Education

NYTW’s intergenerational theatre program, Mind the Gap, has been connecting teens and elders through the power of storytelling for over sixteen years. Over the course of several weeks, participants interview one another in intergenerational conversations, getting to hear stories from each other’s lives, as well as their dreams, fears, and ways of seeing the world. From these exchanges, each participant writes a short play inspired by what they learn from their partner, and these plays are performed by professional actors on a day of public readings.

May 21, 2026 by Marty Chandler

Students from NYTW’s partner schools are attending a matinee performance of The Peculiar Patriot this week, and you can join them in reflecting on the themes of the play with this edition of “The Brief” Study Guide! Learn about Liza Jessie Peterson’s development of the play and its production history, unpack the prison industrial complex, and understand the historical significance of the play’s title and the importance of community. Then, join us at the Workshop and see Liza’s final run of the play, concluding her 25 years of work with this piece.

May 18, 2026 by NYTW Education & Engagement

How does social media build and break relationships? Can we use our online presence for good? How do the web and artificial intelligence affect how we create and consume art? And what’s the deal with tech bros?! These are the questions our 2025/26 Youth Artistic Instigators set out to answer as they devised and wrote their piece, REEL LIFE OR REAL LIFE? After months of creating and rehearsing, it’s finally time for their piece to take the stage at NYTW.

April 11, 2026 by Marty Chandler

As you dive into this edition of “The Brief” Study Guide, we invite you to reflect on the themes of MY JOY IS HEAVY. What do you remember from your time in the pandemic? What do you do to get through hard times? Learn about The Bengsons and their story of grief and joy, the role of music in resilience, how access is woven into the production, and more. And then, join us at the Workshop to see the show and celebrate our joy and community!

March 24, 2026 by NYTW Education & Engagement

Our Casebook program pulls back the curtain on one show in the Workshop’s season each year, and this year, participants spent eight weeks taking a behind-the-scenes look at the making of TARTUFFE. From conversations with the generative artists to sitting in on tech rehearsal, Casebook participants (or “Casebookers”) learned all about what goes into taking a new work from page to stage at an Off-Broadway theatre company. NYTW Education & Engagement Associate Marty Chandler chatted with a few Casebookers to recap what Casebook covered this year and hear about their experience in the program. Let’s hear what they had to say!

December 22, 2025 by Marty Chandler

Before seeing TARTUFFE at the Workshop, we recommend that you pop
over to “The Brief” Study Guide, where you’ll learn from all that’s inside
about topics like comedy and farce, themes of hypocrisy, and even could parse
through the difference between rhymes made by Lucas Hnath and Moliére.
Whether a student or curious theatregoer, we’re excited to share
this knowledge about the show—and then see you there!

December 5, 2025 by NYTW Education & Engagement

Mind the Gap, New York Theatre Workshop’s intergenerational theatre program, has been bringing elders and teens together across New York City and the world for now sixteen years. Founded in 2009, Mind the Gap workshops match elders (ages 60 and up) to teens (13-19), and asks them to share with each other their hopes, dreams, and stories from their lives.

To celebrate this “Sweet 16,” we are looking back at where we’ve taken Mind the Gap this year, celebrating our partnerships across the globe, and reflecting on the community cultivated by this program throughout its history.

October 6, 2025 by NYTW Education & Engagement

Are there any queens in the house? In this two-page, briefer edition of “The Brief” Study Guide, learn more about the process of making SATURDAY CHURCH, its inspiration from the real-life program at St. Luke in the Fields, and its adaptation from 2017 film to 2025 Off-Broadway musical. Explore our community partners, and reflect on the show’s themes of community and ballroom culture. Then, get hype about the show and get your tickets before they sell out!

October 1, 2025 by NYTW Education & Engagement

The lights are shining bright onstage for LIGHTS OUT: NAT “KING” COLE at NYTW! Our partner schools from across the city will be joining us for our Student Matinee soon, and you can join us in learning more about the show too! In the latest edition of “The Brief” Study Guide, dive into topics like the sociopolitical context surrounding Nat “King” Cole’s variety show, the history of Black performers in tap dance, and more about the production itself. Get excited about this dazzling show with us, and then grab your tickets here!

May 14, 2025 by NYTW Education

After months of collaboration, it’s finally here! A TRIPTYCH OF TIME, a new piece created and performed by the 2024/25 Youth Artistic Instigators premieres this week. The Workshop’s youth ensemble is comprised this year of twenty-four students from across the city, who have been working together since October to devise a story to speak to and for their generation in this present moment.

April 18, 2025 by Marty Chandler