Traveling Theater Company Brings Communities Together After A Year Of Isolation

Doing theater on zoom is not ideal. But after being forced into isolation and online during the pandemic, a collective of theater students and recent grads decided to channel their energy into an original play that puts community front and center.

The Children's Crusade Touring Company will be performing their original play, Children's Crusade, across Long Island to socially distanced audiences as part of their tour around the Northeast, New England and Midwest. Many people believed live theater was impossible during the pandemic, but this company found a way to make it happen. After premiering in Bloomington, Indiana in October 2020 as part of The Hundredth Hill's Emerging Theatre Artist Residency, the Children's Crusade Touring Company is now bringing theater to communities across the country that haven't been able to enjoy live performances in over a year. The tour begins on July 8th in Long Island New York and ends August 30th in Bloomington, Indiana.

"As we reemerge into this new world, I'm excited to share this story of hope and perseverance," says Scott Huffman, writer and director of Children's Crusade. "This is what theater's always been about for me: uplifting communities and bringing audiences together."

Children's Crusade is the story of eight kids from Utica, New York who believe one among them to be a prophet. After an inexplicable message from God, it is up to them to travel to the holy land and find Him. Chronicling their journey from their small cul-de-sac all the way to Jerusalem, we watch as these kids adventure beyond the only world they've ever known and discover surprising new things about themselves. Although they come from different ideologies, they must rely on each other in order to journey out and fulfill their goals.

Tickets can be purchased at: https://www.childrenscrusadecompany.com/tour

Recommended for ages 13 and up. For more information about the project and creative team, as well as a full list of tour dates, please visit https://www.childrenscrusadecompany.com.