MCC Theater Youth Co Presents Uncensored 2011

(Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director), one of New York's leading Off Broadway theater companies for the past 25 years, believes in the exciting new voices of young artists and in giving those voices the opportunity to be nurtured and heard. This mission extends beyond MCC's main stage with the Education and Outreach Department, which brings cultural education to more than 1,000 New York City students annually.

One outstanding and dynamic effort of the MCC Education & Outreach Department is the MCC Theater Youth Company, a free after-school program for under-served city youth interested in learning playwriting and acting from theater professionals. Bernard Telsey, one of MCC Theater's founding Artistic Directors believes "this groundbreaking program is designed to inspire young people to discover and express themselves in a safe environment where they are encouraged to develop their unique artistic abilities. MCC is proud to support this ongoing effort and we are continually gratified by the extraordinary response and achievements of our students."

The ongoing MCC Theater Youth Company program is comprised of weekly Acting and Playwriting Labs attended by a total of 60 students - ages 14-19 - from all five boroughs of New York City.

Uncensored 2011 is scheduled for May 13 at 7:00 p.m., May 14 at 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m., and May 15 at 2:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. Tickets are a suggested donation of $10 for adults and $5 for students. Seating is limited and reservations are highly recommended. For reservations and additional performance information, please contact MCC Theater at 212-727-7722 ext. 221.

Uncensored, the annual spring presentation of the Youth Company, presents the Youth Company's artistic talents without censorship or the parameters designated by their school system. The performance includes individual works developed over months of rehearsal. The performances provide a rare, unrestricted glimpse into the hearts and minds of a unique group of individuals. Each actor has the opportunity to articulate their hopes, fears, and dreams through original monologues, dialogues and ensemble pieces which can be comic or dramatic but are always meaningful expressions of their inner lives. It is an equally rewarding and enjoyable experience for both the performer and the audience.

MCC Theater is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary season as one of New York City's leading Off Broadway theater companies, committed to presenting New York and world premieres each season. When MCC Theater was founded in 1986, its mission was simple: to bring new theatrical voices to theater-going audiences. MCC Theater continues to accomplish this yearly through three programmatic areas: its mainstage works; its Playwrights' Coalition, which actively seeks and develops new and emerging writers; and its Education & Outreach Programs, including the Youth Company, which allow more than 1,200 students yearly to experience theater, increase literacy and discover their own voices through the creation of original theater pieces. Notable MCC Theater highlights include: the 2008 Tony Award-nominated reasons to be pretty by Neil LaBute, last season's The Pride, Fifty Words, the 2004 Tony-winning production of Bryony Lavery's Frozen; Neil LaBute's Fat Pig; Rebecca Gilman's The Glory of Living; Marsha Norman's Trudy Blue; Margaret Edson's Pulitzer Prize-winning Wit; Tim Blake Nelson's The Grey Zone and Alan Bowne's Beirut. Over the years, the dedication to the work of new and emerging artists has earned MCC Theater a variety of awards.

For more information on MCC Theater, visit www.mcctheater.org.

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