One of our main goals at West Coast Ensemble Theatre is the cultivation of the audiences of tomorrow.  Families-At-Play is a city and county funded project focused on involving intergenerational family members in the theatre experience through the presentation of free performances, pay-what-you-can preview performances, Sunday talkbacks and interactive workshops. A collaboration between West Coast Ensemble, local libraries and literacy organizations, the Families-At-Play program is aimed at filling the theater with family members for whom the theater may be a new and exciting collective activity.

Specific goals of Families-At-Play are:

• To serve an underserved population with an activity that is an alternative to movies, television and the Internet
• To encourage family members to communicate through a shared experience
• To sharpen young people's literacy skills and knowledge of a historical period-based theatrical work
• To network schools, libraries, community groups and arts organizations with the goal of helping families participate in activities together

As part of the Families-At-Play program, West Coast Ensemble has produced critically heralded productions of To Kill A Mockingbird , The Grapes of Wrath and The Diary of Anne Frank.                        

 

"We were all entertained and moved, and the Q&A following was an unbelievable experience for my students. Thank you to the actors for their patience and your entire company for this wonderful experience. I wish this play could happen every year."

                                                -- Craig Michael, Edgewood Middle School