Our educational programming reflects a commitment to introduce theatre to Boston’s residents and to inspire young residents of Boston to discover the multiple ways in which theatre can enhance, or become, a life-long career.
In 2018, the Lyric Stage began a working relationship with City Stage Co., which reaches over 65,000 students and families each year with its educational performances and workshops, including over 800 annual performances at Boston Children’s Museum. The two companies will collaborate to expand the number of schools they jointly reach, and to develop new ways to introducing live theatre to young residents of Boston.
Educational Programs made possible in part by:
Lyric First Page
Playwrighting Festival
City of Boston students are invited to submit an original play to be included in the first ever Lyric First Page Playwriting Festival! Any Boston Public Schools or Boston Charter School student in grades K-12 is eligible to participate. Plays written by students from each of the following grade bands will be given public readings by Boston-area actors through Lyric Stage Company! Submissions will be accepted from December 18, 2020 through January 28, 2021 and plays must be the original work of the person submitting the work.
Lyric Stage Youth Programs
City Stage
The City Stage program is designed to expose students at all levels to theater as a part of their regular curriculum. City Stage is based on the Performance Cycle, created by the Arts Literacy Project at Brown University, and engages students in creative drama, scripting, and acting-out of narrative that enable them to analyze, interpret, and deeply experience plays, poetry, memoirs, and fiction. Through City Stage, students develop theatre and language arts skills and create art in alignment with state curriculum standards. We offer a variety of versions of City Stage to elementary, middle, and high schools in Boston. For the 2022-2023 school year, City Stage is confirmed to be at three Boston Public Schools: Joseph P. Tynan Elementary School in South Boston; William McKinley Elementary School in the South End; and Nathan Hale Elementary School in Roxbury. We will work with approximately 300 students through these BPS programs.
Approximately 84% of the children reached through City Stage are from low- and moderate-income families. Research demonstrates the positive impacts of the arts on low-income neighborhoods, and the Lyric Stage is devoted to supporting these communities.
The study and practice of theatrical art provides young people with social capital and establishes a number of soft skill essential for success. Chief among these are problem-solving, teamwork, written and verbal communication, ability to analyze text, self-confidence and public speaking.
Students served through the Boston Public School system are: 45% Black, 32% White, 17% Hispanic, 4% Asian, and 3% Other.
Touring Shows
Currently, our most popular touring show is “DW Counts Down to Kindergarten.” This perennial favorite kindergarten-readiness participatory show tours to schools in and around the greater Boston area. Other touring productions include: The History and Adventures of Tom Thumb; Folktales East & West; and Folktales North & South. The shows are all under 30 minutes and are produced for family audiences. Each show is performed by two professional, adult actors and put a strong focus on participation from audience volunteers. The shows tour primarily to schools and libraries: efforts will soon be underway to create a more ambitious touring calendar to reach all branches of the Boston Public Library, with multi-lingual productions.