Drama Club’s mission is to consistently care for youth who are incarcerated and court-involved by creating space for them to thrive, using improv as their guide.
Our Impact
Youth
Drama Club participants come from all 5 boroughs of NYC.
Our classes aren’t about becoming professional
actors, but rather it’s about the joy of finding new friends in
unexpected places. Drama Club is a space for young people
to fully be themselves — no strings attached.
Classes
Our workshops are based on the science of play and utilize
improv and theater games. While the act of making theater is
therapeutic and our curriculum is trauma-informed, it does not
seek to be drama therapy. Instead, we make space for young
people to discover the freedom of their own creative agency.
Performances
Our performances are powerful not only for youth but also
for their families when they see their loved ones modeling
perseverance and being positively validated in front of an
audience. Acting without a script is vulnerable and helps
everyone see humanity in others. In the words of a Rikers
Island Corrections Officer: “I’ve never seen them so free.”
Our Programs
Confinement Arts
Since 2013, Drama Club is the only organization in New York City that provides consistent, year-round theater programming within secure detention facilities such as Horizon, Crossroads, and Rikers Island in addition to other sites such as Passages Academy. We believe everyone deserves a drama club.
Community Program
In 2017, we expanded into communities most impacted by mass incarceration via our program partner, The Door in both lower Manhattan and the South Bronx. Our presence within these communities offers youth returning home a space to reconnect and continue their journey as artists. Incarceration is not a pre-requisite for participating in Drama Club.
Apprentice Program
In 2018, we expanded our services to include ongoing mentorship, professional development, and living-wage employment to youth reentering society post-incarceration. We provide vital supports and a viable path away from recidivism by hiring these young people to assist in classes, represent Drama Club publicly (e.g. post performance Q&As), and attend mentorship sessions to discuss current issues in their lives and the goals they have for their futures.
Advocacy
In 2020, Drama Club was awarded funding through the National Endowment of the Arts to commission playwright Ren Dara Santiago and a cohort of formerly incarcerated individuals to develop a play spotlighting the human cost of mass incarceration. This work is still in development. Other advocacy efforts include our monthly DEIB Committee (made up of Apprentices, Staff, and Board Members) that discusses intersectionality and self-care, oversees our internal policies, and seeks out ways to support the decarceration movement as well as the improvement of conditions within confinement.
How We Got Started
It started with the rehearsal process of a play at Crossroads Juvenile Center which was presented as a staged reading for staff, fellow residents and family members. The success of this project blossomed into a consistent year-round program.
We continue to bring improv classes to youth who are incarcerated and/or court-involved, and we’ve expanded to serve communities throughout New York City.
Why Improv?
Theater has a unique advantage as a social-emotional learning tool because it uses activities such as play, storytelling, and role-playing which all develop prosocial bonds, executive functioning, empathy, and imagination.
Our classes specifically utilize the magic of improv, as it is a strengths-based approach and is highly inclusive, meaning anyone can participate regardless of background, spoken language, or literacy levels.
Most importantly, improv is fun and gives young people who feel silenced, confined, and controlled, an outlet to collaborate and express their imaginations freely. The thrill of performing without a script allows youth to practice healthy risk-taking, self regulation, and teamwork all on their own terms.
From reducing social anxiety to building trust, the mental health benefits of improv are undeniable for everyone, let alone youth who are facing challenging times.
The core rules of improv include: 1. Say ‘Yes, and...’ (Healthy Risk-Taking, Trust) 2. No Violence (Safety, Emotional Regulation) 3. Decide Who-What-Where (Imagination, Creativity) 4. Find the Conflict/Resolution (Conflict Resolution) 5. Make Your Scene Partner Look Good (Collaboration, Team Building).
Our students share how they also apply these same philosophies to their life; guiding their decisions and development. Ultimately, improv improves us, which is why we create space for youth to discover it. For those who can’t come to us, we bring it to them. Improv inspires us to open up to the possibilities around us, including the transformative possibilities within ourselves.
Our Partners
Drama Club is recognized by New York City’s City Council, Administration of Children Services, Department of Correction, Department of Probation, the Department of Youth and Community Development, and New York City’s Department of Education.
We are proud organizational partners with Carnegie Hall, NeON Arts, The Door, The Wooster Group, Rattlestick Theatre, and are members of the partner network Youth Inc.
Recently, Drama Club was accepted into and completed the GRIT training series with the Robin Hood Foundation.
Interested in bringing Drama Club classes to your organization? Looking to become a corporate sponsor? Have an idea for partnership? Let's connect!
Where Is Drama Club?
Drama Club currently works with over 600 students between the ages of 12 to 24, developing theater at various sites across New York City. Are you a young person who is interested in learning more about our classes? Fill out the form on our "Join The Club" page.
