Leonard Cyris and Gabriella Lake in Youth Onstage!’s production of A Season in the Congo..

For its first production of 2009, the ASP of NY, Youth Onstage! took on its most ambitious challenge to date: A Season in the Congo by Aimé Césaire.  This epic play, about the struggle for independence in the Congo and the life of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba, featured 24 performers, most of them drawn from the various youth programs of the All Stars Project.  Under the direction of Youth Onstage! program manager Brian Mullin, the ensemble spent most of January reading the script and learning about the history of colonialism in Africa.  Then they worked tirelessly to be able to realize this sprawling play of truly Shakespearean proportions.  While the actors learned their lines, stage blocking, and choreography, dozens of theatre staff and volunteers painted a stunning mural that transformed the Demonstration Room at the ASP’s 42nd Street performing arts center and also created over 100 costume pieces!

The show ran to packed houses from March 6 to April 6; not only did it help raise awareness of the Congo’s history, but the production was also used as a fundraiser for War Child International, one of only a handful of organizations currently working in the Congo to provide aid and safe haven to young people affected by the civil war that is raging there.  And on March 29, following one of the performances, a Culture Talk was held featuring filmmaker Lisa Jackson, whose documentary The Greatest Silence about the rape of women in Congo’s civil war has been shown on HBO, and a distinguished panel of Congolese activists who are working to end the current crisis there. 

Youth Onstage! also just opened Word on the Street: A Poetry Snap.  Now in its third iteration, the Poetry Snap is an evening of original spoken-word performances, all written and performed by young poets from the All Stars.  This latest version features nine young poets, under the direction of Youth Onstage! alums Michael Alcide and Darnelle Cadet.

A whole new group of students are currently taking classes in the spring semester of the Youth Onstage! Community Performance School, while another group waits in the wings to begin the summer semester.  The ranks of YO! graduates continue  to grow, allowing us to take on more – and even more challenging – performances and productions!