New Play Development: Centering Young People & Community Partners with Mireya Hepner, Robert Castro, Simon Hansen, & José Cruz González, Creative Drama for Mental Wellness with Elizabeth Coen, Jonathan M. Rizzardi, Samora Covington, PsyD, & Brodrick Ryans, and Which Came First, the Book or the Play?: A Community-driven Model for New Work with Olivia Aston Bosworth & Maya Lawrence from the Alliance Theatre.

November 4: First Stage (Milwaukee, WI)

TYA/USA on Tour continues in the Midwest at First Stage, spotlighting the theme of TYA adaptation in action and bringing beloved stories for young people from page to stage.

Attendees will also:

• see a live performance of Arthur and Friends Make a Musical!

• hear from keynote speaker, Marc Brown; and

• participate in breakout sessions with facilitators, and connect with colleagues at a culminating reception. Breakout sessions include Adapting in the TYA World - Serving the Playwright, the Process and the Community with Jeff Frank, John Maclay, & Alvaro Saar Rios, From Casting to Performance: Deaf & Disabled Actors in TYA with Erica Berman & Fran Sillau, Representation and Age Appropriate Casting at First Stage - Why and How? with Jeff Frank, Samantha D. Montgomery, & Melissa L. Wanke, and The Kids Are in Charge: A Toolkit for Youth-Led Curating and Collaboration with Molly Bunder, Reji Simon, & Julie Ritchey from Filament Theatre.

November 18: Imagination Stage (Bethesda, MD)

Our third and final stop will close TYA/USA on Tour in the Mid-Atlantic at Imagination Stage, encouraging attendees to consider the possibilities and scope of our impact by exploring themes of activating social justice and community advocacy through TYA.

Attendees will also:

• see live performances of Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience and 10 Seconds;

• hear from keynote speakers Greg Reiner & Nancy Daugherty of the National Endowment of the Arts; and

• participate in breakout sessions with facilitators, and connect with colleagues at a culminating reception. Breakout sessions include Speak Up, Act Out and Break Out with Christopher Totten, Courtney J. Boddie, & ChelseaDee Harrison from The New Victory Theater, New Directions for Digital Theatre Post-COVID with Janet Stanford, David Sabel, & Helen Tovey, Integrating Consent-Forward Practices into Classrooms and Rehearsals with Madeline Geier, Trauma Informed Arts Learning: Spotlight on Theatre for Change with Joanne Seelig Lamparter & Triza Cox from Imagination Stage, Alternative Approaches to Funding and Philanthropy in Social Justice TYA with Suzan Zeder, Michael M. Wood, Sharnita C. Johnson, Hy Hetherington, Miriam Gonzales, & Sarah Bellamy, and Revealing History Through Hyperlocal Theater with Peter Musante.

"TYA/USA is excited to visit our national membership in their own communities at Seattle Children's Theatre, First Stage, and Imagination Stage. The Theatre for Young Audiences field is working tirelessly to develop innovative programming, increase audience accessibility and diversify the works presented onstage. We can't wait to celebrate their work and reconnect in-person for the first time in three years," says Sara Morgulis, TYA/USA Executive Director.

"These convenings will allow us to re-join our colleagues and members and reignite the conversation. Across the landscape of the arts, education and community engagement, we have boundless opportunities to rebuild and reset our course, with our young people at the center," adds Idris Goodwin, TYA/USA Board Chair.

Registration is now open. More information can be found at https://www.tyausa.org/ontour/

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