Bushwick Starr's 4th Annual BIG GREEN THEATER FESTIVAL Set for 4/26-27

The Bushwick Starr will present BIG GREEN THEATER, an annual eco-playwriting program and green theater festival celebrating environmental education, sustainability in the arts, and community enrichment.BIG GREEN THEATER (BGT) is an annual 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 works with a group of 5th grade students after school, teaching them a combination of playwriting and environmental education. This in-classroom portion of our program is lead by Jeremy Pickard of Brooklyn based eco-theater collective, Superhero Clubhouse. Each year, we partner with Bushwick's PS123 5th grade class; a wonderful and lively group of 10-11 year-olds, who throughout the program, write the original environmentally themed plays presented at the BGT Festival. These 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 performance venue serves the neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn- a vibrant and diverse community that is currently lacking in environmental education. 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 / Stage Manager: Harry Poster; Asst. Production / Stage Manager: Maria Portman Kelly. Featuring: Nanda Abella, Eben Hoffer, Tia James, Flako Jimenez, and Katey Parker

Plays written by 5th grade students, age 10-11: Jordan Lopez, Mariana Castro, Jessica Rueda, Leslie Rivera, Jeremiah Maldonado, Emilio Santos, Christopher Cruz, Ximena Ramos, Isis Saninocencio, Joseline Lima, and Heaven Masters