Monthly Mash-up for May, 2018 Visting Broadway Stage Doors and Keens Teens

Me - My topic for this month is visiting stage doors. I love going to the stage door after I see a Broadway show and getting my playbill signed! I have been to the stage doors for the following shows: Aladdin, On Your Feet, Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,  Ground Hog Day, Bandstand, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Escape to Margaritaville, The Band's Visit and Hello Dolly. When I went to the Hello Dolly stage door, Gavin Creel introduced himself to me and asked me my name. That was so nice! When I met my Mom and sister after they saw Carousel and went to the stage door. One of the cast members asked me if it was my first show. When I said "No." She asked how many shows I've seen when I said "28". She looked at me in shock. It was so funny! Of course, it was also funny because I hadn't actually seen Carousel, I was just meeting my Mom and my sister there. Over all, visiting stage doors is a,ways a really fun experience.

I was given a free ticket to Keens Teens for Review purposes. Any and all opinions here are my own.

Mom - My topic for this month is Keens Teens. The Keen Theater Company has a unique program that serves to improve the quality of plays for teens while simultaneously teaching teens about theater. Each year, three new one act plays for teens are selected and 40 teens with diverse backgrounds representing all five boroughs of New York City are chosen to participate in the program. The program is free but an audition is required to get in. The teens get the opportunity to learn about the theater and how a play is produced. They also have the opportunity to put on and act in a production at the end of the program.

The three plays commissioned for the program are diverse as well.  This years there was a comedy, a drama, and a musical. The comedy, Winifred & Myrtle Go to High School, by Leah Nanako Winkler was about a couple of elderly women who were magical transformed back into 15 year olds. The drama, Around 2, by James Anthony Tyler was about divisivness between students on opposites of the political spectrum. The musical, The Caribbean Queen, was abou a girl on a family cruise who magically meets a group of pirates.

All three shows were very entertaining. The talent of the teens performing in the show was incredible. Holiday Senquiz and Josi Oz who played the older Winifred and Myrtle in the first show were especially impressive. Their performances truly captured what it is like to be elderly right down to their tinest movements. All in all, attending these shows was a delightful experience that I would recommend. I can't wait to have the opportunity to attend next year's Teens Keens performances.

For more about Keens Teens, visit http://www.keencompany.org/teens

And that's our view. What's on your mind?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Photo note: All Keens Teens photos are from last year's performances.
                    Photos from this year were unavailable.