Hi Friends, Family and Supporters!

I'm so thrilled to be part of New York Shakespeare Exchange's Leadership Council, and so thrilled you found me here!

My personal journey with NYSX started with producing and performing in the famed ShakesBEER! pub crawls.  I don't believe I've ever felt more alive as a performer, or more enthralled as an audience member than at one of the crawls. 

I've gone on to help NYSX as an educator with Educaiton Initiatives - bringing Shakespeare to students in an accessible and imaginative way, challenging them to see themselves reflected in the work, rather than the work being some sort of distant, lofty thing they cannot touch.  I've participated in workshops both in-person and virtually, and it's always an inspiring experience.

 NYSX has a beautiful heart and I'm so happy to be a part of it.  See below for what's coming up and why we're excited about it - I hope you'll get involved!

WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW:

• The Voices Project - A growing catalogue of videos created by Shakespeare performers who are under-represented in the American classical theatre, which highlight how Shakespeare's words resonate through the filters of their own identities and experiences.
• Virtual Education Workshops - Thanks to remote learning tools, NYSX artists have been Zooming into classrooms in states like Michigan, Georgia, and Ohio, and we can't wait to add more states to that list!
• Virtual Freestyle Labs - Since 2018, our Freestyle Lab series at the 53rd Street Library has gained an enthusiastic and loyal following.  THIS YEAR, we will explore how to create this town hall-style event in a virtual space, giving us a chance to invite in audiences across the country (and maybe even an ocean or two...).

In other company news:

• NYSX is working toward a more inclusive and collaborative model of planning our season.  With our new Leadership Council, we've composed a season of events that tackle a variety of timely themes (trauma, recovery, identity, rebirth) and deeper engagement with new communities of artists and audiences.
• In a desire to build better relationships with artists and audiences in the disability community, NYSX is working to expand our accessibility tools and integrate a more holistically accessible approach into the planning of our events (both virtual and in-person).
• THE WINTER'S TALE - LIVE, in PERSON THEATER!!! planned for late summer/early fall - will mark NYSX's first outdoor production!  We can't wait to gather again - while staying safe - at an NYC park (or two) later this year.

If you believe in the work we're doing, I hope you'll join our community of donors and help make 2021 the first step on the way to a much brighter future.

Thanks and Thanks and ever Thanks,

Sarah