Introducing our 2021 Summer Intern Class! Meet the talented college students and recent graduates who will be joining us both in person and virtually this summer as Teaching Artist, Marketing, and Arts Administration Interns. Welcome to the team! ​

Another exciting month at SCT - and that's no April Fool's joke. This month, we’re looking up. Spring Drama School Classes have begun and Summer is fast approaching. While we prepare to gather, play and create in person, we’re getting excited for all the fun that is to come. 

​Read on to learn about all the fun things happening at SCT! And we want to hear from YOU - what’s your favorite knock-knock joke? Tell us in the comments here and maybe you’ll get a special shout out on our social channels!

This summer, SCT is here to meet your family wherever you are. With virtual classes to spark action and creativity, and in-person offerings ready to safely play in shared space, SCT’s Summer Drama School Camps & Classes are back and better than ever! Save the date - registration opens for June classes on April 14th. ​

​Questions about in-person learning at SCT? Check out our FAQ and health guidelines. Payment Plans and need-based scholarships are available - click here to learn more.

​Now’s your chance to channel your inner comedian. SCT Spring Break Camps are running from April 12-16. Meeting once a day for a week during Spring Break, these camps are the perfect opportunity to infuse creativity and inspire your student. Explore class titles like Improv, Treasure Trunk Theatre, Triple Threat - The Prom, and more!

SCT's very own Johamy Morales, Director of Education, will be directing the first in a series of Milwaukee First Stage's newly announced  Amplify - First Stage's BIPOC Virtual Short Play Series, which will be developed and produced throughout Spring 2021. Johamy will be directing COPPER HORNS IN WATER by Ty Defoe. 

Interested in joining SCT's staff and faculty? We are currently hiring for the following positions:

Teaching Artist - American Sign Language Specialist: This position will craft theatre-based curriculum and provide professional instruction for students who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Children of Deaf Adults. Instructional topics are within the wide variety of Theatre Arts educational opportunities SCT provides, including Arts-Based Learning workshops, Community Engagement workshops/residencies, and Drama School classes and camps. 
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Director of Production: The Director of Production is responsible for the realization of SCT’s artistic vision, set by the Artistic Director. This role leads all production related activities at SCT including but not limited to; design and rehearsal phase, running of shows, building of productions, sending SCT’s physical productions out, receiving touring productions, as well as partnering closely with the Artistic Director on commissions and workshops.

As Women's History Month comes to a close, we're thinking of all the ways we can continue to celebrate, amplify, and educate ourselves on the amazing work being done by female creators and leaders within SCT, local to Seattle, and all over the world.

Share these resources with your family, friends, and fellow parents! Do you have a resource you would like to share or a female creator you would like to celebrate? Leave a comment below and we will add to our list!

SCT's very own Johamy Morales, Director of Education, will be directing the first in a series of Milwaukee First Stage's newly announced  Amplify - First Stage's BIPOC Virtual Short Play Series, which will be developed and produced throughout Spring 2021. Johamy will be directing COPPER HORNS IN WATER By Ty Defoe. 
​
Celebrating the female creatives bringing new works to our stages, Cheryl West, playwright of past SCT productions like Mwindo (2015), was recently mentioned in Crosscut’s article 'Seattle playwrights are already writing for the post-pandemic future'. Keep your eye out for a mention of SCT's upcoming adaptation of The Watson's Go to Birmingham - 1963. 

Podcast - Raising Feminists: The next generations of feMINIsts are here, even if they are too small to know it. We have a responsibility to them, to make a better world than the one we found for them to enjoy, but we also have a responsibility to that same world to make sure our kids grow up into adults that do the right thing, and make a world that doesn't allow structural sexism get in the way of everyone’s potential.

A Mighty Girl: The world's largest collection of books, toys and movies for smart, confident, and courageous girls

Let Toys Be Toys: Let Toys Be Toys is asking the toy and publishing industries to stop limiting children’s interests by promoting some toys and books as only suitable for girls, and others only for boys.

Little Feminist: Here are extra resources to help you dive deeper into intersectionality. While each of our books showcases diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and ability, we hope our titles leave you craving more tools and information.

Seattle Children’s Theatre recognizes the murders in Atlanta this week as hate crimes, and we stand in solidarity and grieving with our AAPI Community. We believe that theatre, art and the sharing of stories are important antidotes to racism and can help to build a more inclusive and just world. Using stories to bridge understanding is one way we seek to dismantle racism in our community. We also understand that statements of solidarity without action are hollow. 

If you wish to support the stories and culture of the AAPI community here in our region, we suggest making donations to Densho or the Wing Luke Museum, Seattle organizations we were honored to partner with in producing The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559.

FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES:

16 Books That Feature Asian-American Heroes as Leads - RedTri.com

13 Best Asian American Children's & Young Adult Books - NBCNews.com

Talking to Children About Anti-Asian Bias - New York Times

Stop AAPI Hate Youth Campaign

Parenting Guide for Parents of Asian-American Teens

PBS Kids Talks About Race & Racism

​LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS: 

Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA)

National Asian Pacific Center on Aging National Resource Center

Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington

Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) - Seattle

Filipino Community of Seattle

Korean Community Service Center of Washington

India Association of Western Washington

Kandelia (formerly Vietnamese Friendship Association)

Asian Pacific Directors Coalition

Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of Washington

Asian Pacific American Coalition for Equality

Asian Pacific Islander Coalition Advocating Together for Health (APICAT)

Friends of Little Saigon

Japanese American Citizens League Seattle

Organization of Chinese Americans Greater Seattle Chapter

International Community Health Services

Interim Community Development Association (ICDA)

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP)

U.T.O.P.I.A. Washington

Kin On

Korean Women's Association

Seattle Chinatown/ID Preservation and Development Authority

WAPI Seattle Community Services

API Chaya

Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation

Southeast Asian American Education Coalition

Nisei Vets Committee and NVC Foundation

Asian Bar Association of Washington

Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Greater Seattle

Hmong Association of Washington

NATIONAL:

Asian American Advocacy Fund 

Red Canary Song 

National Asian Pacific Women's Forum 

CAAAV  
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Asian Mental Health Collective 

Featuring performances by SCT TAG & Drama School Students, Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre presents Voices of Change: Still We Rise. Join us for a performance-based exploration of the beauty, unrest, and “two-ness” of the Black experience in America, expressed through the work of Black authors, poets, activists, artists, and leaders. The goal of this event is for communities to feel inspired and seen,
wanting to learn more and do better.
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Wednesday, March 10, 2021
3:30 PM PST / 6:30 PM EST
Age 9+

Meet the performers and learn more about their pieces below!

For Voices of Change: Still We Rise, students from SCT’s Teen Advisory Group and Drama School collaborated with members of SCT’s artistic staff in creating performances inspired by the poetry of Langston Hughes.

For "I, Too", TAG members Asha Navaratnasingam, Giovee Roque, and Hope Allen took the melody from Cynthia Erivo's "Stand Up" to arrange a new sound inspired by the poem. By exploring within their artistic expression, they blended piano, guitar, and vocals for the final their final song which they use as accompaniment when reciting the poem.

The "I Dream A World" team consisted of 3 TAG members and 1 SCT Drama School student, Kennedy Dawson, who is now also performing in SCT productions. This group used different art forms such as music, dance, and theater to create a multidisciplinary piece focusing on finding tenderness and hope within a call to action. Izzy Rampersad choreographed using inspiration from the poem, recited by Chloe Payton-Zindle and Kennedy Dawson, and the music of "Lift Ev'ry Voice" played on saxophone by Jeremiah McDonald.

Check out SCT’s amazing students along with other artists from Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program on March 10 at 3:30 pm PST.

SCT's partners at NAAM have a wide range of resources and virtual programming for you and your family to enjoy. Explore their book giveaways, live conversations, interactive story times, and keep in touch with NAAM for resources, activities and programming ​year round.

Re-experience the artistry and reignite conversations from this summer's A Kids Play About Racism, coproduced by SCT in partnership with 41 other TYA Theatres. Adapted and directed by Khalia Davis and based on the book by Jelani Memory, A Kids Play About Racism is available to stream for free for families and educators. 

Hear from BIPOC voices across the TYA field, including those spearheading the work of inclusivity across the field. Lead by SCT's own Education Coordinator, Brodrick Ryans, this podcast is filled with great conversations and information regarding Theatre for Young Audiences and beyond.

From our friends at PBS Kids, check out are nine books that celebrate Black joy and offer windows into the world of Black lives and culture.

​Amanda Gorman, the nation's first Inaugural Poet Laureate, touched millions with her powerful piece The Hill We Climb, read at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration. Gorman's words were filled with resilience and hope, and in addition to reflecting the power of our nation's youth, also put a bright spotlight on the power of the art of poetry. In this segment of SCT @ Home, join SCT Teaching Artist Chanel Gomaa as she leads students through 4 activities inspired by Gorman and her work, The Hill We Climb.

​When day comes, we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.
We’ve braved the belly of the beast.
We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace,
and the norms and notions of what 'just' is isn’t always justice.
And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it.
Somehow we do it.
Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken,
but simply unfinished.
We, the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one.
'Never been more optimistic': speeches, songs and celebrations cap Biden's inauguration day – as it happened
And yes, we are far from polished, far from pristine,
but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect.
We are striving to forge our union with purpose.
To compose a country committed to all cultures, colours, characters, and conditions of man.
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us.
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.
We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.
We seek harm to none and harmony for all.
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew.
That even as we hurt, we hoped.
That even as we tired, we tried.
That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious.
Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.
Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid.
If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made.
That is the promise to glade, the hill we climb, if only we dare.
It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit.
It’s the past we step into and how we repair it.
We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it.
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.
This effort very nearly succeeded.
But while democracy can be periodically delayed,
it can never be permanently defeated.
In this truth, in this faith, we trust,
for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.
This is the era of just redemption.
We feared it at its inception.
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour,
but within it, we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves.
So while once we asked, ‘How could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?’ now we assert, ‘How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?’
We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be:
A country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free.
We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation.
Our blunders become their burdens.
But one thing is certain:
If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change, our children’s birthright.
So let us leave behind a country better than the one we were left.
With every breath from my bronze-pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.
We will rise from the golden hills of the west.
We will rise from the wind-swept north-east where our forefathers first realized revolution.
We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states.
We will rise from the sun-baked south.
We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover.
In every known nook of our nation, in every corner called our country,
our people, diverse and beautiful, will emerge, battered and beautiful.
When day comes, we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid.
The new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.

Seattle, WA— Seattle Children’s Theatre (SCT) has announced the 16 students who will serve on the theatre’s 2021 Teen Advisory Group (T.A.G) in  support of the development of workshop materials for SCT’s Arts-Based Learning Program (ABL).  

Throughout the school year, members will take part in trainings on artistic expression for social emotional learning, study with some of SCT’s master teaching artists in performance and poetry, and help create a marketing campaign that promotes arts practices for mental wellness. 
 
“Members of T.A.G play a vital role in program development because they are experts in the particular experiences and challenges of adolescence. Their input ensures that we tell stories that feel truthful to the young people we serve and offer resources to support mental health that they can actually use,” says Elizabeth Coen, SCT’s ABL Program Manager, adding that students will begin their work in February of 2021.  

As advisors to the creative process, T.A.G members will also collaborate with clinical psychologist, Dr. Samora Covington, professor at Highline College and specialist in community mental health. Through these sessions, each member will gain hands-on experience in producing community-based arts programming to help young people in Washington area schools and beyond.  

“These students will strengthen the workshop and programming so that their peers can better overcome the stigma associated with mental health and gain tools for coping with the stress of the pandemic,” says Coen.  

Supported through SCT’s partnership with Kaiser Permanente, T.A.G. is dedicated to social and emotional learning, community service and professional development with a focus on theatre arts and educational theatre.   

The 2021 cohort, in alpha order: Asha Navaratnasingam (Normandy Park, Washington), Callan Barth (Seattle, Washington), Charlotte Durham (Seattle, Washington), Chloe Payton-Zindle (Seattle, Washington), Corinne Fischer (Seattle, Washington), Dominick Borges (Seattle, Washington), Ellie DeFreese (Tuscaloosa, Alabama), Giovee Roque (Seattle, Washington), Hope Allen (Tacoma, Washington), Izzy Rampersad (Seattle, Washington), Jeremiah McDonald (Clinton, Mississippi), Katie Box (Burien, Washington), Nora Leonard (Seattle, Washington), Sam Kuo (Shoreline, Washington), Sarah Sutherland-Field (Normandy Park, Washington), Sophia Beams (Kirkland, Washington).  

ABL fosters learning through arts practices to support the mental health and wellness of high school students in Washington state for free. During this pandemic year Ghosted has been adapted into a virtual production that follows one day in the life of four high school students as they learn to adapt to remote learning and struggle to connect with others while still social distancing. SCT anticipates to reach more than 2,500 students and educators through 70 virtual learning sessions by May 2021. To learn more about ABL and SCT’s touring programs, visit sct.org.  

Build your creative skills with a whole new level of drama mastery. Discover the artistry of storytelling when you are the only performer on stage. Learn the ins and outs of performance art while reflecting on your own stories. Participants will engage in a series of theatrical exercises that challenge creative thinking and develop the solo performer within you. SCT’s Master Class Series is for young performers age 14-18 looking to enhance their performance and storytelling skills.
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Series runs Saturdays from February 13 – March 6, 2021 from 12:30pm-2:30pm.

Nicholas Caycedo (he/him) is an actor/director who appeared Off-Broadway in a new musical called Good Morning New York in 2020. He has performed regionally at theatres across America, including Creede Repertory Theatre, Seacoast Rep, The Kitchen Theatre, St. Michael's Playhouse, Middlebury Acting Company. Notably, Nicholas starred in an two-person original musical produced by Creede Repertory Theatre called Seeds of Change, directed by Melissa Firlit, that toured throughout the Southwest. Nicholas has worked as a teaching artist for over 10 years—directing, music directing, choreographing, and penning shows for youth theatre company Very Merry Theatre in Burlington, VT, most recently developing an online theatre intensive called, Zoomtopia. Born and raised in Burlington, VT, Nicholas attended Walnut Hill School and holds a BFA from Ithaca College. 

Dedra Woods (she/her) is an Actor/Storyteller/Creator/ and Change Agent.  She has been working in the Seattle Arts scene since 2012. She has had the privilege to perform with several companies around Seattle including, Seattle Children’s Theater (Corduroy, The Little Prince), The WIlliams Project (A Bright Room Called Day, Small Craft Warnings, The Time of Your Life), Seattle Public Theater ( Fire Season), Intiman (WIld Horses, Wedding Band), Seattle Shakespeare Company (Medea), Upstart Crow (Bring Down the House, Richard III), and Book-It Repertory Theater (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings), Arts West (An Octoroon, The Revolutionists). Dedra has also worked in television, film and as a voice over artist. She is the creator and curator of  Artist's of Color in Seattle, AOC(S), a social media platform that celebrates Black, Indigenous and POC artists in Seattle and their work, while inviting everyone to bear witness to their humanity and artistry.  AOC(S) strives to lift the voices of historically marginalized folx and support local Artists in the Seattle Area as well as engaging with Artists on the national scene.

If you’ve lived in Seattle long enough you’ve likely met someone with an SCT story. In fact, you might be a person with an SCT story. Our 45-year legacy as theatre makers and educators has reached more than 5 million and we believe that SCT has the power to create transformational experiences for young people. There is nothing more rewarding than hearing from those who have been inspired by the work we do both on and off stage. So, this month we celebrate the art we lovingly create for our community and the reverberation of love from those who experience it.

If you have a story to tell, share it with us in the link below.  

Amazon is committed to being a “good neighbor” in Seattle by doing the things that good neighbors do: looking after one another, showing up for each other, and making the community stronger and more resilient. This is done by supporting local organizations, non-profits, and other community institutions and making investments in projects that improve the natural and built environment.

​“SCT has given me as a parent, an artist and a citizen of Seattle a chance to tell stories…and the contribution of our art form to our city is to tell those stories to the most expert audience. And that audience is the toddlers and the teens, and everyone in between, that comes to plays at our theatres and shares those stories with each other and carries those stories forward.”   

>>WATCH as Steven Dietz, American playwright and theatre director shares his #SCTstory and the impact of storytelling on young people today.  

With a new year comes change and the opportunity for new beginnings - and while we may not be penning and tracking resolutions, SCT is certainly in the business of transformation.

We believe in the transformative power of live theatre and that when we are all able to gather together in shared space to experience art, magic happens.

We believe in the power that comes with the ability to adapt and we applaud the families and artists who have so beautifully adapted to the changes in our world in the last year. To the teaching artists and educators who have found ways to keep creativity alive in a virtual space, we salute you!

Most of all, we believe that every child has the ability to grow through creativity, empathy, hope and joy. And we’re here to help!

With this we say to you: Happy New Year from SCT! May it be filled with magic, art, and more brilliant transformations to carry you onto the next. Read on to hear how SCT continues to grow and inspire transformation in the youth of our region.

Join SCT on February 5 to celebrate the legacy and bright future of Seattle Children's Theatre. We invite you to spend time with the actors, leaders, supporters, and friends of SCT for an evening filled with joy and enthusiasm for SCT.

What is Fueling Transformation? It is the power of storytelling and live theatre that fuels our young people to reach for the stars. A place where they learn empathy, ignite their curiosity and find inspiration.

Friday, February 5, 2021

6:00 p.m. Virtual Program Begins with host Don Darryl Rivera

Registration is free! With benefits for sponsors and sponsor ticket buyers.

New Year, infinite possibilities. During a time when you may not be able to leave your living room, SCT Virtual Drama Classes are here to transport you to a different world. Join SCT Teaching Artists as they lead students on epic adventures built from play and creativity, all from the comfort of a zoom room! Trust us, this is the good kind of screen time.

Classes are running January 15 - February 6 and February 12 - March 6 with titles like:
​

• Tablecloth Theatre
• Improv
• Creating Character
• Musical Theatre

Transform your professional skills and creative muscles this winter! This Master Class Series is for performers age 14-18 looking to enhance their performance skills and prepare for college and professional auditions. Students will be guided by professionals from across the nation covering the following topics: Audition and Casting Process, Monologue Preparation, Advance Acting Technique, and Business of the Business.

Meet Your Instructors Khalia Davis, Rudy Ramirez, Melissa Firlit, and Kristopher Thompson-Bolden. 

Some of our favorite characters from past SCT productions know all about what it means to transform! Check out these activities from SCT @ Home featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and Where the Wild Things Are. 

DID YOU KNOW? SCT’s Community Engagement programs bring actors, teaching artists, and other theatre professionals into schools, homes, and communities where they use theatre exercises to explore a variety of common core lessons, and we’re prepared to do it all in a virtual space.

That’s right, SCT can come right to your classroom! Say thank you to your teacher and give them the gift of SCT to start the New Year off right.

Some of our favorite characters from past SCT productions know all about what it means to transform! Check out these activities from SCT @ Home featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and Where the Wild Things Are.

Activity 2:  Drawing/Create Your Own Edward activity from The Velveteen Rabbit

In The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, everyone who meets Edward transforms him into what they need him to be. By helping them through different challenges, he is rewarded with new experiences and learns to love others. Here is a china rabbit of your very own, waiting to transform and go on a journey.

We want to see your finished designs! Take a picture of your drawing and comment below or tag us with #sctathome to be a part of the conversation. ​ In The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, everyone who meets Edward transforms him into what they need him to be. By helping them through different challenges, he is rewarded with new experiences and learns to love others.
Here is a china rabbit of your very own, waiting to transform and go on a journey. 

Activity 3:  Mask Making activity from Where The Wild Things Are.

Transform your self with the help of a mask! These masks are waiting for you to bring them to life. Or you can draw a new one. Have fun coloring and decorating them. Then put one on and have a rumpus of your own.​
 
We want to see your finished  masks! Take a picture of your creations and comment below or tag us with #sctathome to be a part of the conversation. ​

Activity 1:  Big & Small drawing activity from The Velveteen Rabbit

Toys are all around us this holiday season, but what if you were a tiny human amongst all the toys!? Use your imagination (and your art supplies) to create a story or drawing about or a small human trying to find a place in a big toy world. 
 
We want to see your finished stories! Take a picture of your drawing and comment below or tag us with #sctathome to be a part of the conversation. ​​

Activity 3:  Making Tracks in the Snow with Peter from The Snowy Day 

The best part about snow is.... playing in it of course! While there may not be real snow on the ground, you can use your pencil to imagine all the fun tracks you could make and draw the patterns. Bonus points if you take it one leap further and use your body to bring the foot patterns you drew to life! Even more bonus points if you share the fun with someone else! 
 
We want to see your creations! Take a picture of your drawings or a video of you in action and comment below or tag us with #sctathome to be a part of the conversation. ​​

Activity 5:  Button Search and Find from Corduroy

HELP! Corduroy has lost his button in the toy shop and he needs your help to find it! See if you can find all 10 buttons hidden in this coloring page and then let your imagination go wild and turn this coloring page into a true masterpiece! 
​
We want to see your finished drawings! Take a picture of your drawing and comment below or tag us with #sctathome to be a part of the conversation. ​​

As the weather grows cold and the year comes to a close, we’re embracing the season of giving. And what better way to bring us all together than through the gift of theatre. 

Theatre inspires our creativity, encourages community, and connects us through shared experiences. Through the help of donors, drama school families, audience members, like you, SCT has kept the spark of theatre alive even with the house lights down. 
​
This month, read on to learn what SCT is planning for December and how each of us can participate in spreading the gift of theatre this holiday season.

Winter is here! Well… Winter Drama Classes are here. Register now for your favorite class titles - back virtually this winter by popular demand. A virtual drama class is a great way to stay creative, and connect with friends - invite a sibling, classmate or cousin across the country to take a virtual drama class with you! Better yet, gift them a class as a special holiday treat.
​
Classes are running January 15 - February 6 and February 12 - March 6, including Story Drama, Musical Theatre, Improv, Master Class Series, and MORE!

Join SCT for our Annual Fundraiser and help us continue to give the gift of theatre for years to come. This happy hour timed event will be a one-hour virtual celebration of SCT’s legacy and bright future. We invite you to spend time with the actors, leaders, supporters, and friends of SCT for an evening filled with joy and enthusiasm for the power of live theatre. 
​
Friday, February 5, 2021
5:30 p.m. Breakout Room Happy Hours Begin
6:00 p.m. Virtual Program Begins with host Don Darryl Rivera

I think you’ll agree with us when we say, educators are superheroes. And right now, they’re tired! Teachers have been working tirelessly to keep their students engaged and enthusiastic about their education while also making sure they’re staying safe. This holiday season, why not give your child’s teacher a break and let SCT do some of the work?
​
SCT’s Community Engagement programs bring actors, teaching artists, and other theatre professionals into schools, homes, and communities where they use theatre exercises to explore a variety of common core lessons, and we’re prepared to do it all in a virtual space.

​The holidays are here and what better way to spread cheer to the young people and families on your list than the gift of SCT. You might be surprised to learn of the many ways you can use an SCT gift certificate, so allow us to help you give a gift that will garner a standing ovation.

Seattle Children’s Theatre is one of the largest professional children’s theatres in the US and each summer, SCT Education Programs offer over 15 internship positions to support Drama School programming including nearly 200 camps and classes for students ages 3½ -18, partnership camps across the city, and programming for the upcoming season and school year. 
​
The Internship Program is an exciting opportunity to develop hands-on experience in theatre education through classroom observation, teaching artistry, and arts administration or content marketing, while building professional relationships in the field. In addition, interns receive professional development opportunities to increase proficiency in theatre and education.

Screen-free Audio-Musical Adventures with a Storytelling Kit  |  Delivered Right to Your Home

Play On!  is a new musical series of theater kits crafted in response to COVID-19 to continue to inspire creative learning and arts education around the country. The brainchild of our friends at the award-winning artistic team at Bay Area Children’s Theatre, these first released kits center on three original musical stories entitled, “Twinkle’s Musical Adventure,” “The Ice Cream Factory Fiasco: An Agent 11 Adventure” and “The Gingerbread Family” for kids of all ages. These musicals-in-a-box come complete with all the essentials kids and families need to create, listen to and participate in (screen-free) their own musical imagination adventure in their own home. 

The holidays are here and what better way to spread cheer to the young people and families on your list than the gift of SCT. You might be surprised to learn of the many ways you can use an SCT gift certificate right now, so allow us to help you give a gift that will garner a standing ovation.

CAMPS AND CLASSES GALORE

Gift certificates can be used for any of our current or upcoming classes. Winter Session is on sale now and feature some of SCT’s most popular classes from the last year. From ages 3.5-18, our classes, taught by theatre experts and artists, that will inspire your young thespian to think critically about their creativity no matter the focus or goal.


CREATE YOUR OWN DRAMA ADVENTURE

Let your gift recipient take advantage of our newest offering where they determine their dramatic fate! Whether the focus is science, math, social justice, theatre arts or sensory drama, they pick the focus and the duration. The options are wide open, but we might suggest some of these fun ideas:

• Take a 90-minute immersive adventure to the center of the earth during science class.
• Book a 60-minute virtual acting class to celebrate a birthday.
• Connect with your cousins across the country in an adventure tailored just for the family.

(Psst--this makes an excellent gift for your student’s teacher to use in the classroom as our classes are common core approved!)  
 
 
SAVE IT FOR LATER

The value of an SCT gift certificate never diminishes or expires and they make the perfect gift for family and friends who enjoy the flexibility of all SCT has to offer. Put it to use today or hold onto it and use it to see your favorite show during our next season of theatre.

Welcome to SCT Recommends, where we are sharing what members from the SCT community are enjoying, watching, reading, or listening to during this time! Johamy Morales, SCT's Director of Education is also enjoying some fun things which you can learn about below, along with her recommendations on how to keep creativity alive in your home.

The Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery

A couple of weeks ago I stopped by an art gallery called The Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery, a multi-use accessible cultural arts gallery located on the border of West Seattle and the White Center neighborhood. They host monthly art exhibitions focused on marginalized communities and communities of color, while offering an ever growing gift shop with unique collection of apparel, jewelry, handmade gifts, and amazing works of art by local and national artists. We are located at 9414 Delridge Way SW Seattle WA 98106.

Nepantla is a Nahuatl (Aztec language) term which describes being in the middle or the space in the middle. The term was popularized by Chicana writer/scholar Gloria Anzaldua. Most often the term references endangered communities, cultures or gender who due to colonialism/marginalization or historical trauma, that engage in resistance strategies of survival. Nepantla becomes the alternative space in which to live, heal, function, and create.
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I invite you and your family to explore and support this local gallery as they prepare for a new exhibit this thanksgiving holiday season. ​

How We Show Up by Mia Songbird
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This past month I read How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community and I was left moved and inspired by Mia Songbird's words of wisdom. After almost every presentation activist and writer Mia Songbird gives to executive, think tanks, and policy makers, one of those leaders quietly confesses how much they long for the profound community she describes. They have family, friends, and colleagues, yet they still feel like they’re standing alone. They’re “winning” at the American Dream, but they’re lonely, disconnected, and unsatisfied. Through research, interviews, and stories of lived experiences, How We Show Up returns us to our inherent connectedness where we find strength, safety, and support in vulnerability and generosity, in asking for help, and in being accountable, while leading us to liberation.

Lately I have been reflecting on the amount of stress and challenges that our parents, caregivers, and educators are navigating in this time. Give some self-care to yourself! Carve a little time to read a book. Our children look to us, the adults, in these unprecedented times and it is important for self-care in order to care for those we love.

It takes a village to care for our youth!

Join SCT in utilizing this list of resources to continue the expansion of diverse voices and storytellers you and your family are reading, watching, and listening to as we go into this holiday season. 
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Know of other resources that should be included? Let us know in the comments below.

Food is where we meet, where we build, where we struggle, and where we survive. -Peoples Kitchen Collective
 
My family is not religious, but when we eat dinner together, we give thanks. We include the rain, the sun, the moon, the soil, and the wind. Our gratitude starts with "Thank you to all the hands that touched this food on its way to our table." It's meant to acknowledge not just my husband or me, who cooked the meal, but everyone from the farm to the grocery store to our home who grew, harvested, fed, slaughtered, transported, stocked, and bagged the food in our meal. It's meant to acknowledge that it takes a lot of labor from many, many people for us to eat. It's meant to make visible the people we are connected to through our meal. -Mia Birdsong from How We Show Up; Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community

Thanksgiving from the Native American Perspective:

• A List of 32 Native American Children's Books - Coloursofus.com
• 7 Thanksgiving Books for Kids Written from the Native Perspective - coolmompicks.com
• 3 Children's Books About Thanksgiving from Native Perspectives - Medium
• How to Talk to Your Kids About Thanksgiving - NPR
• Thanksgiving Lesson Plan Booklet from a Native American Perspective 

Indigenous Artists & Organizations:

• Red Eagle Soaring: Native Youth Theatre
• Ty Defoe
• Larisa FastHourse
• Indigenous Direction
• New Native Theatre

A Kids Play About Racism: Check out the resources developed for your family to engage on the topic of racism

• A Kids Play About Racism official site 
• Active Audience Guide - curated activities for Pre K - 5th grade students, and tools to help you continue the conversation around racism.
• A Kids Play About Racism: Timeout W/ Brodrick Podcast - During this episode, SCT Education Coordinator Brodrick Ryans interviews Khalia Davis, Davied Morales, and Justin Ellington who are all a part of the creative team for A Kids Play About Racism. 
• A Kids Book About Racism - Read and purchase the book by Jelani Memory that inspired the creative team to have conversations about racism and to bring these essential discussions to families in a new way. 

​Podcasts for Parents and Guardians:

• Talking Race With Young Children: a podcast from Sesame Workshop and NPR 

​November is a time to gather with loved ones, share joy, and reflect in gratitude. And let’s be honest… it’s also about delicious food we share in community. As we look to the next month, we’re thinking about the word harvest- the hands that worked to harvest the food at the dinner table, our ability to harvest ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally, and how we harvest the spirit of community as we give thanks to one another.
Read on to see all the fun ways we plan to engage and support our community this month by harvesting creativity, compassion, and action.
We would love to hear from you! What will you harvest in November to stay engaged, active and creative? Let us know on social media!

Have any plans this January? Well, now you do. SCT Drama School Classes are coming back virtually. We’re excited to get creative and tell stories with you! Keep an eye out for an announcement later this month.

What it is: WashMasks is a cooperative mutual aid founded by artists, arts educators, and teachers with the focus on providing support and advocacy for Washington farm workers and their families. 
 
Since April, the volunteers of WashMasks have gathered and distributed nearly 17,000 masks, over $2,000 in school supplies, 20 full shipments of food, bedding, infant care, and paper goods; and $1,000 in cash donations for farm working communities affected by Covid-19 and the wildfires.
 
How YOU Can Help: Adult and children’s masks are greatly needed! Learn how to make masks from home and donate to WashMasks here.
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Looking to donate in other ways? Donate to Seattle Rep’s Food and Mask Drive

​Feeling grateful for 45 years of SCT? Celebrate by giving $45 today to ensure 45 more years of sparking joy, encouraging empathy and building community for our region's youth. And don’t forget! Now through the end of the year, any gifts of $100 or more will receive a free ticket to SCT’s next Season of Theatre.  

Learn how to expand the range of voices and storytellers you and your family are reading, watching, and listening to as we go into this holiday season.

Food is where we meet, where we build, where we struggle, and where we survive. - Peoples Kitchen Collective

My family is not religious, but when we eat dinner together, we give thanks. We include the rain, the sun, the moon, the soil, and the wind. Our gratitude starts with "Thank you to all the hands that touched this food on its way to our table." It's meant to acknowledge not just my husband or me, who cooked the meal, but everyone from the farm to the grocery store to our home who grew, harvested, fed, slaughtered, transported, stocked, and bagged the food in our meal. It's meant to acknowledge that it takes a lot of labor from many, many people for us to eat. It's meant to make visible the people we are connected to through our meal. - Mia Birdson from How We Show Up; Reclaiming family. Friendship, and Community

View and contribute to a list of resources, books, TYA plays and more here.

So do we! For the last 20 years, SCT Drama School students have imagined and created their own version of a (not so spooky) haunted experience for SCT staff, teaching artists and family members to enjoy.
Since we can’t be together in SCT’s classrooms to experience the spooks in person, now is your chance to bring this tradition to life in your living room. See below for the potion on how to craft your own Not So Haunted House and take a look back at years past.

• Step 1: The most important step in creating the perfect Not So Haunted House is your creativity. Use your body, your voice, and your imagination to craft the perfect spooky setting! Ask yourself: Who are you? A witch? A pirate? A ghost? Where are you? A graveyard? A pumpkin patch? The forest? 
• Step 2: Grab whatever items you have around the house that will help you bring your spooky tale to life. Those couch cushions would make great gravestones! Is there a creature lurking in lake bathtub? Dad’s coat sure looks like a headless monster! Who knows what’s lurking around the corner in the kitchen...the possibilities are endless!
• Step 3: Tap a friend or a sibling to help tell your story! They can be a new character or help to guide unsuspecting adults through your haunted path.
• Step 4: It’s showtime! Gather all who dare to enter your domain. Dazzle and delight with your spooktacular tale!
• Step 5: Remember, this is a Not So Haunted House. Make sure to find a creative way to reveal to your visitors that it’s all pretend! Halloween is the perfect time for tricks, but they’ll love this treat.

We can’t wait to see what you create! Send us photos at hello@sct.org or tag us @sct_seattle on Instagram and Facebook for a chance to be featured on SCT’s social channels. 

Happy Haunting!

Well… we guess we wouldn’t mind a few goofy skeletons and fun-loving ghouls, but no jump scares, okay?

During a time when the spooks can start to feel a bit overwhelming, we’re focusing on our favorite part of the Halloween season: treats. The creativity and community that surround SCT serves as a constant delight. And while we love a scary October story as much as the next Halloween lover, we’re letting our community partnerships, faithful families, and fellow theatres serve as nightlight to keep things bright when the world starts to feel a little dark.

So read on, and join us in celebrating community and indulging in some SCT treats this spooky season.

SCT is deeply grateful for the support we receive from our donors. As a special thank you, all those who give a gift of $100 or more between now and December 31, 2020 will receive a complimentary ticket valid for SCT’s next mainstage season. It is because of donors like you that SCT is able to continue using the power of theatre and arts education to grow empathy, spark joy, and invite young people to engage in the stories that surround us.

The next chapter of this story begins with donors like you. Won’t you give today?

​Do you miss seeing your favorite stories come to life on stage? So do we! But don’t miss a chance to hear your favorite stories come to life right in your living room with Saturday Morning Stories. SCT has partnered with Classical KING-FM 98.1 to bring beloved children’s literature to life through a crescendo of whimsical melodies and narrated plots. Hand selected titles take families on a classical music adventure where they can simultaneously engage in activities uniquely curated by SCT for each production that the whole family can enjoy.

Listeners can tune in at 8:30 a.m. through November 7, 2020.

Stuck on ideas for this year's Halloween costume? We're here to help! Take a look below for 10 inspiring, goofy, and bold characters to dress up as this year from past SCT productions. Build your own boat and travel to where the wild things are as Max, ditch the dress and become your own princess like Snow White, or channel your courage and throw on your boxing gloves as Muhammad Ali. 

The options are endless! What are you going to dress up as for Halloween this year? Let us know in the comments below!

September is a time of transition.

Like you, we have spent the last six months learning, adapting, and growing. And just as we have all grown accustomed to our safe-at-home virtual reality, we are pausing to plan for the school year and reflect on all of the recent change in our community and our world.

Transition can be daunting, but knowledge, courage, and growth makes the change worthwhile. So, whether you’re an artist learning new ways to express your creativity, a student preparing for a year of learning in new environments, or a parent or educator helping their child navigate the changing world, SCT is here to support. 
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Join us as we embrace transition and welcome growth, and read on to learn more about SCT’s plans for the coming months.

Hear from SCT’s Associate Director of Education, Tiffany Maltos and Arts Based Learning Program Manager, Elizabeth Coen on the impact of community programs and how SCT plans to evolve, as we focus our efforts on our regional communities to continue bringing resources to schools this Fall.  

At SCT, we’re constantly asking ourselves how we can build on our mission of providing children of all ages access to professional theatre. Experiencing theatre at a young age has proven to be a strong tool for young people to build their social and emotional skills, unleash their creativity, and learn more about themselves and the world around them. We also know that not every young person has the ability to make a trip to the theatre, so the mission of SCT’s Community Engagement and Arts Based Learning Programs is simple: let’s bring theatre to them. 

​If we've learned anything in the last few months, it's that giving our eyes a break from our virtual world and screens is key, which is why we're so excited to announce our partnership with KING FM, designed to engage your ears and give your eyes some much needed time off.

SCT and KING FM have partnered to present a 10-week educational series, Saturday Morning Stories, which launched in mid-August and will continue through October 17, 2020. This series brings beloved children’s literature to life through a crescendo of whimsical melodies and narrated plots. Hand selected titles like Goodnight Moon and Peter and the Wolf take families on a classical music adventure where they can simultaneously engage in activities uniquely curated by SCT for each production that the whole family can enjoy. 

Read on to hear from SCT Curriculum Specialist and long time Teaching Artist Meredith Berlin on her process for designing the activities for Saturday Morning Stories, what families can expect from this unique new experience, and why it’s the perfect addition to your back to school schedule.

Join us in thanking one of our valued partners, King County's 4Culture, for their generous support of SCT through the COVID-19 Grant Relief Fund. Created as economic support to science, arts and culture organizations, and independent music venues, this grant of $10,000 will help support SCT’s efforts to re-launch and welcome patrons again. We are thrilled to be the recipient of King County’s support which will help us continue serving our community through virtual programming. Thank you, King County and 4Culture! 

At SCT, we’re constantly asking ourselves how we can build on our mission of providing children of all ages access to professional theatre. Experiencing theatre at a young age has proven to be a strong tool for young people to build their social and emotional skills, unleash their creativity, and learn more about themselves and the world around them. We also know that not every young person has the ability to make a trip to the theatre, so the mission of SCT’s Community Engagement and Arts Based Learning Programs is simple: let’s bring theatre to them.

The Community Engagement programs at SCT take actors, teaching artists, and other theatre professionals off the stage and into schools and community organizations that benefit from their expertise the most. “The priority in establishing these programs is always the community’s needs,” says SCT’s Associate Director of Education Tiffany Maltos. “We work individually with educators and program managers to identify what type of experience would benefit students the most. This could be an in-depth discussion about racism through a theatre piece like And In This Corner: Cassius Clay, a collaborative workshop on team building, or even an experience based around a subject they’re currently working on, like science or history. What is always consistent is our team’s ability to bring tools to the community that encourages growth in our youth.”

In recent years, SCT’s Community Engagement programming has seen tremendous growth; with a department increase of 30% in less than three years and 1,100 hours of programming in 2019 alone. The demands for this engagement was at an all-time high going into the 2020 school year. In addition to schools, SCT also works with community organizations like King County Juvenile Detention Center, Childhaven, and the Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Service. “When the pandemic hit, we knew we were going to have to potentially shift our programming to accommodate distanced learning, and we’re confident in the structure we have in place to successfully hold these workshops in a virtual space.”

In addition to Community Engagement, SCT’s Arts Based Learning Program, which works to reach middle and high school students across Washington, has also had to adapt its fall schedule to accommodate the virtual world. In partnership with Kaiser Permanente, SCT has developed and performed productions aimed to spark proactive conversations around mental health, bullying, and other relevant issues today’s youth are facing. “Through these performances and post-show workshops, we have shown students examples of conflict resolution, coping strategies for stress, and how they can build resiliency within themselves,” says Arts Based Learning Program Manager Elizabeth Coen. “We knew it was very important to continue our programming, and immediately went to work on how we can reach these students in a virtual world.”

“We’re excited to bring our show Ghosted to high school students virtually this fall,” says Coen adding that the production has been adapted for this new learning format and will include opportunities for students to participate in conversations about mental health.

“We are still able to provide a space to talk through the strategies and tools presented in the show with students in a virtual classroom,” says Coen. “The highest priority is creating a space where they feel safe, supported, creative, and curious. As we learned during our virtual Summer Drama School camps and classes, SCT’s Teaching Artists are extremely successful in doing this work in a virtual space. We can’t wait to dive in this school year.”

Though the transition to virtual learning and the heavy impact of the recent changes in our community were daunting for program leaders, Maltos says she sees this time as an opportunity to grow SCT’s offerings. “This time has allowed us to think thoughtfully about how we can deepen our partnerships. How can we be as impactful as possible? How can this succeed in an online space and beyond?” Maltos says.

As for the impact she anticipates seeing in the coming months? “Our Teaching Artists understand the limitations and the possibilities of a zoom room,” says Maltos. “We are committed to bringing the highest caliber experience to these students during a time when they may need it most.”