Project SUCCESS believes in the power of theater to illuminate the world. We use professional theater as a tool to inspire students, help them look at the real-life issues they face, demonstrate they are members of a larger community and act as a springboard for discussion in the classroom workshops and at home.
Before each school year begins, Project SUCCESS coordinates every element of the experience, including constructing seasons for each school, obtaining tickets at no cost through our generous theater partners, mailing invitations to each student’s household at least 8 and up to 12 times annually, taking ticket reservations, and going the extra mile by offering transportation and child-care, welcoming families in the lobby before each performance, coordinating post-play discussions and back-stage tours, and contacting families in their own languages.
How Theater Experiences Make a Difference:
These events have proved to be wonderful bonding experiences for young people and their family members as well as powerful audience-building tools for the theater partners. Through Project SUCCESS, students and their families attend diverse theater performances together, enriching their shared family experiences and increasing opportunities for interactions, which can lead to more positive family relationships and greater home support for youth— shown to have a positive impact on student achievement.
Project SUCCESS uses the Theater Experiences to:
- act as a springboard for discussion in classroom workshops and at home;
- bring students and their families together for a shared experience;
- increase family involvement in students’ lives — shown to have a positive impact on student achievement;
- foster the appreciation of cultural diversity through theater;
- encourage a deeper understanding of the powerful impact theater can have on people's lives;
- expand, diversify and strengthen local theater audiences through on-going and meaningful relationships with families; and
- demonstrate to students that they are members of a larger community.
Our recent surveys have revealed students thinking some interesting things about Project SUCCESS and Theater:
- Nearly 98% of high school students and 94% of middle school students found going to see plays with Project SUCCESS to be "valuable"!
- Over 43% of high school students and 57% of middle school students had attended a play with Project SUCCESS!
- Nearly 60% of them reported seeing two or more plays during the year!
- Two thirds of high school students said they attended the play with their parents or guardians, with nearly half of middle school students reporting the same!
- More than 92% of students who attended a play said they would consider attending another play, given the chance!
