NEW YORK (PIX11) – Can theater change the world? Or at least make it a better place?
That’s what an after-school theater arts program in New York City is hoping it will accomplish.
It’s been nine months for these 10 teenage girls to create this theatrical experience called R.!.S.E.: The Pursuit of Utopia.
This is the 2024 main stage production for Girl Be Heard, a nonprofit after-school and weekend program.
Its mission is to give teenage girls in underserved communities a voice to raise their self-esteem.
“Girl Be Heard is a 10-year-old nonprofit that builds leaders, changemakers, and activists, who are artists who are activists,” Cynthia Renta, the executive director of Girl Be Heard, told PIX11 News. “The work is really for young people to use the arts to make sense of the world,” she added.
This production at Theater Row on West 42nd Street was written by this ensemble about an environmental catastrophe set in New York City in the year 2050.
Each girl represents a different issue this group is facing.
“They come from all different neighborhoods, which is the beauty of Girl Be Heard,” Aliyah Nelson, the artistic director of Girl Be Heard, told PIX11 News. “We like to pull from all over the city for diversity in the group,” she added.
The young women on stage range in age from 15 to 21.
Several are hoping for professional careers in the theater.
“I really do think it will help me pursue a career in theater,” Alexia Ilaga, 18, told PIX11 News. ”We highlight social justice issues, and that’s something I want to pursue going forward,” she added.
Another cast member, Anastasia Calixte, 20, told PIX11 News, “ I’ve been singing and dancing since I was a kid, and Gitl Be Heard has given my calling purpose.”
This program is free, and each of the teenage girls receives a stipend for their participation.
If you’d like to learn more about this program, go here.
English (US) ·