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Who Is Children's Theatre?

Founded in 1999 in New York City, and in 1989 in Los Angeles, the Children's Theatre Company is a non-profit 501(C)(3) educational theater organization and publisher of over 15 original and professionally recorded musicals designed to complement an ethical and social studies curriculum for young audiences. Committed to character and ethical development, CTC is rooted in the belief that through the incomparable magic of theater combined with a robust ethical education curriculum, children and youth can indeed become the voices of positive change. Serving over 4,000 children in underserved populations nationwide, CTC's musicals correlate with a social studies curriculum according to State Learning Standards. Professional artists direct four age groups at over ten after-school programs and community-based chapters in a multi-disciplinary program which consists of Drama, Dance, Musical Theatre, Choral and Ethical Education.

The Children's Theatre Company is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization funded in part by generous contributions by * National Endowment for the Arts * New York State Council on the Arts * Department of Youth and Community Development * Fraydun Foundation * Jack Lenz * Amir & Rosita Manocherian Family Foundation * Reja Sabet * Andrew Sabin Foundation * Theodore & Renee Weiler Foundation*

"Dizzy Gillespie" Space Grant provided by The Baha'i Unity Center

 

Board of Directors

Ramin Abrishamian
Leanne Barrineau
Jill Bolstridge
Karida Griffth
Shidan Majidi
Mehr Mansuri
Hamid Samandari

Advisory Council
Niki Abrishamian
Shohreh Aghdashloo
Vafa Akhavan
Peggy Kerry
Jack Lenz
Dorothy Marcic
Jennifer Manocherian

Benefit Committee Chairs
Leanne Barrineau
Kelsey Bates
Shidan Majidi
Mehr Mansuri
Melissa Pancoast
Desiree Robinson
Frank Sanchez

Benefit Committee Members
Leanne Barrineau
Safraz Husain
Terry Mann
Mehr Mansuri
Gloria Naftali
Melissa Pancoast
Pari Olver
Desiree Robinson
Pete Tobey

 

Sample Choral Music or Sample Musical Songs

A Selection of Video Clips
From Our Professional Performances,
Behind the Scenes Cast Albums and
After-School Programs...

Take a look at a CTC Rehearsal at one of our After-School Sites, PS/MS 105 in Far Rockaway.	Broadway singers recording the tutorial cast album of "Henry 'Box' Brown"
Highlights from Rescue Me: A Musical History of Women Performed for over 2,000 people at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, Hillary Clinton and Peggy Kerry.	CTC on Local News, Sesame Street, and More!

If you would like to see this work continue
by supporting the creation of a new catalogue
of relevant musical theatre that addresses ethical
and global issues as well as serving children
and families in underserved neighborhoods.

Then join us in championing Theatre for Social Change
and children as the voices of positive change.

To learn more see below
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Oprah and Tyler Perry's Oscar Nominated Film
"Precious" stars Children's Theatre Cast Members

Cast members of the Children's Theatre Company auditioned among thousands of other candidates for three featured roles in the movie Precious.
Role of "Young Precious" (the lead character as a young girl),
her best friend and the number one school bully!

All three roles were booked by CTC performers, Maya, Tarell "Roy" and Nia!!

Artistic Director, Mehr Mansuri, was approached by leading New York Casting Directors, Jessical Kelly at Hopkins, Smith and Barden (Monster's Ball, Unfaithful, Pineapple Express, Boys Don't Cry, Cider House Rules) to prepare and coach the young Children's Theatre candidates for the highly emotionally charged scenes.

Congrats Maya, Roy and Nia!
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Children's Theatre Company Peformance
at the 2010 NGO GLOBAL FORUM FOR WOMEN: Beijing +15
for the NGO Commission on Status of Women

Cast and Crew of the New York and Long Island Children's Theatre Company will be performing highlights of the musical by Dorothy Marcic, "Resue Me" for the 2010 NGO GLOBAL FORUM FOR WOMEN: Beijing +15 at the SALVATION ARMY THEATER
for 1600 VIP and dignitaries.

You can download the playbill of Artistic Performers at the Forum in PDF format.

The program featured a keynote address by Dr. Sima Samar from Afghanistan as well as panelists Patricia Licuanan, Charlotte Bunch, Nyaradzai Gombubsvana, and Cai Yi Ping. In addition to the Children's Theatre Company, the cultural events included Kinding Sindaw, a colorful dance troupe celebrating the Filipino oral history of women and a reading by Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Lynn Nottage.

The webcast can be viewed here on February 27 and 28 from 9:00am to 1:00pm EST.
It can also be found on February 27 and 28 at The Salvation Army of Greater New York website.

20101 NGO Global Forum for Women
http://www.ngocsw.org/en/events/2010-forum/webcast

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UNICEF Performance &
CTC Artistic Director as Keynote Speaker
Young Performers of the New York and Long Island CTC appear at UNICEF Social Integration Conference which was followed by CTC's Artistic Director, Mehr Mansuri, presenting a full overview of the CTC's programmatic and philosophic framework to various NGO's (non-governmental organizations).


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National Endowment for the Arts &
New York State Council on the Arts Rewards CTC
Children's Theatre Company has garnered a three-year grant for
"Artistic Excellence"; "Publishing"; "Professional Performance"
and its "Educational Model".

Serving numerous community theaters as well as public schools, CTC Headquarters is thrilled to be able to provide its full gamut of services including its robust musical theater catalogue, teacher training and community development model to under-served schools as well as community theaters around New York as well as through CTC Chapters around the country.

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UPCOMING PERFORMANCE SEASON & AUDITIONS:

CTC New York & CTC Long Island:
Performances run through end of March 2011

CTC Long Island:
Auditions ASAP. Limited Slots

CTC Los Angeles
Auditions ASAP. Limited Slots

CTC Peekskill:
Performance Run:
Providence: The Story of Roger Williams and the Ugly Duckling

About Children's Theatre -
WHAT THE NEW YORK TIMES SAYS ABOUT CTC:

"...hilarious...."
"...stirring...."
"...intriguingly original..."
"...rousing songs..."
"... colorful and lighthearted..."
"...pithy statement on the abuses of power..."
"...acted with great brio..."
"...tuneful fairy tale..."

"...mature words that sound all the more stirring when uttered by young voices."

"….includes a civil rights medley, several rousing songs by the group's music director, Eric Dozier..."

"Acted with great brio, this tuneful fairy tale emphasizes the value of service without being preachy..."

"…an acrobatically enhanced King Kunka Bunka and the Rotten Royal Rascals …an intriguingly original musical in rap with rousing Russian-style music and dance…and a salsa-fied… "Horton the Elephant…"

"They also present the mini-musical "Myrtle & Yertle," a pithy statement on the abuses of power.... Performed with hilarious music by Lory Lazarus, it includes a country-western odes by Mack and Jack, the turtles who are literally at the bottom of society."

-Laurel Graeber, THE NEW YORK TIMES

NY Times December
NY Times July and weblisting
NY Times April and weblisting

WHAT A SESAME STREET CASTING-DIRECTOR HAS SAID

"I was both impressed and touched by what I saw. The children are not only taught how to be a great performer, but they are taught a true sense of community... As the Casting Director for Sesame Street... [t]he transformation I saw these children go through in the 15-20 minutes Mehr worked with them in the audition was astounding!"

"[I]t was astounding to see some of the shy, timid kids from the audtion onstage with such confidence and talent."

"Watching the performance is more than entertaining, it is enlightening."

-Carrie Haugh, Casting Director, SESAME STREET PRODUCTIONS

Sesame Street Site Visit Report
Sesame Street Performance Report

 

WHAT OUR CELEBRITY FRIENDS HAVE SAID

James Earl Jones
(Academy Award Winning Actor)

"I was very touched by the beauty and love behind the efforts of the Children's Theatre to provide children with a magical yet practical approach to life and a new way of viewing themselves as noble creations…"

(Photo: James Earl Jones and Laura A)
-Verizon Literacy Awards: Casey at the Bat

 

Harry Belafonte
(Harry Belafonte [UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador] and his wife Julie

"The balance you create -- between seriousness and humor, roots of power and flights of optimism, intellect and unabashed joy -- is exquisite. What you are doing is truly wonderful and you should be very proud of your efforts and accomplishments."

-United Nations Say Yes Concert for Children's Rights
(Photo: L. to R. Sarayah, Brittany, Vim, Fariba- at the close of the gala concert)

 

Wynton Marsalis (Pulitzer Prize Winning and 9 Time Grammy Award Winning Trumpeter & Jazz Composer)

"Yours is an example of what service to the community means. [CTC] serves as an example that our potentials are unlimited…"

(Mehr and Karida with Wyton Marsalis and CTC Kids)

 

 

Raffi (World renowned & award winning children's songwriter & entertainer)

"Your work is easily among the most noble artistic endeavors I've ever seen. Not to mention totally entertaining and deeply touching. Few 'grown-up' performances have achieved as much. Your premise and practice of art & humanity is nothing shy of laying groundwork for future leaders of true peace."

Raffi with Mercy @ UN Special Session on Children:

WHAT THE PRESS SAYS:

"Although politics is practiced by adults, it always has effects on children. Young performers from the Children's Theatre Company are exploring those realities now in a production that draws on the writings of sages ranging from Dr. Seuss to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

"Their musical-theater adaptations of Dr. Suess's The Sneetches and The Lorax emphasize the Doc's message of tolerance."

"One of New York's most successful working models of 'unity in diversity'…"

Barbaria Aria, TIME-OUT NEW YORK

"…a colorful and lighthearted way of teaching children about the dangers of prejudice."

Shelly Goldberg, NY1 NEWS