Audiences that Inspire

When we bring Take A Stand into high schools, we know that we're going to get some reactions.  The scenes speak to the reality of bullying in ways that can sometimes be uncomfortable and always ignite passionate, diverse responses. After many scenes audiences have audible reactions, sometimes in favor of the protagonist and sometimes in support of a dangerous choice.  Either way, the scenes always fuel needed discussion.

Through these facilitated discussions, the audience explores consequences of unhealthy choices while celebrating those who stand up for others.  The result is always empowering.

Sometimes, however, the audience is exceptional.  That was the case this past Wednesday.

While students voiced diverse opinions, the amount of support the whole audience showed each individual was incredible.  After one student passionately voiced her feelings against prejudice of any kind, the entire audience applauded.  Rarely, is an audience so supportive of one another, that people earn applause during the post scene discussions.

Every volunteer that came up on stage had their return to the audience underscored by cheers and compliments.

Many different points of view were voiced, and all were accepted.  It was a really beautiful thing to see.  I'm tremendously proud that our show promotes important conversations, and I'm optimistic for the future when I see an audience so eager to participate in the dialogue.

As always, you can learn more about Take A Stand and all of our other programs at www.imaginationtheater.org.

— Jeremy Schaefer, Associate Artistic Director

Customized Programs

Every Imagination Theater assembly is unique to the community hosting the event.  Our shows are always about the audience.  Audience members even star in the most pivotal moments of nearly every scene.

We provide the platform for communities to discuss and explore the issues that are most meaningful to them.  In order to best serve that end, we regularly work with schools and communities to customize programs and create original assemblies that address the social issues most critical to them.

Sometimes this means we're creating an entirely new show, like our upcoming programs on responsible proms and substance abuse.  On other occasions we can tailor an existing script to suit a particular community or shine a light on a specific circumstance.  This February we are touring a customized version of our No Secrets program for 6-8th grade as well as a customized version of our Aware Individuals program for high school students.

The flexibility of our style allows us to speak directly audiences about the issues that matter most to them.  It is a privilege to serve communities in this way.

As always, you can learn more about Imagination Theater and our programs at www.imaginationtheater.org.

— Jeremy Schaefer, Associate Artistic Director

Thank You and Happy New Year!

Imagination Theater's ensemble, staff, partners, and audiences feel like family.  Together, we accomplished so much this year!

We are tremendously proud of the work we do starting conversations that aren't always easy, but are always important.  Talking about an issue, hearing another point of view, and processing potential solutions make up the early stages of lasting change.  In 2014 we encouraged audiences to talk about children's sexual abuse, sexual assault on college campuses, teasing and bullying, tolerance of other cultures, religious diversity, leadership, toxic relationships, healthy decision making, environmental stewardship, and more.

All of these topics are incredibly important to us; each of these topics is bigger than us.  By working together, Imagination Theater and our extended family of supporters are taking the initial steps toward positively impacting our communities.  We are so proud of what we've accomplished together in 2014 and we are grateful to continue that work in 2015 with so many committed partners.

We wish a very happy new year to the entire Imagination Theater family!

As always, you can learn more about the work we do at www.imaginationtheater.org.

— Jeremy Schaefer, Associate Artistic Director

Holiday Shows!

The audience at this morning's Show Some Respect: Holiday Edition was definitely in the holiday spirit.  In the opening scene when a child isn't grateful for a gift from her grandfather, the whole audience leaned forward.  I overheard a few students turn to their neighbors and exclaim, "That's really mean!"  When the audience was asked about the scene, one student said "Her Grandpa got her something thoughtful that reminded him of her, and it's the thought that counts."

It really does warm the heart to hear a young audience talk enthusiastically about the importance of being grateful during the holidays.

When I left the show, I too was in the holiday spirit!

Thank you so much to all of our audiences that have moved and inspired me this year!

As always, you can learn more about Imagination Theater at www.imaginationtheater.org.

–Jeremy Schaefer, Associate Artistic Director

A Big Thanks!

Imagination Theater's mission to share social issues theater with diverse audience is supported in large part by the generosity of our partners.  We wouldn't be able to share hundreds of performances a year with thousands of audience members without the backing of our phenomenal supporters across the country!

This past Tuesday was Giving Tuesday and we are tremendously grateful for the donations we received.  Our annual partner program is happening right now, so there is still time to contribute to our mission and share social issues theater with even more audiences!

You can donate to Imagination Theater here.

You can also contribute to Imagination Theater while doing your holiday shopping by visiting www.goodshop.com or Amazon Smile and selecting Imagination Theater as your charity of choice.

Here is a selection of unselfies that our ensemble members and supporters posted to our Facebook page on Giving Tuesday.

Thank you so much for your continued support!

As always, you can visit www.imaginationtheater.org for more information about all of our interactive programs.

— Jeremy Schaefer, Associate Artistic Director.

Ease the Tease In Action

In my time with Imagination Theater, I've been lucky enough to observe our audiences from the facilitator's point of view hundreds of times.  Still, few things beat the opportunity to experience a show from the audience's point of view.  

This past Friday I sat in the back of Hope Institute Learning Academy's auditorium with a crowd full of K-2nd graders.  They laughed at our Ease the Tease scenes, contributed to the discussions, processed the response strategies, and then joined our actors on stage to positively influence the outcome of real life scenarios.  Student volunteers were beaming as they returned to their seats.

After interacting with our actors for just 45 minutes, students leave with skills they'll remember throughout the school year!

As always, you can learn more about Ease the Tease and all of our other programs at www.imaginationtheater.org.

– Jeremy Schaefer, Associate Artistic Director

The Reviews Are In!

Creating a new play is an incredibly rewarding experience! This season's overhaul of Show Some Respect was no exception!

From the very first set of workshops with 2nd and 4th grade classrooms, I felt in my bones that this was a powerful project.  Both classrooms beautifully articulated how a program about respect could benefit their school.  They provided invaluable feedback as we turned their ideas into scripts.

When we premiered our two new versions of Show Some Respect for our proud collaborators and their peers, the response was incredible.  Since then, we've shared our newest program at every opportunity.

After our first showcase of the 2014-15 season, parents flocked to our booth to book performances for their schools.

Teachers and parents have been leaving glowing reviews on our post-show evaluations and comments like this one on our Facebook page: 

"Awesome assembly at Fairview School today!!!! Every scene you performed is exactly what the kids connect with, so the production was quite meaningful.  Thank you!!! ~Shari Lambert, Third Grade Teacher"

The most rewarding part of creating this new show is hearing the positive reactions from the audiences and communities we created it for!

As always, you can learn more about Show Some Respect and all our other programs at www.imaginationtheater.org.

—Jeremy Schaefer, Associate Artistic Director