PlayGround Theatre Receives Grant From National Endowment For The Arts

THE PLAYGROUND THEATRE RECEIVES COVETED
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
2010 GRANT AWARD FOR ACCESS TO ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE

The PlayGround Theatre has received a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) 2010 Grant Award for Access to Artistic Excellence. This NEA grant will fund The PlayGround's Theatre Inclusion Program. Artistic Director Stephanie Ansin and All Children Together inclusion specialist Lee Morgenstern will collaborate with VSA Arts of Florida to enhance the experience of disabled, sensory-impaired, and learning disabled youth and adults who attend programs and events at The PlayGround Theater. This $15,000 grant will also support the expansion of the Theater Inclusion Program by providing support for programs and events offering live audio description, theatrical sign language interpreters, open captioning, wheelchair accessible transportation and touch tours.

The NEA awarded grants to 129 organizations nationwide for Access to Artistic Excellence; The PlayGround Theatre and Teatro Avante were the only recipients in the state of Florida.

The ongoing partnership between The PlayGround Theatre, VSA Arts and All Children Together provides leadership, training and technical assistance to PlayGround Theatre staff, broadening the understanding of participation barriers for the disabled.

The Love of Three Oranges is currently playing at The PlayGround Theatre, 9806 NE 2nd Avenue in Miami Shores, through May 23rd.

The next Theatre Inclusion Program Performance (TIP) is Sunday, April 25th at 2pm. TIP Performances bring the magic of live theatre to children and adults with disabilities. This public performance is sign-interpreted, open-captioned and audio descriptions are provided. The PlayGround Theatre is wheelchair accessible.

The PlayGround Theatre, in conjunction with the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and VSA Arts of Florida presents for the first time in Florida, Shadow Interpreted Theatre for Children and Families. On May 20th and 21st The Love of Three Oranges will be presented with shadow interpretation. During shadow interpreted theatre, specially trained ASL interpreters perform as "shadows" alongside The PlayGround Theatre company members. The shadow actors are integrated into the performance, mirroring the voiced actors on stage, while interpreting the character in American Sign Language.

The PlayGround Theatre is a repertory company dedicated to the production and presentation of classical and contemporary works that entertain, educate, and delight audiences of all ages. Their Education and Outreach Program offers children of all socio-economic backgrounds and abilities access to performances, classes, and camps. Throughout the 2009-2010 season, more than 10,000 students, mostly Dade County Public School children, have attended free weekday performances at The PlayGround Theatre, with another 6000 students scheduled to attend The Love of Three Oranges in coming weeks. Since their inaugural season in 2004, over 90,000 school children have experienced live theatre at The PlayGround Theatre, and more than a thousand children with physical, sensory or developmental disabilities have participated in the Theatre Inclusion Program.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster or by phone 305-751-9550; fax 305-751-9556;
e-mail, info@theplaygroundtheatre.com or visit www.theplaygroundtheatre.com. Tickets are $15 each, $10 each for groups of 20 or more. Discounted tickets are available for schools and community groups.

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