Foster Your Dream goes Backstage on Broadway

SpongeBob SquarePants, Head Over Heels and Choir Boy invited us to join them for their shows and then for a magical backstage tour!

Lou Castro shows us backstage!

Lou Castro, Choreographer of SpongeBob Square Pants.

Technology!

 

 

Brooke Smith arranged for Lou Castro the assistant Choreographer of Sponge Bob Square Pants to give us an in depth look at all the amazing things backstage at the Palace Theatre! He showed up props, wardrobe and al the fantastical technology!

 

 

 

Julie Boardman & Sarahbeth Grossman welcome us to the Green Room!

 

  HEAD OVER HEELS producers Sarahbeth Grossman, who has been a supporter of Foster Your Dream kids for the past 10 years, took us to their green room and introduced us to producer Julie Boardman.  We were allowed to ask questions and feel like a VIP!

 

 

 

As usual, I can only show emancipated foster children who are OK with our taking their photo or with guardian consent.  That’s why you tend to see the same few kids … they are the ones who are enamored by all things THEATRE!  The one below has a particular connection to theatre and FYD’s mentorship has been sort of like a rag-tag theatre fellowship.  So enjoy her joy!

 

Choir Boy’s Austin Pendleton

Hey World … Here I Am!

Everybody Goes to See Everybody

What happens when Everybody goes to see Everybody, the play? We loved it.  It wasn’t for everybody (meaning younger patrons) thus we invited some of our older Foster Youths who had their mind blown by the production, which boasts a randomness in casting and madcap foray into death!

We were able to expose some of our deeper thinkers to Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and his creative and humorous mind!

We spent time afterwards discussing life and death and dancing skeletons (in the play of course!) thanks to the Signature Theatre and Colleen Hughes!

Master Harold and a Little Girl

Master Harold and The Boys at The Signature Theatre provided an amazing opportunity for one of our clients to bring her foster family and some of her extended church group ‘village’ to see a play which provided a long post-show discussion about race and feelings about race.

Wow, right?  Some in the group had never been to a play like this but our little client set a shining example of how to absorb a heavy theme like this and then express “sad feelings” about racism during a discussion in the lobby afterwards.

Then we got lucky and Sahr Ngaujah stopped to take pictures with all!

Once again, Colleen Hughes and The Signature Theatre has our deepest gratitude!

FYD teams up with Signature Theatre for Toy Drive

Toy Drive for Foster Kids Spearheaded by Theatre Group

TOY DRIVE!

Foster Your Dream teams up with Signature Theatre in New York City for a Holiday Toy Drive that will continue to give all year long! For several years, foster children, foster families, and group homes have been invited to see live shows in this exciting theatre complex near Times Square. With the holidays approaching, the staff decided to do a Toy Drive for their favorite patrons … Dream Kids from Foster Your Dream!/

What’s unique about this Holiday Toy Drive is that it will last beyond the holidays. Donated toys will be brought from the Theatre to the Children’s Center in New York City. The Center is where children who are removed from their homes … often in the middle of the night … must go if there are no foster families available to take them in. Often these children are in crisis, even traumatized. The toys collected will be available for the child when he or she arrives at the center. FYD founder Sue Wolf says “We hope that choosing a toy and taking it to their foster home will provide a joyful distraction and some warm comfort to the children we are so passionate about serving!”

Ms. Wolf continues, “Foster Your Dream aims to provide extras such as prom dresses, theatre trips, tuition for dance class and karate lessons, to name a few. There are over half a million children in foster care, and we’d love to make a dream come true for each of them. With the help of such generous partners as Signature Theatre, we are one step closer to making that a reality.”

If you would like to donate, please bring a new, unwrapped toy to The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 W 42nd Street during the designated donation hours from now until December 18!
DONATION HOURS BEFORE EVERY SHOW!

DONATION REQUIREMENTS

Signature is accepting new, unwrapped, any ages toys. Signature will not accept clothing or donations that are used, perishable, or dangerous.

http://www.signaturetheatre.org/shows-and-events/Now-at-the-Center/Foster-Your-Dream-Toy-Drive.aspx

Foster Kids Hang With Old Hats

What better way to warm up on a cold day but to go to the Signature Theatre (Thanks Colleen Hughes!) and catch a performance of Old Hats and then hang out with the Cast! As usual, we can not show the faces of our young friends so pardon our privacy boxes! 2/2015

FYD OLD HATS 1 USE

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SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE IN THE CAST WHO PAID SPECIAL ATTENTION TO OUR GUESTS!!!

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Signature Theatre Sponsors Dream Kid

Foster Your Dream has made a theatre dream come true.   December 2015-2016

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Colleen Hughes

FYD went to bat for one of our Dream Kids.

Thanks to our longtime friend, Colleen Hughes who is the Arts Administrator at our favorite Signature Theatre, we received a full gratis subscription for our teen client who is in college for theatre!  Thanks for always helping us, Colleen!

 

 

We first met our client Nancy when she showed up at “Ann On Broadway” and met Holland Taylor in June of 2013.

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That’s Nancy in the glasses and Jean jacket!

After losing track of her for nearly 2 years … (that happens a LOT with our clients due to “The System” ) … she showed up at our Dames At Sea Theatre Project Event and I pounced on her with such enthusiasm that she nearly took my temperature!  🙂  You see, Colleen had many tickets over the 2 years that were inappropriate for young patrons but totally appropriate for a young teen.  It was breaking my heart that we couldn’t find Nancy due to such stringent privacy concerns (for good reasons) … so wow was I glad that she heard about our “Dames At Sea” event and showed up so I could pounce.  🙂

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Shy client! Can you find her?

She stayed for the talk-back at the end and we got to talking. You can see her here in this very bad photo listening to a cast member answer her very smart question about how he gets in to each ‘character’ while playing two different characters.  It was exciting that she was still in school studying acting and the arts.  She said she would love a subscription to the theatre and we immediately called Colleen Hughes who pitched it to her superiors and made it all happen!

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10th Avenue and 42nd Street!

 

Not only is the Signature Theatre doing amazing vibrant work, but they are a haven for visitors who just want to take a break, have a snack, be in a beautiful setting and enjoy free wifi!

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Happy Young Theatre Patrons!

 

 

 

 

Nancy is able to take a friend to every performance so she can chat about the experience and feel as special as we KNOW she is!