Epic NEXT

The artists of Epic Theatre Ensemble believe that theatre is an art form that is uniquely capable of fostering social change, because it encourages empathy, provides opportunities for deep collaboration, and promotes the understanding and appreciation of multiple points of view. Every summer the teen artists from Epic NEXT, our youth leadership and development program, create a 30 minute touring theatre piece about a specific aspect of education policy. Our previous Epic NEXT touring shows include 10467 (which focused on educational equity and toured to the New York State Legislature in Albany, the AERA conference in Washington D.C., and the National Theatre of Scotland's Youth Exchange in Stirling, Scotland) and Laundry City (an exploration of educational segregation which has performed throughout New York City as well as Albany, Washington D.C., and at the AERA conference in San Antonio). Our latest piece, Building Blocks: Colorful Minds uses theatre, dance, movement, and stand-up comedy to examine how Science, Technology, Engineering and Math are taught in Public Schools and the impact this pedagogy is having on diversity in the STEM workforce.