Center Theatre Group Hosts SOFT POWER Teen Youth Summit

Center Theatre Group invites current high school students to attend Reimagine Your American Dream, a teen youth summit inspired by David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori's "Soft Power." The free event will take place on Friday, May 4, 2018, from 4:30 - 10:30 p.m. (includes performance time for "Soft Power") at The Music Center Annex and the Ahmanson Theatre in Downtown L.A.

The teen youth summit will explore how much cultural influence teens have on the American Dream by discussing the themes addressed in "Soft Power." The event includes a talk with playwright David Henry Hwang, dinner and three workshops. The first workshop is "What's Our Story." In this workshop, participants work with a master storyteller to learn how to tell their arts education stories to create change within their schools and beyond. The second workshop - "What's Our Future" - is a physical theatre-based session that will encourage participants to explore their vision of future America. The final, writing-based workshop is "Cultural Appreciation vs. Appropriation," which teaches participants what an artist's responsibility is when portraying a culture that's not their own.

"The teen youth summit is a great opportunity to empower students to use theatre as a way to discuss themes of culture, identity and social responsibility," said Director of Education and Engagement Tyrone Davis.

Students who attend the teen youth summit will also receive a ticket to that evening's performance of "Soft Power" at the Ahmanson Theatre. However, students must attend the entire event to receive their complimentary ticket.

Photo: laywright David Henry Hwang. Hwang's "Soft Power" will have its world premiere in Center Theatre Group's 2017-2018 season at the Ahmanson Theatre and will play May 3 through June 10, 2018. For season tickets and information, please visit CenterTheatreGroup.org or call (213) 972-4444. Press Contact: CTGMedia@CTGLA.org / (213) 972-7376. Photo by Gregory Costanzo.