Stories
Everything you need to know about Storycatchers.
Welcome to our blog. Our newsfeed. Our point of view on everything that’s important to what we do. Scroll through to find something that interests you.
Notes from Summer at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center
In August, 20203 we spoke with one of our newest staff members working with the Temporary LockDown Ensemble at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. Ivan Ramos, the Artistic Lead, shared some...
DONOR SPOTLIGHT – JANICE L. FEINBERG
Storycatchers first met Janice in 2017, when she decided to attend the Benefit Brunch & Performance at The Casino that year. She has been a good friend and generous supporter ever since. In...
Motivated, empowered, optimistic
A message from Lee Peters, Director of Arts Education ProgramsWelcome to a new year at Storycatchers Theatre! As a new member of the team, I figure this is a perfect time to introduce myself and...
Changing Voices Reflects on GSU’s Red Summer Performance
In September, the Changing Voices ensemble traveled to Governors State University to watch the Red Summer musical. It was a special opportunity not only because it offered a unique exploration into...
Smiling Behind the Sun: An Interview with Zarria Alexander
Originally published in Sixty Inches from Center by Michael Fischer A discussion diving into the prison industrial complex, poetry as a means of healing, and speaking out about injustice. Libyans...
Behind the Music of Life’s Game
The youth of Firewriters Ensemble of the Illinois Youth Center - Chicago are eager to share their stories and artwork with audiences again. "Life's Game" will be open to the public for two...
Word Warriors Rally Together
Before our recent Word Warriors staged reading, a youth ensemble member asked to give a welcome speech to the audience. It had been a hectic week, with several youth authors released from the...
Support Black Futures – Shop with Storycatchers
Storycatchers staff and youth compiled a list of 28+ Black-owned businesses that value representation and community. We’re celebrating brick and mortar options for Chicago locals and great online shops for our out-of-town followers.
An Afternoon of ‘Storycatchers Firsts’ at Warrenville
Seventeen months into my time at Storycatchers and I finally attended a live performance by the Word Warriors at the Illinois Youth Center - Warrenville. I entered the facility for the first time...
History in the Making.
To celebrate Meade Palidofsky’s legacy is to admire and uphold the imagination, faith, persistence, and transformation she continuously bestows on Storycatchers Theatre young people, alumni, and...
Donor Spotlight – Susan Bass Noel
Susan has been a close friend to Storycatchers since 2010, when she attended one of our performances at the Illinois Youth Center in Warrenville. She recalls being impressed by our partnership with...
40+ Simple Ways You, Your Families, and Your Friends Can Support BLM
George Floyd. Keep saying his name. We have experienced too much loss, too much rage, and too much anxiety in the past year. And it’s just simply the truth that individuals like Breonna Taylor,...
A Time of Evolution for Storycatchers Theatre
A Message from our founder Meade Palidofsky Dear Storycatchers friends and colleagues - I hope this message finds you well. Since 1984, when I founded Storycatchers Theatre, we have developed a...
For the Love of Money: 4 Ways to Build Generational Wealth to Make the Black Community Proud
I am Jazmine Clark, a native of Chicago’s Englewood community and on staff with Storycatchers as the Executive Assistant and Recruitment Associate for Changing Voices. I took an interest in working...
Let’s Celebrate Illinois’ “Controversial” Criminal Justice Reform Bill
As a result of consistent and compelling lobbying by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, Governor J.B. Pritzker has the history-making task of signing a criminal justice reform bill into law...
Storycatchers’ Secret to Preparing Young, First-Time Voters
The 2020 Presidential Election is the opportunity for the young people we work with to gain another critical life skill – participating in our democracy. The Storycatchers Changing Voices ensemble...
Incarcerated Youth/Arts-Based Nonprofit Debuts Anthem [PRESS RELEASE]
Media Contact: Elizia Artis, Community Engagement Manager elizia@storycatcherstheatre.org | 408.390.0135 544 W. Oak Street, #1005 Chicago, IL 60610 Chicago, IL - In partnership with...
The Inspiration Behind YOU CAN’T KILL OUR SONG
We all felt the pain when through the window of our media, we watched a white policeman push his knee into George Floyd's neck, for an eternity. And we realized we were witnessing a murder by the...