Theatre for a New Audience

New York, New York

Founded in 1979, Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA) has grown from a touring Shakespeare company into a leading off-Broadway theater that is recognized nationally and internationally for the quality of its productions, service to artists, and in-depth arts education programs. During its history it has produced over 60 masterworks of theater, including 28 Shakespeare plays. These plays bridge past and present, explore common themes, and represent diverse cultures. The company has many awards and nominations, including the Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, Obie, and Lucille Lortel awards. In 2001-2002, the company became the first American theater company to be invited to perform Shakespeare at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, and was invited back in 2007 to perform its production of   The Merchant of Venice , featuring Academy Award-winner F. Murray Abraham. TFANA works with some of the finest American and international artists, including directors Sir Peter Hall, Doug Hughes, Bartlett Sher, and Julie Taymor, and actors Kathleen Chalfant, Stephen Spinella, John Turturro, and Mark Rylance. These aesthetically diverse artists share the conviction that great drama expressed through great language will tell our stories, open our minds, and urge us to think about our world. The Theatre's arts-in-education program, World Theatre Project, has served New York Public School students since 1984 and provide a 13-week, in-school Shakespeare and playwriting residencies for grades 5-12. In addition the have provide the theater curriculum for the New York Department of Education's Summer Arts Institute since 2005.

As part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, Theatre for a New Audience will present a production of Cymbeline as part of their World Theatre Project. Activities for the World Theatre Project will include a 13-week, in-school residency program where the teaching artists work with teachers to create unit of study for their students; a study guide linked to the state standards and the New York City Department of Education's Theater Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts; professional development for teachers on how to implement it in their classroom; and post-performance question-and-answer sessions with the cast. After seeing the production, teaching artists will return to the classroom to gather feedback, develop students' critical thinking skills, and guide them through a process of developing their own scenes which will culminate in a performance for their peers, teachers, and parents.

Visit them at: www.tfana.org