TheatreWorks Will Stream Free School Tour of A KID'S PLAY ABOUT RACISM Next Month

This spring, Bay Area kids aged 5 and up will learn tools for identifying and combatting racism with TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's virtual school tour of A Kid's Play About Racism, based on the book by Jelani Memory.

Adapted and directed by Bay Area Children's Theatre Artistic Director Khalia Davis with lyrics by Davied Morales and music by Justin Ellington, this groundbreaking online performance recommended for ages 5+ explains what racism is, how to know when one sees and experiences it, and what viewers can do about it. TheatreWorks will offer free streaming access to local schools to stream the show on-demand. Classrooms may also view a live talkback with Davied Morales, one of the show's actors and creators. Talkbacks will be streamed at 11am PDT on Thursday, May 20; Friday, May 21; Monday, May 24; and Tuesday, May 25. Talkbacks with Morales will be recorded and available for streaming to those who are unable to view the scheduled sessions.

Teachers and schools may learn more and reserve streaming access at www.theatreworks.org/education/akidsplayabout, and contact TheatreWorks's education department at education@theatreworks.org.a??

Premiering in August 2020 in the wake of George Floyd's death and the Black Lives Matter movement, A Kids Play About Racism was produced by TheatreWorks in partnership with forty other leading Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) presenters including leading producers Bay Area Children's Theatre, Alliance Theatre, and Seattle Children's Theatre. Its premiere was streamed on Broadway On Demand and reached more than 57,000 families across the nation.

Davied Morales (Actor, Lyricist - he/him) is an actor and rapper born and raised in the Bay Area. Last year he released his album "Light Hearted" on all music platforms, starred in SF Playhouse's White Girl's Guide to International Terrorism as Gabe, and recently branched out into film where he was an Elf on Nickelodeon's show "Top Elf" as Zippy Twinkles. Morales has worked for companies such as City Lights Theatre Company where he was seen as Nelson in The Siegel and Anthony in I and You, and Shotgun Players where he portrayed Tray in Brownsville Song (B-side for Tray). Morales has also understudied in TheatreWorks's productions of Calligraphy and Proof, and in American Conservatory Theatre's production of Gloria. Morales also works at The Red Ladder Theatre Company teaching improv workshops in prisons.

Reaching 15,000 students each year, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's K-12 education programs include classes that focus on student-generated work centered on playmaking and performance skills, popular summer camps, and student matinees that comprise study guides, pre-show workshops, and a talkback session. The Children's Healing Project is an improvisation-based theatre arts education program that serves hospitalized children and their families with drama workshops and bedside visits at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, El Camino Eating Disorders Unit, and the Ronald McDonald House. TheatreWorks also enjoys a partnership with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. that includes the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) and Stanford Live. As a part of this partnership, TheatreWorks is offering monthly videos in its Opening the Curtain series, streaming December 2020 through May 2021. Featuring interviews with PAUSD high school students and leading theatre makers, this program introduces students to the breadth of careers available in performing arts, including acting, tech, scenery, costumes, directing, administration, and more.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is the recipient of the 2019 Regional Theatre Tony Award. Led by Artistic Director Tim Bond and Executive Director Phil Santora, the Palo Alto-based theatre company serves more than 100,000 patrons per year and has captured a national reputation for artistic innovation and integrity, often presenting Bay Area theatregoers with their first look at acclaimed musicals, comedies, and dramas, directed by award-winning local and guest directors, and performed by professional actors cast locally and from across the country. The company's 51st season has been postponed in accordance with global efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), and TheatreWorks is currently scheduled to resume in-person performances in October 2021.

To reserve streaming access for the show and talkback, teachers and schools may visit https://www.theatreworks.org/education/akidsplayabout or contact education@theatreworks.org.a??

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