Seventeen months into my time at Storycatchers and I finally attended a live performance at Maya Angelou Alternative High School at Illinois Youth Center – Warrenville. Beyond halls decorated with public health reminders and youth-made Black Lives Matter protest signs was the library, carefully adorned with pipe and drapes to create a formal stage. I […]
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 the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which integrated singers and musicians into productions there. And she was profoundly affected by the young performers. “I remember […]
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 powerful practice of working with young people in the juvenile justice system to create and perform musicals inspired by their stories. Even in this […]
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 with our Changing Voices Ensemble to tackle the problem of financial freedom and build generational wealth in Black and brown communities. Overcoming a Common […]
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 that, among many changes, will: Eliminate the cash bail system statewide Mandate accurate reporting and accountability for all deaths in custody Require police officers to intervene when […]
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 is gearing up to be the newest generation of voters. Voting for the first time can be daunting, so this year we’re taking the lead […]