MCC Theater Announces 2021 Alumni Fellows and Education Initiatives

MCC Theater announced today their 2021 Alumni Fellows, as well as their new education initiatives, restructured for the Covid-19 era in order to continue to serve their Youth Company students throughout the pandemic and uphold their mission: to excite minds, foster a collaborative and creative community for New York City high school students across all five boroughs, and invest in the next generation of theater makers. For more information visit mcctheater.org/education.

MCC has selected Michelle Reiss and Jemima Pierre as 2021 Alumni Fellows. They have been working directly with the MCC alumni community to increase engagement through events like the Alumni Reunion & Art Share and workshops like Freedom & Flow: A Writing Workshop. They will be working this year to re-envision ways MCC can further support the Youth Company alumni through monthly outreach and new programming.

The previously announced Virtual Student Matinees are now available for educators to book. The Virtual Student Matinees are a new program that will bring educators and students compelling and conversation-provoking shows along with MCC's existing education program that fosters the discovery and exploration of a student's artistic voice. The Virtual Student Matinees will include a screening of a previously recorded MCC LiveLab, an interactive workshop hosted by an MCC Master Teaching Artist, and a study guide tailored to the show.

The LiveLabs that are currently available on the Virtual Student Matinee schedule include On Love, Frankie & Will, and When. Shows are available for a limited time only and new performances may be added throughout the season. Matinee shows are at 11am with select offerings at 4pm Eastern Time. For more information and to book tickets, please visit https://mcctheater.org/education/virtual-student-matinees/.

All of MCC's In School Partnerships are in full swing, led by teaching artists Matthew Higgins, Raphael Peacock, and Vickie Tanner. At the High School for Public Service in Brooklyn, MCC's Brooklyn Youth Company held its virtual auditions on February 24th and will be working towards their own Uncensored show in May.

MCC's Youth Company Lab class is beginning their rehearsal process for an Uncensored show, which will live stream in April. Co-directors Jennifer Shirley and Kevin Carillo are building on their 2020 experience, fully embracing and capitalizing on the elements that can be used in the creation of virtual theater.

Playwriting Lab, under the co-direction of playwrights Lucy Thurber and Ren Dara Santiago, has students working toward the completion of their own full play. Each week a group of students have their pages read aloud by their peers, receive feedback, and critique to apply to their process. The completed texts will receive a workshop in MCC's summer Fresh Play staged readings festival.

In Spring 2020 the MCC Youth Company produced a virtual Uncensored show, which was also MCC's first virtual production. An exhilarating evening of student-written monologues, scenes, music, and ensemble pieces, Uncensored is a celebration of the work developed by the Youth Company's Acting Lab over the year. The young artists write, develop, rehearse and perform their original show every spring.

In the Fall, MCC continued their In School and After School Youth Company programs, holding their first ever Virtual Auditions, for both the Performance and Playwriting Labs. Through their generous funders, MCC was able to continue serving New York City schools, matching their ever-changing schedules because of the Covid-19 shutdowns and re-openings.

MCC's board also created an Education Committee spearheaded by Jodi Schneider. The Education Committee supports the department by fundraising, strategic planning around current and future programs, and increasing MCC's connection to the wider community.

MCC's Youth Company and In School Partnerships are supported by The Emily Davie and Joseph S. Kornfeld Foundation, Tiger Baron Foundation, Eric Rosedale, New York State Council on the Arts, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

MCC Virtual Student Matinees are supported by the Axe-Houghton Foundation, Tiger Baron Foundation, and by Public Funds from the New York City Council Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the city council.

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