52nd Street Project

The 52nd Street Project is a non-profit organization that brings kids from Hell's Kitchen (NYC) together with theatre professionals to create their own works of theatre. If you are a theatre professional or simply fancy yourself to be an 'artistic sort', this is an amazing organization to volunteer for. The things that they can do with foam core! I became involved with the 52nd Street Project via New Haven, CT when I was still a Yale undergrad. It was called the Dwight Edgewood Project when I was involved. I remember being an actress in a ten-minute play about a bank robbery (or something like that). What I remember more is the delighted look on the young playwright's face when she saw her play produced by a bunch of enthusiastic adults. I think I can still just hear her shrieks of laughter. At one point I also stage managed an evening of plays for the Dwight Edgewood Project and helped build sets. Later I was connected with a 12 year old girl and after speaking with her for a bit, I wrote a play that I thought she might like about a monster and a dollbaby. There was a song in it, too. For several days I, this little girl and several other adult-child pairs went away for a retreat to rehearse our two-person plays. Then we performed these plays in front of an audience. Soooo fun and rewarding.

In New York I took a few afternoons to volunteer to help with homework at the 52nd Street Project headquarters and I really enjoyed it, even though I was consistently reminded of how much I've forgotten about middle and high school math. Math is HARD. But the granola bars the staff provided were YUMMY.

ANYHOO, check out the 52nd Street Project if you want to use your artistic talents and / or rusty school skills to help out a bunch of great kids. Check out their website at http://www.52project.org/?s=&cat=5.