Vital Voices is a Founding Partner of Brooklyn Theatre Arts High School in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Vital Teaching Artists Gwenyth Reitz, Johnmichael Rossi, Harold Lewter, Jad Bernardo, Lois Catanzaro, Kyle Crose and Kyle Dixon facilitate student productions and offer year-long week residencies that integrate theatre arts into the core academic curriculum in order to fully engage students while simultaneously building self esteem and teaching the skills necessary for creative expression.

Now in its fourth year, BTAHS offers two student production opportunities per grade, including a Spring Musical. Theatre Arts integration includes Math/Technical Theatre, Playwriting, ELA and Theatre Electives support through visiting Guest Artists.

2009 Production of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

2011 production of SEUSSICAL

Students celebrate the staged reading of their play ENEMY performed at Vital's space.

2010 production of 1984

Vital Voices is now in its seventh year of residency at Fordham High School for the Arts. Vital Teaching Artists Channie Waites, Harold Lewter, Lois Catanzaro, Jon Stancato, Jen Varbalow, Kyle Crose and Jack Lowry work with Drama Teacher Marlene May to facilitate residencies in acting, commedia, choreography, producing, playwriting and technical theatre. Fordham Arts students were featured in Krystal Thomas' FOR THE LOVE OF ART through Fidelity Future Stage's annual playwriting competition on Broadway. Eight Fordham Arts seniors received the first Chancellor's Arts Endorsed Diploma in Theater offered by NYCDOE. The recent completion of Phase 1 of Fordham's Black Box for Arts & Technical Learning will provide added opportunities for FHSA students to explore stage management and design.

Cast of NO CHILD by Nilaja Sun

2011 production of TRIBUTE TO AUGUST WILSON

Students Explore Commedia

Technical Theatre Skills Building

Students from Brooklyn Theatre Arts and Fordham Arts have the opportunity to become interns during Vital's professional season of family musicals. Interns are paid through the Department of Education's Work Based Learning program to serve as costume and backstage crew and learn artistic administration, box office, house management and customer service skills.

BTAHS Interns Alberto Aguilar and Steven Bell Work on Vital Statistics.

Vital Staff Member Stephanie Usis Preps Summer 2010 Interns

FHSA's Janis Abeth Reyes and BTAHS" Chernice Miller Edit the Intern Film.

In school year 2010-2011, Vital Teaching Artist Jen Varbalow worked with PS 24's 4th Grade's students to create renderings and miniature models of buildings in Colonial Amsterdam based in their social studies curriculum. The project culminated in individual classroom museums where students dressed as characters  from the time, curated the exhibit and read journal entries to parents, friends and and peers. Jen will also support the Spuyten Duyvil Players, the new drama troupe at PS 24, by forming a technical theatre club  where interested students will create a set design and build the set for the Spring production.

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In School Year 2010-2011, Vital's residency was rooted in 4th and 5th Grades studies of US History. Each grade split into The Performance Team and The Design Team based on individual interest. Performance Team studied oral histories of pioneers and revolutionaries and worked with teaching Artists Kyle Dixon and Jen Varbalow to learn basic theatre skills, write scenes and monologues, then rehearse, revise and perform their work. Design Team worked with Teaching Artist Kyle Dixon to study scenic and costume design, then designed and created backdrops and original costumes for the performers.

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At Vital, our original musicals often begin with a treatment or bare bones description of what the story of the show will be. We then hand this to a professional team of artists including a lyricist, a bookwriter and composer. In partnership with PS 199, we also hand this treatment to their entire 2nd Grade for one of Vital's original family musicals. Vital commissions a professional team to write the script and at the same time, hands the entire 2nd grade the treatment. The 2nd graders work with Teaching Artist Jessica Genick to write original scripts and share their final performances with parents, friends and Vital's creators. Students are able to compare their own writing process with that of the professional team and share their thoughts in a talkback. In 2010-2011, due to generous funding from New York State Council on the Arts, Vital added a 1st grade playwriting and acting skills residency based in their Realistic Fiction unit. This year's 2nd Grade is focusing on Vital's 2011 production of  AWESOME ALLIE and will culminate in June. View the Publication

PS 199 Students Ask Questions PostPperformance of UNCLE PIRATE

Author Ben Winters talks to students about the adaptation process.

Vital Teaching Artists Jessica Genick and Patti DeMatteo lead students through games and exercises that facilitate students learning of basic theatre skills and vocabulary, choreography and singing. Each after school session culminates in performance of student improvised plays and a production number from one of Vital's shows complete with choreography.

Actor Neutral, Ready to Go!

Vital Teaching Artist Ann Vieira leads students through an exploration of one Shakespeare play for each 12 week residency. Fall and Winter featured A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and HAMLET. Sudents learn to write sonnets, improvise character relationships and tussle  with Shakespeare's language. Each session culminates in a SHAKESPEARE SHARE for parents, friends and peers.

Read the Sonnet composed by the class

Performers watch their peers perform A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

New this year is GETTING ALONG where Vital teaching artists Suzana Berger, based in the 2nd grade's study of different New York neighborhoods, Vital Teaching Artists, Dax Valdes and Harold Lewter taught each class a different style of dance inspired by each neighborhood. Later, paired with spoken word-poetry, literature or choral work, the entire grade performed for parents, buddy classes and friends. New this year, Vital Teaching Artists Suzana Berger, Kyle Dixon and Michael Curtin are collaborating with 3rd grade teachers to guide students to write and design their own plays based on themes of conflict resolution and bullying.

Read the Script

Student Artwork Based on THE WONDERS OF NEW YORK