Events

The International Theatre & Literacy Project Annual Gala 2011

December 2011 – Against the backdrop of the beautiful Judson Memorial Church in New York City, ITLP welcomed past and present teaching artists, partners, supporters, friends and family for their 7th Annual Gala on December 4, to celebrate the success of the 2011 Playwriting Workshops in Rwanda and Tanzania and announce exciting new projects for 2012.

Featuring special Broadway guests, distinguished speakers, films from the 2011 programs, and a silent auction with sumptuous items from around the world, it was a night to remember.

ITLP co-founders Marianna Houston (Executive Director) and Stephen DiMenna (Chairman of the Board) warmly welcomed the guests and reminded them of ITLP’s mission: to empower the youth in developing countries through the use of theatre.

The importance of ITLP’s work shone through the speakers’ testimonies. While ITLP may not deliver medicine or food to developing countries, the work advances development in another way: by nourishing the souls of children and helping them build their futures.

Tupochele Mtila (pictured with Marianna) from Malawi, the African Women Public Service Fellow at NYU and a young leader dedicated to Africa's future, affirmed the need for youth empowerment, for fostering creativity and innovation – and for building English skills as a basis for higher education.

Anne Heyman, founder of the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda (which ITLP visited in 2011), emphasized the importance of ITLP’s workshops in teaching children creativity and independent thinking “in a country in which terrible things happened when people unquestioningly followed orders.”

The evening was also a celebration of the beauty and joy that ITLP’s students and teaching artists experience together.

ITLP Program Directors Didi Goldenhar (Rwanda 2011) and Rebecca Blumhagen (Tanzania 2011) spoke passionately about the children and their experiences. The films from the summer residencies, ITLP in Rwanda 2011 at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village and The Sky is so Far from the Land (about ITLP in Tanzania), conveyed even more powerfully, through the voices of the students themselves, the need for theatre arts, storytelling and the power of discovering individual voice for the human spirit.

Young voices also rang clear when two Broadway stars, Eden Duncan-Smith and Alphonso Jones, who recently played young Nala and young Simba in The Lion King, sang “Just Can't Wait to be King.” As ITLP’s Stephen DiMenna explained, “No show in Broadway history has been able to reflect the splendor of Africa to an American audience greater than The Lion King… and no song better captures the ever-growing courage, fearlessness, and hope of our kids.”

In asking for the continued support of the Gala guests, Stephen summarized ITLP’s achievements to date: “Since 2005, ITLP has not only given 500 students an opportunity to write their own story; but also provided them hot lunches during the length of their workshops. Through your donations, we have been able to award scholarships to every ITLP graduate. With your generous help, we have been able to donate $500 for textbooks to every school we've worked with.”

Looking to the future, Marianna announced plans to not only return to Rwanda and Tanzania in 2012, but to accept invitations from Bhutan, India and South Africa, and hopefully serve 150 students through next year's programs, classes and teacher-centered professional development workshops – with the help of everyone’s donations.

Board Member Emeritus Mary Hedahl joined the ITLP team in their request for support. “Asante Sana means thank you in Swahili. And so, from our hearts to yours we say ASANTE SANA!”

 We could not do this incredible work without the generous contributions from our friends and supporters. Thank you for being an integral part of the ITLP family. If you were not able to make it to our event this year please consider supporting ITLP with a donation.

 

Past events

ITLP Annual Gala 2010

 

November 2010 - The 2010 ITLP Annual Gala celebrated this year's Playwriting Workshops in Tanzania and Bali and was a HUGE success! The event took place at the Judson Memorial Church, a historical and beautiful space in New York City's Greenwich village.

The 2010 ITLP Documentary Film gave attendees a glimpse of the work ITLP does in Tanzania, profiling the students and teachers involved in creating and performing live theatre. Mama Tesha, the Headmistress of St. Margaret's Academy in Arusha Tanzania, spoke powerfully about the collaboration between her school and ITLP's work in Tanzania.

We were also honored to have a surprise guest performance by Carlos Fittante, a talented modern dancer who performed a Balinese dance for the energetic crowd. Carlos joined us as a guest artist when the ITLP team travelled to Bali, Indonesia this summer. ITLP Teaching Artists Sarah Bever and Rebecca Blumhagen also spoke to the audience about their unique ITLP experiences working with students in Africa.

This quote from an attendee sums up the spirit of the night:

"Congratulations on an evening filled with warmth, life, connections, generosity and hope. Everyone spoke so beautifully on why ITLP is so important, vital, and effective. And of course, the movie - touching, beautiful, vibrant, deep, soft, and generous. I not only got a feel for the work, but how intimately it was entwined with the lives and experiences that would mold these young souls. I loved meeting and hearing Mama Tesha and her perspective on the work. It was so great to have her there. I hope the attendees were as moved as I was, and showed it with their support!"

If you we unable to attend our November event, but would like to make a tax-deductible donation to ITLP, please consider making a donation online.