Legal Name Of Organization
Second Stage Theatre, Inc.
Purpose Of Funds
Each year, Second Stage Theatre’s Student Matinee Series enables 1,200 students to experience and learn from professionally produced Off-Broadway theatre. Second Stage has formed relationships with a number of junior and senior high schools throughout the five boroughs that consistently utilize this free service for their students. A majority of participants attend vocational schools, and this program affords them one of very few opportunties to step outside their concentration. In addition, many of the students’ parents don’t have the time, money, and/or inclination to take their children to theater so our matinee series gives them an educational experience they would otherwise not have. This program not only offers students the chance to see live theatre, it also facilitates a comprehensive discussion between students, their teachers, and our artists regarding the themes and issues that are pervasive in the piece. All participating classrooms receive a study guide, created and provided by Second Stage Theatre, to assist with this lesson. These study guides are prepared to help the students think critically about the show. Following each matinee there is a talk-back session with the cast and creative team that is coordinated by the artistic staff at Second Stage Theatre. This talk-back gives students the chance to ask questions and interact with the actors, playwrights and directors who helped bring the piece to fruition. This process makes the play relevant to the students’ lives and puts a personal touch on the experience. The partipants in the Student Matinee Series live throughout the five boroughs of New York City, range in age from 13-19, and come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. The schools we serve include Abraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn), Baccalaureate School for Global Education (Queens), Cobble Hill High School (Brooklyn), Discovery High School (Bronx), Fashion Industries High School (Manhattan), Graphic Arts High School (Manhattan), Grover Cleveland High School (Queens), Halsey Junior High (Queens), Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis High School (Manhattan), Washington Irving High School (Manhattan), Urban Academy (Manhattan), West Side High School (Manhattan), Boys and Girls Harbor (Manhattan) and Young Women’s Leadership School (Manhattan). On average, the students from these schools are 14% white, 29% black, 50% Hispanic or Latino, and 7% Asian. Two-thirds (66%) qualify for free lunches. Enrollment at these schools ranges from 131-3051 students, with an average of 1,259 students.
