iteachtheater

April, NYCDOE Theater Teacher Newsletter

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:13:24 GMT

Teacher offers, student discounts, resources and links:

Grab a copy of your April, 2026, Theater Teacher Newsletter.

It's filled to the brim, just for you!

DOWNLOAD HERE!

Citywide Theater Professional Learning Sessions

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 13:59:18 GMT

Check Out Dynamic Video Workshops & Resources (preK-12)

Citywide Theater PL Workshop Video Series

Watch any & all Workshops! Access Lesson Plans & Resources.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT

PETER AVERY

Director of Theater

Shubert Foundation High School Theatre Festival

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 17:40:47 GMT

Apply today for the 2026 Festival! Watch the 2025 Festival Performances

See the 2025 Sizzle Video HERE!

Host: Jake Gyllenhaal

Guest Theater Presenters: Maya Boyd, Will Eno, Thayne Jasperson, Baayork Lee, Liam Pearce, PigPen Theater Company artists, Zachary Noah Piser, John Scott-Richardson, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Jessica Vosk, Khalia Wilcoxon

Theater reflects life and happens in real time, in person where the intersection of artists and audiences creates a unique performance every night. We gather each year as a community to recognize and honor over 150 creative public high school students from 5 theatrical productions who share their craft and their powerful stories with you. We celebrate our teens artists for laying claim to Broadway boldly as theirs for an evening at an age in which many of us could not have dreamt of performing on such a stage.

Experience the full Festival: Shubert HS Theatre Festival 2025 Full Event Video

Download our Festival Playbill: Shubert HS Theatre Festival 25 P laybill

APPLY HERE: 2026 Festival Application: APPLY NOW

Arts Office & National Theatre Literacy Initiative

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 20:53:02 GMT

Sign Up! New Plays Added. Free Student Access (GR. 5-12) to Filmed Productions!

Sign-Up!: Exclusive Free Access to National Theatre Filmed Productions and Valuable Resources for NYC Public School Students.

I am delighted to offer free access to the National Theatre Collection for NYC public schools and educators. Our initiative currently reachers over 200 teachers and nearly 30,000 students of all levels and abilities across all boroughs.

The National Theatre Collection -- showcasing a variety of theatrical productions, styles, diverse playwrights and creative actors, designers, and backstage crew – serves as a tremendous resource for truly blended instruction to engage students in the study of the worlds of these plays and in performance. The program includes quality educational resources for teachers and students, including study guides, director notes, and sample lesson plans. In addition, teachers also have access to curated lesson plans to activate titles in the collection, developed by fellow NYCPS teachers.

These diverse productions provide windows and mirrors. Through the National Theatre’s provocative collection, Over 300 teachers and over 25,000 NYC DOE students have experienced stories from other cultures and time periods, enabling them to reflect on their own communities and realities.

"Through working with this program, I am now questioning who I am. I'm seeing things through different perspectives" – participating student.

LEARN MORE & APPLY NOW

CONFIRMATIONS: Please allow 5-7 business days after submitting your request for a response. QUESTIONS? Please email Janie Slavens, Project Coordinator at janieslavens@gmail.com

DEADLINE: Rolling

NOTE: Theater, English, and History/Social Studies Teachers are encouraged to apply.

The Outsiders Stay Gold Project

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 15:52:41 GMT

Arts Office Student Ticket Partnership

THE OUTSIDERS A nnounces another round of “The Stay Gold Project” An Educational Initiative Inspired by the Tony Award Winning New Broadway Show. Watch a short video about the Stay Gold

Watch a short video about the Stay Gold Project: www.outsidersmusical.com/stay-gold.

Winner of 4 Tony Awards including Best Musical Tony Awards and nominated for 12 Tony Awards, The Outsiders is now playing at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 West 45th Street). Published in 1967, The Outsiders was written by a then 15-year-old Susie Hinton who was inspired by her fellow classmates and what they were going through as teenagers growing up in Tulsa, OK. Over 50 years later, The Outsiders has sold close to 20 million copies and is a vital part of curriculums in schools around the world, translated into more than 30 different languages.

The Outsiders on Broadway is again working with our Arts Office Theater Program to ensure the production is accessible and inclusive for today’s NYC public school students with a multifaceted initiative. The Outsiders is partnering with organizations to make the Stay Gold Project a reality. This initiative includes three elements:

The Outsiders will invite hundreds of New York City Public School students to attend the show at no cost starting with performances in fall of 2025. The production has already brought over 1000 students to attend performances for free.
In coordination with the NYCPS Director of Theater, the production supports the Teen Theater Advisory Council by welcoming them to experience the process of producing on Broadway. This group has attended tech rehearsals, early previews, and a roundtable discussion with the cast to provide insights from their perspective on how the show resonates with teenagers today.
Finally, The Outsiders has committed to making educational resources about the show available to educators and young people at no cost. These resources center around a comprehensive study guide and are designed to tie in to middle and high school curriculums.

The Outsiders features a book by Adam Rapp with Justin Levine, music and lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, music supervision, arrangements & orchestration by Justin Levine, choreography by Rick Kuperman & Jeff Kuperman and directed by Danya Taymor.

Visit the production website here OutsidersMusical.com

NYC Public School Theater Teacher Fellows Program

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 12:34:46 GMT

Apply Today - Open to New and Veteran Teachers - Deadline 9.16.25

The application to apply to the Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program for the 2025-26 School Year is now open!

Up to 20 select NYC Public School theater teachers from across the city will receive significant mentorship and resources towards developing as teachers and building robust programs for their schools.

Currently we have over 100 invested Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows across all 5 boroughs at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

WATCH: AMF FELLOWS PROGRAM

ARTHUR MILLER FOUNDATION FELLOWS PROGRAM provides teachers and schools with:

Mentorship teachers receive 8 dedicated visits from a veteran theater educator
Cultural Partner Residencies from top New York theater education organizations
Resources for theater classroom studios and productions
Theater Tickets to take students to see live professional theater
Professional Learning sessions and workshops alongside Arthur Miller Fellow colleagues

TO APPLY:

AMF FELLOWS PROGRAM Online Application 2025-2026: CLICK HERE

DEADLINE: Monday, September 15, 2025 by 6:00pm ET

Requirement:

Complete the online application process. The Fellows Program is open to any and all full-time DOE certified theater teachers in K-12 New York City Public Schools (must not have previously been an Arthur Miller Fellow). Teachers must receive a confirmation from their principals to support the process. Please note there is no school financial commitment.

Questions: Contact Daryl Embry, Program Manager, at daryl@arthurmillerfoundation.org.

Purlie Victorious Inspires 200 New York City Students Through Exclusive Panel

Fri, 17 May 2024 14:25:09 GMT

“Inspiration comes from a holy place”

Purlie Victorious Inspires 200 New York City Students Through Exclusive Panel.

Leslie Odom, Jr. and Kara Young shared their journey with the play and encouraged students to find their own inspirations.

“Inspiration comes from a holy place,” Odom said to the students who came from five different public schools across the boroughs of New York City. “And that [inspiration] came [to me] about seven years ago in the form of this play that I've known since I was about your age.”

Read the article here:

https://playbill.com/article/situation-project-inspired-purlie-victorious-panel

2023 DOE Shubert HS Theatre Festival Video is Live!

Sun, 28 May 2023 13:34:45 GMT

See the Video of the 2023 Shubert HS Theatre Festival.

See The Video!

CLICK HERE!

Peter

PETER AVERY
Director of Theater

Students at the Center, Art at the Heart. Sign Up Now!

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 11:13:05 GMT

Citywide Theater Professional Learning/PD Series 2022-2023

Students at the Center, Art at the Heart

Tuesday Nov 8, Monday Jan 30, Thursday June 8, at the 14th Street Y, 344 East 14th Street.

Entering the school year with renewed energy to reimagine and reframe theater instruction, we honor teacher pedagogy and artistry in support of our students' expression and well-being. We center professional learning on knowing students well, on developing a community that nurtures potential, growth and creative risk-taking. Our 2022-2023 Citywide series in theater focuses on:

Fostering student meaning-making and joy in their artistic expression to emphasize the impact of thinking like an artist and expose students to multiple forms of theatrical expression as well as the variety of potential theater career pathways
Revisiting the foundational NYC Blueprints and NYS Standards to ensure responsiveness in our teaching of theater skills, content, literacy and assessment
Building capacity for teachers to develop relationships with key stakeholders (school leaders, families, community) in support of sustainable theater programs at their schools
Offering context to connect and ground theater exploration in examining the world(s) around us
Celebrating and designing theater instruction around and through the diversity of our NYC communities and cultural institutions.

A Short profile from a previous PD, CLICK HERE

Each session provides opportunities for teachers to invest as lifelong learners with an emphasis on facilitating student ownership of all aspects of theater making and reflection. This series thus focuses on:

• Teaching, facilitating and producing theater with students across all grade levels and abilities.

• Qualities of highly effective teaching that serve student creativity and theater learning

• Hands-on workshops facilitated by professional and NYCDOE theater artists and educators

• Small learning communities model with opportunities for teacher self-reflection and peer sharing of curriculum maps, effective texts, resources, etc.

TO REGISTER for our free 2022 Citywide PD series, CLICK HERE

Note: Teachers must sign up for all three days of the series as it is sequential.

Break a leg and have a great year.

Peter

SEL and Student Voice Theater PD Sessions

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 14:03:50 GMT

Reconnecting through Theater: Nurturing the Artist's Voice

February 2022 Citywide Arts Professional Learning Series: Reconnecting through Theater: Nurturing the Artist's Voice

Recordings and materials from Session Two of the Theater Professional Learning are now available! This virtual PD session featured a keynote address focused on SEL in Theater Practice, as well as breakout workshops with topics featuring diversifying your repertoire texts for studio work & productions.

Grounded in the principles of Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education (CR-SE), this year’s Citywide Arts Professional Learning content charges us to:

BUILD community and develop leadership skills among theater teachers, recognizing our diverse backgrounds, training, and unique perspectives.
SUPPORT student wellness and social-emotional learning by building trusting communities in our classrooms that nurture students’ diverse identities as individuals and as artists.
EXAMINE how we plan and teach to further anchor our work in equity and positive mindsets that honor what students already bring to the table.
FOSTER student exploration of artistic technique and literacy to support their creative expression
CULTIVATE student agency by examining the historical, cultural, and social roles of the theater and artists in society and their relevance to our students
LEVERAGE newly acquired technology skills to customize the learning experience, foster collaboration, and provide new resources for teachers and students.

To view the professional learning materials, visit:

https://sites.google.com/schools.nyc.gov/nycdoe-city-theater-pd-winter-/home?authuser=0

Little Amal Is In NYC!

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 14:08:08 GMT

She was here! Little Amal Walked NYC and her journey took her throughout

our city. Learn More.

New York welcomed Little Amal, a 12-foot-tall puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee child – and an international symbol of human rights, the global refugee crisis and opportunity.

I was honored to be the lead Producer of an inspiring, immersive Broadway Welcomes Little Amal in Times Square on September 16. Accompanied by the brilliant Mary-Mitchell Campbell as our MD and a band of Broadway musicians, over 200 NYC public school teen artists joined 30 Broadway performers, welcoming an overwhelmed and panic-stricken refugee girl with generosity, song (“Brand New Day” and “Seasons of Love” and empathy. Broadway folk from shows including PHANTOM, HAMILTON, ALLADIN, MOULIN ROUGE, THE CURSED CHILD and THE KITE RUNNER shared their artistry and spirit. Little Amal meets Actors from Afghanistan

An opportunity for our city and the world to experience our amazing youth as they shared their artistry publicly with Broadway professionals as peers in Times Square, at the intersection of positive social action, agency, and welcoming community. Just one of 55 incredible community engagement events provided by diverse NYC cultural partners focused on supporting immigrants and shrinking the world. Across her boroughs-wide journey, school communities and students are participating in events to demonstrate their passion for inclusion and commitment to take care of others. Watch this brilliant PBS Profile! Click Here.

How exciting to work on a public art project this large for a humanitarian cause that could not be timelier for our schools and communities. So appreciative of colleagues from THE WALK and St, Anne's Warehouse for their vision, collaboration, humanity and artistry.

News Story:

https://www.amny.com/new-york/manhattan/the-villager/broadway-little-amal-times-square/

As One,

Peter

Virtual Teen Arts Audition Prep Series

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 14:23:37 GMT

The Virtual Teen Arts Audition Prep Series

The Virtual TEEN ARTS AUDITION PREP SERIES is an innovative suite of video resources providing creative and practical guiding tutorials for MS and HS students to prepare for the Audition process in their chosen field (Dance, Moving Image, Instrumental Band, Strings, Theater, Visual Arts or Vocal Performance).

Student Resource: While creative expression and desire are crucial for auditioning students, this series expands on our Summer Arts Institute work by supporting our young artists to navigate what is in their control, with intention.

Educator Tool: First and foremost a valuable and equitable resource for many students who might not otherwise have access to audition supports, this comprehensive series also paves the way for teachers to activate truly blended instruction by incorporating these audition resources as a part of a vibrant arts curriculum.

The Virtual TEEN ARTS AUDITION PREP SERIES:

https://sites.google.com/schools.nyc.gov/teen-arts-audition-prep-series/home

Theater Safety Guidelines

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 21:14:44 GMT

For In-Person Activities

Updated Considerations for In-Person Rehearsal and Instruction

After extensive review and consideration, new safety guidance regarding in-person rehearsal and instruction is now available. To summarize, we can and should be creating and performing theater in person, and guidance highlights include:

3-ft. social distancing at all times
masks at all times
modified indoor instruction
increased ventilation

Watch an informational webinar from Peter Avery with theater teachers expanding on the current Guidelines :

Watch the video and download the PDF: HERE

This guidance also appears on InfoHub:

https://infohub.nyced.org/school-year/school-year-2021-22/guidance-for-the-arts/theater

Register Now for Broadway Bridges!

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 13:53:41 GMT

Broadway Bridges offers New York City DOE high schools $10 tickets to select weeknight and matinee performances of participating Broadway productions from October through December and January through April.

There are more than one million students enrolled in New York City schools and many will graduate without having attended a Broadway show. Working in a close partnership with the DOE Director of Theater, Broadway Bridges® supports the theatre education already happening in schools, and enriches the performing arts experience for all students by bringing tenth graders to Broadway. In reaching out to an entire grade, we will eventually give every student the chance to see live, professional theatre through an annual trip to Broadway that students and teachers can look forward to each school year.

For the winter/spring 2022, the program will offer in person and virtual performance opportunities to schools.

If you and/or your school is not registered yet, please visit BroadwayBridges.org and sign up to receive more information.

Please note: This opportunity is for High Schools only.