January 4th, 2023

Children’s Shakespeare Theatre awarded $30,000 by the New York State Council on the Arts

Nyack, NY – Children’s Shakespeare Theatre announced today a grant award totaling $30,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the recovery of the nonprofit arts and culture sector. Following New York State’s historic investment for the arts, NYSCA has awarded $90 million since Spring 2022 to a record number of artists and organizations across the state.

“These funds are crucial to CST’s ability to both recover from the pandemic and grow as an organization,” said Board Co-Chairs Kim Macri and Daniela Pescher. “We are so pleased that the Council has not just invested in the arts in Rockland County, but also for youth in the arts. It is an affirmation that the power of creativity and growth is in the children themselves. Children’s Shakespeare Theatre has been built to welcome, encourage and celebrate that power.”

NYSCA Chair Katherine Nicholls said, “On behalf of the entire Council, I congratulate Children’s Shakespeare Theatre on this grant award. Their creative work provides the benefits of the arts to both their community and all of New York. Arts organizations are essential, leading our tourism economy and fueling sectors such as hospitality, transit, and Main Streets across our state. “

The receipt of this grant and a $25,000 grant for 2022, has been a welcome acknowledgement of the power of a company like CST. With herculean effort, the company was restarted amidst constantly changing and challenging COVID protocols, as its young performers ages 8 – 18 embraced a full season of plays, workshops and both indoor and outdoor performances.

“For our first production, we chose to perform Hamlet-- a play about loss and mourning,” said CST Artistic Director Brady Amoonclark. “Suddenly our teens, who had dealt with losses, including the loss of their busy social lives and their interrupted educations, had become old souls, able to access the text in a way they hadn’t before.”

“Beyond the full houses, appreciative audiences and young people gaining insight and experience together in the dynamic worlds of Shakespeare plays, we can’t forget the parents’ thankful comments. One of them said, ‘This experience has simply made my child’s life better all around.’”

Governor Kathy Hochul said, “As a cultural capital of the world, New York State is strengthened by our expansive coverage of the arts across all 62 counties. This year's historic commitment to the arts sector will spur our continuing recovery from the pandemic and set the course for a stronger future."

NYSCA Executive Director Mara Manus said, “We are immensely grateful to Governor Hochul and the Legislature for their unprecedented investment of $240 million to support arts organizations across the state. New York State arts organizations such as Children’s Shakespeare Theatre are the cornerstone of our vibrant arts economy. As crucial drivers of our health and vitality, we are grateful to the unwavering dedication of arts workers across the state.”

Children’s Shakespeare Theatre is currently in rehearsal and will open its production of Macbeth March 3rd, 4th, 10th, and 11th at the Palisades Presbyterian Church, directed by Brady Amoonclark. In May, CST’s production of Twelfth Night will open and play May 12th, 13th, 19th, and 20th.

About the New York State Council on the Arts

NYSCA preserves and advances the arts and culture that make New York State an exceptional place to live, work and visit. NYSCA upholds the right of all New Yorkers to experience the vital contributions the arts make to our communities, education, economic development, and quality of life. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, NYSCA will award record funding in FY 2023, providing support across the full breadth of the arts.

NYSCA further advances New York's creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, NYSCA is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit http://www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA's Facebook page, Twitter @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.

About Children’s Shakespeare Theatre

Founded in 1999 by Diana Green, CST is a community-based children’s theater company committed to providing a nurturing and enriching environment through the performance of Shakespeare’s plays, allowing children to explore, in a safe and supportive educational setting, what it means to be human. Young participants, comprising two groups Knaves (ages 8 – 14) and Rogues (ages 14 – 18), must take a workshop or summer program and then audition for and be cast in one of CST’s full productions to be full-fledged company members. CST is supported by a broad range of donors including substantial grants from the New York State Council on the Arts, the Jerome Robbins Foundation and Orange and Rockland utilities. Brady Amoonclark has been CST’s Artistic Director since 2021.

Contact: Nina Carbone, nina@childrensshakespeare.org or Shauna Wennerod, shauna@childrensshakespeare.org