US update report - Spring 26

As summer approaches, we are still smiling about a very special evening in April.

theatre works! celebrated its fifth birthday with our first ever US event. We are grateful to Patty and Bill Kleh for their kind generosity in hosting us. Thanks to the generosity shown around this event, 1,200 children will now have the chance to experience live theatre. It was a memorable occasion - and, as you can see from the photographs below, a very happy one. 

So far, theatre works! has helped 13,000 children in the US attend live professional theatre. Across both the US and the UK, that number is now 33,000. For many of those children, it was their first visit to a theatre.

What stays with us most, though, is not only the number reached, but the way young people describe what the experience meant to them. After seeing ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ in Miami, one student wrote that it had made him want "to care for people before judging them because they could be going through things." Another reflected, "To always be conscious of someone's mental state and to not joke about it." A third wrote, "When someone tries talking to me, I'll take more time and give my attention to them. It could be a cry for help."

These are thoughtful, reflective responses. The comments remind us that theatre can do much more than entertain. 

An important change to how we award grants

As theatre works! grows, we are sharpening our focus on impact. Going forward, we will only award grants where an educational element is included alongside the theatre visit. We want children not only to see a performance, but to talk about it and connect it to their own lives. You can read more below about our exciting new Education Hub module for younger children, developed with Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation - we think you'll be as delighted by it as we are.

Looking ahead

Having reached 33,000 children in the US and the UK in our first five years, we are now looking ahead to our ten-year goal: reaching 100,000 children. To deepen our impact in the US, we are planning to appoint a part-time US General Manager. This role would help us strengthen relationships with theatres and schools, support our growing education programme, and give us the practical capacity to reach many more children.

To achieve this, we are strengthening our team and establishing new structures to support the nonprofit’s growth. There is much more to share on this - please do read our Growth Plans article below.

And finally, a personal note. The theatre bug appears to have been passed down a generation. Two of our grandchildren, Leo, aged 8, and Calina, aged 11, recently appeared in a Minneapolis community production of Winnie the Pooh - Leo as a bee and Calina as a deer.

When asked what the best part was, Calina said: “Honestly, meeting new friends and expressing who you are.”

We could not have put it better ourselves.

Thank you, as always, for your generous support.

With warm wishes,
Sharon Studer
Chair, theatre works!

Our Growth Plans

To achieve our combined US and UK goal of reaching 100,000 children in five years, we are strengthening our development efforts and have recently added fundraising support in the US. We are also establishing an Advisory Forum to support Sharon and Graham as the nonprofit grows.

In the US, we are inviting donors who commit to $5,000 to become Advisory Forum members. Members will be consulted on the work of the nonprofit and its future direction.We hope to meet as a  group - virtually and in person when possible - once or twice a year. We would love to organize some joint theatre events for members. Members will be recognized on our website, though anonymity is always an option.

We are also keen to hear from potential Anchor donors who may wish to make a larger commitment to help build the long-term sustainability of theatre works!

This is an exciting moment for theatre works! and we would love to have you alongside us for the next chapter. If you would like to know more about how you could support theatre works!, please get in touch. 

New Education Hub Module for Younger Children

We are pleased to be launching a new Education Hub module for children aged 7 to 11. The module uses the story of Hamlet, broken into six simple plot points, and pairs it with The Lion King - whose story draws on the same dramatic structure. 

We were not certain, at first, whether Shakespeare would feel accessible to this age group. We need not have worried. Children consider questions such as: should Hamlet obey the ghost and seek revenge, or find another way to put things right? Should Simba return to face his fears and take his place as king, or stay hidden from responsibility?

The module explores how both Hamlet and Simba must learn to stand up for themselves - examining persuasive language and how to present a point of view with confidence. These are big themes, but when presented in the right way, we find young people are quick to engage with them. 

We are grateful to Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation for helping us create something that is both imaginative and closely connected to children's own lives.