5th Annual Big Green Theater Festival Begins Today at Bushwick Starr

The Bushwick Starr will present BIG GREEN THEATER (BGT), an annual eco-playwriting program and green theater festival celebrating environmental education, sustainability in the arts, and community enrichment. This marks our 5th anniversary of BGT, and we are thrilled to herald this special year by doubling the program, which we now offer in TWO Bushwick public schools: PS123 and PS075, reaching more students, artists, and audiences than ever before.

BIG GREEN THEATER is a beloved community based program that brings the youth of Bushwick directly in touch with the professional world of theater. For a four-month period every year, The Bushwick Starr conducts an afterschool program with local 5th grade public school students, teaching them a combination of playwriting and environmental education. The young writers, a wonderful and lively group of 10-11 year-olds, devise a series of short "eco-plays" inspired by what they're learning, which are then presented at the BGT Festival. The plays are performed by an ensemble of professional actors, directors, and designers using only green theater methods (recycled materials for sets and costumes, fluorescent and LED lighting, paperless programming and ticketing, etc.).

Our theater is committed to being a part of community environmental awareness, and this program is our way of actively working toward change through a creative and interactive process. With BGT, we are introducing a new model for arts spaces to provide community-driven green initiatives that serve a global cause.

BIG GREEN THEATER is Directed by Jeremy Pickard; Lighting design by Jay Maury; Sound design by Sarah Hughes; Set design by Michael Minahan; Costume design by Preesa Bullington; Production Manager: Chip Rodgers.