The Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s “Art” has announced the launch of a new initiative. Named the Art and Process Education Fund, the program will aim to expand access to theater for underserved New York City public school teenage students. The fund is being fiscally sponsored by the Broadway Education Alliance Inc. (BEA), a nonprofit committed to advancing equity and excellence in theater arts education.
Through Art and Process, and in partnership with the New York Public Schools Arts Office, “Art” will offer admission to over 1,000 students from Title One and local public high schools. Beyond attending a performance of the Bobby Cannavale-James Corden-Neil Patrick Harris-led comedy, the students will partake in specially designed educational curriculum and experiences which explore the themes, creative process and cultural significance of the play and the process of remounting the show on Broadway.
“This production of ‘Art’ is about more than bringing a celebrated play back to Broadway — it’s about making sure young people, our next generation of theatergoers and creators, have access to the kind of storytelling that inspires empathy, creativity, and critical thinking,” said producers Michael Shulman, Adam Speers and Gavin Kalin in a joint statement. “When we first discussed this dream of student access to the [general management] team at 101 Productions and Arielle Tepper, everyone jumped in to create this unique initiative, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with the Broadway Education Alliance to make our dream a reality.”
“We believe that experiencing Yasmina Reza’s timeless and thought-provoking play performed by an exemplary cast will be a masterclass in making art for the stage and a catalyst for personal and intellectual discovery for every student afforded the opportunity to participate in this program,” said BEA founder Susan E. Lee in a statement. “Thanks to the leadership of the show’s producers, Art and Process is a bridge between Broadway and the classroom that provides teachers with a framework for teaching the four standard subjects related to the artistic process: creating, performing/presenting/producing, responding and connecting.”
Additional information about Art and Process, including the fundraising campaign in support of developing educational materials, teaching artists and enrichment programming and subsidized tickets to the production, can be found here.
“Art” follows Marc (Cannavale), Yvan (Corden) and Serge (Harris), whose longstanding friendship strains after Serge’s purchase of an expensive and completely white painting sparks a debate on what constitutes “real art.” The play received its Broadway premiere in 1998, winning the Tony for Best Play.
Following previews that began on Aug. 28, “Art” will open on Sept. 16 at the Music Box Theatre. The Scott Ellis-directed production is scheduled to play a limited engagement through Dec. 21.
“Art” is produced by Sand and Snow Entertainment (Shulman), ATG Productions and Gavin Kalin Productions.
