Broken Box Mime Theater to Present BKBXKIDS! ASKS WHY in November

Broken Box Mime Theater will present a special limited engagement of BKBXKids! Asks Why at the Theatre at the 14th Street Y (344 East 14th Street, New York, NY 10003). The performances will take place on Friday, November 18 at 2pm, Saturday, November 19 at 2pm, and Sunday, November 20 at 2pm. Tickets ($15) are available for advance purchase at www.brokenboxmime.com. The show is for kids K-5 and their loved ones. Admission is free for anyone under 5.

Through embodied poetry, modern mime, and a dance party to process our feelings, BKBXKids! Asks Why lays the groundwork for conversations about racial justice that can continue long after the lights go down in the theater, creating an accessible entry-point for young people and their families that centers imaginative play, full-body engagement, and joyful curiosity.

BKBXKids! Asks Why was inspired by Sean, a 9-year-old featured on Sesame Street's June 6th, 2020 Town Hall on racial justice. He asked: If Black people contributed so much to the development of this country and the world, why are Black people treated so badly? Through Broken Box Mime Theater's refreshing take on modern mime, BKBXKids! Asks Why transforms Sean's complex question into a wide space for exploration.

The show features Regan, our central character, who places the question in her own voice and experience. With an ever-changing backdrop of dynamic video projection, she is joined by her friends Mimes, who help her navigate an interdimensional garden, an ancient cave, and a rather unpleasant gelatinous orb. All the while, Regan builds self-care and resilience in the face of heavy realities. In addition to several "move your body" interactive moments, Regan's journey includes a full-group dance party, where we collectively reinforce that our feelings are valid, our bodies are strong, and even the smallest moves can lead to a movement. At its heart, Asks Why is about what it is to journey into a complex question.
Originally developed as an interactive digital artwork in a black box theater with an ensemble cast, BKBXKids! Asks Why will make its NYC debut after running for two weeks at Seattle Children's Theater in October 2022.

BKBXKids!, a division of Broken Box Mime Theater, aims to inspire unplugged creativity in children and families by way of joyful, movement-based storytelling. We celebrate the power of shared imaginative experience and challenge audiences to explore new ways to create, connect, and communicate!

Broken Box Mime Theater (BKBX) is a collaborative theater company that performs original, contemporary short plays entirely through movement. Based in NYC and founded in 2011, we reimagine French pantomime through the lens of contemporary US American theater. The diverse group of artists who call BKBX their artistic home believes in making innovative, provocative theater that erases the spoken language barrier and champions the power of simplicity in performance. Our short plays range from realistic to metaphorical, heart-wrenching to hilarious, and cinematic to intimate. Winners of New York Innovative Theatre Awards for Outstanding Movement/Choreography, Performance Art, and Ensemble. www.brokenboxmime.com

Photo Credit: Bjorn Bolinder

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