Pushcart Players

Pushcart Players is the professional, award-winning touring theater company dedicated to arts education for children. Since 1974, Pushcart has brought substantive musical theater, workshops, and residencies to schools, theaters, and communities nationwide. Our mission is to foster understanding, appreciation, and lifelong engagement with the arts through professional performances, interactive workshops, and school residencies for pre-K through 12th-grade students. Innovative Arts in Education: Our productions are curriculum-based, aligning with subjects including social studies, literature, history, and social-emotional learning. Students actively engage in theater-making through creation, performance, and reflection under the guidance of experienced teaching artists. Professional Excellence: All performances are led by Actors’ Equity Association artists, supported by study guides, post-performance assessments, and adaptive materials. We bring high-quality theater to any location with portable scenery, lighting, and sound. Commitment to Inclusion and Equity: Our programs serve racially and economically diverse communities. In our service region Accessibility: Pushcart ensures ADA-compliant access to all programs, including sign interpretation, audio description, sensory seminars, open captioning, and large print materials. DEAI Advocacy: Pushcart actively addresses systemic bias in theater and education, advocating for equity in hiring, programming, and organizational practices, aligning with the principles of Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion. We serve on the boards and committees of NJ Theatre Alliance (the coalition of the state’s professional non-profit theaters), ArtPride NJ (the arts advocacy organization), and ArtsEd NJ (the cohort of NJ’s education stakeholders) to advance universal arts enggement. Recent Accomplishments: - Celebrating 50 years of professional arts education - NJ Governor’s Award for Excellence in Arts Education - Cultural Access Network of NJ Innovator Award for sensory-friendly programming - NJ Theatre Alliance Applause and Arts Access Awards - COVID-19 relief grant from NJ State Bar Foundation to develop online arts content.