Newsletter | January 2020
Happy New Year, and welcome to Rehearsal for Life’s new monthly e-newsletter!

Each month, we’ll share information and stories about our youth programs   Urban Improv , Youth Unscripted , Re:Action Assemblies , and Freelance Players , and about our upcoming special event Banned in Boston . Plus, we’ll invite you backstage to meet our participants, teaching artists, founders, and leaders, and let you in on the magic behind Rehearsal for Life! 🎭
In This Issue
  • Enrollment for Freelance Players Is Open
  • Banned in Boston Is Back
  • Urban Improv in 2020 + in Your Town
  • Peek Behind the Curtain: Meet Freelance Players' Mary Torpey
  • About Rehearsal for Life
  • Donate/Volunteer
Lights, camera, action! (From Mything Links — JP Troupe, December 2019)
Photo by David Carmack
Freelance + You
Beginning as one small troupe in Brookline over 40 years ago, Freelance Players has grown to six performance Troupes and two Story Theater classes (to introduce children ages 6-8 to theater) in Brookline, Dover, Jamaica Plain, Needham, and Newton — find your Troupe today! Spring 2020 audition dates and registration deadlines for all six Troupes can be found on our website.
Dreams came true for the Players Troupe in The Dreammakers (December 2019) !
Onstage Live
We'd like to give an ENORMOUS round of applause to our Fall 2019 Troupes, whose performances opened or are soon to premiere in December and January!
  • In December, our Players Troupe had a successful weekend run of The Dreammakers and our JP Troupe shone in Mything Links.
  • Last weekend saw the grand unveiling of the Newton Troupe’s X Marks the Spot and the Driscoll Troupe’s Tortoise vs. Hare.
  • Next up, the Needham Troupe opens Great Expectations on January 24th and 25th at the Needham Congregational Church, and the WORLD PREMIERE of Shakespeare’s Daughters takes the stage from the Charles River Troupe on January 31st and February 1st at the Charles River School in Dover.
SOUND LIKE FUN? Register online today!
The spring season runs January - May. Please call Kippy Dewey at 617-274-6065 to schedule all audition appointments. 🎭
Banned in Boston Is Back!
The annual comedy and music revue Banned in Boston is Rehearsal for Life’s signature fundraising event. Local Boston celebrities, media personalities, politicians, and business, arts, and community leaders rally together to put on a one-night-only show of hilarity, musical satire, and skits!

Join the fun and help Rehearsal for Life empower local youth to find their voice and choice in the face of real-life challenges! Become a Banned in Boston sponsor today .

Banned in Boston is Thursday, April 16 , 2020 , at the House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne Street, in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood. Learn more about Banned in Boston, last year’s cast, how to become a sponsor, and more — and stay tuned for upcoming announcements of the 2020 cast! 🎭
Urban Improv in 2020
Urban Improv , our nine-week interactive program for students grades 4-8, works with five Boston partner schools to serve over 1,100 youth annually. Our structured improvisational theater workshops, led by professional actor/educators, are designed to strengthen social and emotional learning (SEL) skills and help students deal creatively with real-life challenges through dialogue and performance.
Current schools partnering with UI:
  • Hale (Roxbury)
  • Murphy (Dorchester)
  • Haley (Roslindale)
  • Boston Teachers Union (Jamaica Plain)
  • Mission Hill (Jamaica Plain)

Our 2020 winter session runs January - March at Hyde Square Task Force in Jamaica Plain, and workshop topics customized to the students’ grade level include cyberbullying, stereotyping, racism, homophobia, peer pressure, conflict, nutrition, self-esteem, depression, and more.

See us in action: schedule a site visit .
Urban Improv in Your Town: Book Now!
Re:Action assemblies jump-start dialogue on challenging topics. Curriculum spans grades 4-12 and promotes social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills. Topics include racism, mental health, screen addiction, and many others, and can be customized to your needs. Book an assembly today . 🎭
Peek Behind the Curtain:
Meet Freelance Players' Mary Torpey

Mary Torpey started as assistant director of Freelance Players’ Brookline Troupe in 2003 and is now the director of both the Needham and Dover Troupes. Read more about Mary on our blog! 🎭
About Rehearsal for Life

Rehearsal for Life’s mission is to strengthen young people’s social and emotional learning skills for every stage in life, through dialogue, creativity, and performance. As an organization working toward a socially just and equitable society through youth enrichment and empowerment, we uphold these values: creativity, empathy, respect, cooperation, empowered self-expression, diversity and inclusion, and positive social change.
Thank You!
Everyone at Rehearsal for Life is grateful to our supporters for helping us do our important, impactful work with youth. Our life-changing programming would not be possible without your generous support. Whether you are giving your time or money, your contribution helps to transform the lives of young people in our community. 🎭
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