Rehearsal for Life Will Present its 24th Annual Comedy and Music Revue BANNED IN BOSTON

Rehearsal for Life, a non-profit leader in Boston-area's creative youth development sector, has announced its 24th annual comedy and music revue Banned in Boston which will be held April 16, 2020. The annual event will feature its signature brand of entertainment including over two-dozen politicians and celebrities on stage performing musical satire and theatrical comedic skits. The one night only production will begin at 6pm with a chef's tasting and cocktail reception at Lansdowne Pub and Bill's Bar followed by the comedy and music revue at 7:45 at House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne Street, in Boston. Tickets go on sale March 1 and may be purchased by visiting https://rehearsalforlife.org/banned-in-boston/. Banned in Boston is for attendees 21+. The 2020 list of performers will be announced shortly.

Over the years, Banned in Boston has featured performances by Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton, Attorney General Maura Healey, The Boston Globe's Shirley Leung, Governor Deval Patrick, Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart, Senator Elizabeth Warren, KISS 108's Matt "Matty in the Morning" Siegel, Chronicle's Shayna Seymour, former Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell, Ray Magliozzi from NPR's "Car Talk," Boston's Police Chief Willie Gross, WGBH TV's Jared Bowen, Co-founder of Wayfair Steve Conine, Boston Red Sox's President/CEO Sam Kennedy, restauranteur Patrick Lyons, Corey Thomas, CEO of Rapid 7, and others.

The event supports Rehearsal for Life's Urban Improv program which uses theater as a vehicle for social change. Since 1992, the interactive program has engaged over 75,000 young people at more than 125 schools and community groups. Urban Improv's structured improvisational theater workshops are designed to strengthen social and emotional (SEL) skills and help students deal creatively with real-life challenges through dialogue and performance.

"We're thrilled to present the 2020 Banned in Boston," shares Francie Karlen, Rehearsal for Life's Executive Director. "It's always amazing fun presenting Banned in Boston with the writers, 'actors', musicians, and special celebrity guests. We're so grateful that Boston has continually embraced this event based in the principles of our Urban Improv program, where real life situations are unpacked in workshop form for youth to learn from."

Urban Improv, the 9-week interactive program for grades 4-8, works with five Boston partner schools to serve over 1,100 youth annually. Its structured improvisational theater workshops, led by professional actor/educators, are designed to strengthen social and emotional learning skills and help students deal creatively with real-life challenges through creativity, dialogue and performance. Current schools partnering with UI are Hale (Roxbury), Murphy (Dorchester), Haley (Roslindale), Boston Teachers Union (Jamaica Plain), and Mission Hill (Jamaica Plain).

The 2020 winter session runs January through March at Hyde Square Task Force in Jamaica Plain, and workshop topics, customized to the students' grade level, include cyberbullying, stereotyping, racism, homophobia, peer pressure, conflict, nutrition, self-esteem, depression, and more.

https://rehearsalforlife.org/urban-improv/

About Rehearsal for Life

Rehearsal for Life, comprised of Urban Improv and Freelance Players, follows the philosophy that performance can develop crucial social and emotional skills in young people, preparing them to cope with difficult situations now and in the future. Over the last 25 years, the Freelance Players and Urban Improv have served more than 80,000 young people in Greater Boston and beyond, and continue to use theater as a vehicle for social change. Rehearsal for Life's mission is to strengthen young people's social and emotional skills for every stage in life, through dialogue, creativity and performance.

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