(Photo by Jimmy Abraham)
Brickell-based City Theatre presented its Short Cuts educational middle school tour to a packed auditorium of excited students on Thursday, Mar. 31, at South Miami Middle Community School.
Special guests Miami-Dade County Public Schools superintendent Alberto Carvalho, School Board member Mari Tere Rojas (District 6) and Performing Arts district supervisor William C. Reaney also were in attendance to enjoy the popular anti-bullying and self-respect program alongside students.
Short Cuts is an entertaining and theatrical outreach program comprised of age and theme-appropriate short 10-minute plays performed annually for thousands of young audiences. City Theatre’s touring production features young, diverse actors in commissioned, original short plays that deal with issues that are impacting children today, including combatting bullying, developing self-respect and strategies for overcoming obstacles.
Short Cuts began touring throughout Miami-Dade County public and private schools, camps, and inner-city community venues in January 2017 and has been extended through April. It is portable theater that can be performed in auditoriums, classrooms, black box theaters and even outside courtyards.
Directed by Jessica Farr, the Short Cuts cast features Clay Cartland, Diana Garle, Chasity Hart, Cherise James and Dom Smith. Specific topics on the tour this year include racial tension, immigration, ADHD, peer pressure and ethical dilemmas.
City Theatre has commissioned four women playwrights with South Florida roots to write original plays for its middle school Short Cuts 2017 tour. These four playwrights capture Miami’s diverse experiences and cultures to reflect, impact, entertain and teach the young audiences on the tour. The lineup includes The Aftershock by France-Luce Benson, FREE-K by Vanessa Garcia, No New Friends by Jessica Farr and Wrigley’s by Mary Sansone. All of the plays have been vetted by members of the Miami-Dade County School Board.
For more information about the tour presentation, and to book a performance at a school, community center or other venue, contact Jessica Farr at jessica@citytheatre.com or call 305-755.9401. For more information on City Theatre, visit www.citytheatre.com.
