Newsletter | April 2020
Dear friends,

We hope this finds you healthy and safe. As this shared crisis continues, we at Rehearsal for Life are learning: the show must go on . We remain connected to our youth; focused and flexible to achieve our goals; and compassionate with each other along the way. We are committed to our staff, who are working remotely, and we are committed to keeping them as whole as possible, for as long as possible.

And we are committed to our students. Our young people continue to motivate us every day.

Amidst drastic changes in our youth’s lives and routines, Rehearsal for Life recognizes our students' need for consistency, structure and familiarity. Embodying our core principle of creative problem-solving, we are adapting our curricula to continue to serve our young people remotely. We are offering Urban Improv “care packages” and Freelance Players rehearsals online. This process has been challenging and gratifying, as our students, teachers and staff alike have come together in support of each other.

These last few weeks have made it undeniably clear that our schools, our teachers, and our students need us — and we need you .
 
Your support is crucial to our ability to serve our students now and in the days to come. Thank you for standing with us and with the youth we serve.

Appreciatively,
Francie Karlen
Executive Director
LIVE! It's Virtually Banned in Boston!
For the last three weeks, we have been releasing our Virtually Banned in Boston video series exploring the key components of our Urban Improv model.

The series culminates in a VIRTUAL FINALE on THURSDAY, APRIL 16 , when we'll hear from students and teachers about the impact of our Urban Improv program. Join us then at bannedinboston.org !

This week, LIVE, from the comfort of your screen, we're proud to bring you The Group Scene , where students work together to create scenes and songs of their own. 🎭
Urban Improv Cares
Our Urban Improv ensemble of actor-educators has been hard at work crafting virtual care packages for our remote learners, released weekly to our partner schools to distribute to their classrooms. Designed to engage, inspire and comfort our students, they comprise songs to sing, scenes to respond to, and discussion questions to keep students connected. Here's a brand-new song addressing an aspect of the recent changes in our students' lives. Feel free to sing along! 🎭
F reelance Players Zoom Ahead
All six of our Freelance Players Troupes' rehearsals have continued virtually, with almost 100% student attendance. Many students appreciate seeing their friends at Zoom rehearsals, and home-based activities such as running lines and developing costumes. Freelance directors meet weekly to share lessons learned and to strategize for the week ahead. 🎭
Screenshot from our first-ever Freelance Players Zoom meeting! Photo by Music Director Narcissa Campion.
Thank You!
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