Program Description

City at Peace-New York operates year long programs that bring together vastly diverse groups of youth from the five boroughs of New York City. They go through an intense year long creative process through which they write an original musical whose stories come from their lives and their ideas for a better world. They also create community action projects where they take those ideas and act on them in their city.

CP-NY currently runs three programs:

Saturday Program

Participants meet every Saturday from 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., October through late June adding weeknight and Sunday rehearsals three months prior to the premiere performances. The Saturday Cast’s premiere goes up in late April. Auditions

Tuesday/Thursday After-School Program

Participants meet two days a week from 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m in July and August. September through April, participants continue to meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school.  The After School Cast’s premiere goes up in late January. Auditions

Monday/Wednesday After-School Program for Youth in Foster Care

Participants meet two days a week from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. from March to November.  The Monday/Wednesday Cast’s premiere goes up in September. Auditions

Throughout the year, CP-NY participants work with professional artists to write, perform, and produce an original musical based on their lives and vision for positive community change. Additionally, the participants conduct community service and work on community action projects that act on that vision. The program gives young people the opportunity to enrich their lives through interaction with other teens from different backgrounds, and explore their common ground in a safe environment.

Pre-program

Because CP-NY is a youth-led program, a small group of youth is chosen from the previous year’s cast to be a part of the Production Team (PT). The PT is responsible for the leadership of the project. One month before rehearsals begin, they hire the artistic staff for the year, establish goals and objectives for the coming year, and take part in training sessions to develop their leadership abilities.  Once the program begins, the PT plans weekly rehearsal schedules with the directors, assesses the progress of the program, and communicates regularly with cast members.

Selection of Participants

A sizable group of participants are chosen during non-competitive “auditions.” These “auditions” include completing a written survey, as well as engaging in improvisation, simple dancing, and singing. Criteria for participant selection include need for the program, availability, willingness to collaborate with a diverse group of young people, and concern for the various issues facing young people today. No one is chosen on the basis of talent or ability.

Diversity and Conflict Resolution Training and Rehearsal Workshops

Using a focused diversity and violence prevention curriculum designed by specialists Paul Kivel and Alan Creighton, CP-NY combines interactive exercises with extensive discussion in order to provide a framework for participants to understand the value of diversity and analyze conflict in their own lives and communities. Youth participate in role-playing and other interactive activities that lead to formal scene development illustrating the root causes of, and potential resolutions to, these conflicts. These scenes are the basis for a full-length original musical that is presented to a broad community.

Show Outlining/Casting

The Production Team and Artistic Director construct an outline from the raw material of scenes, writings, discussions, and presentations. The outline includes several narratives – all taken from work presented by the cast – with suggestions for music and dance pieces, and is woven together inside a theatrical metaphor that represents the nature of the cast’s work together.
The Artistic Director assigns participants to the roles established in the outline. Like selection of participants, casting is based not on artistic ability, but on the needs of the cast members with respect to the issues addressed in each scene. (No cast member ever reenacts his or her own story.)

Rehearsals

The participants create, write, rehearse, and refine their performance. Each is responsible for creating his/her part in collaboration with the other scene partners. Decision-making is based on consensus and an active dialogue about the issues and messages to be presented, as well as theatrical viability. Artistic excellence is taught in all disciplines and is stressed and striven for in every aspect of the preparations.

Premiere Performances

CP-NY’s premiere performance is a significant community event where youth, parents, teachers, community leaders, and people from all walks of life gather to witness the culmination of the youths’ efforts. They experience a work of theater that uses a broad spectrum of the performing arts to articulate the reality of young people’s lives in New York City and their vision for positive change.

Community Action Projects and Peer Education

Twice during the program, participants design and execute community action projects in their communities.  Guided by a Youth Council comprised of members of each of our three casts, these dynamic projects address the concerns which are most pressing to our young people.
The Youth Council also educates participants on the history of activism by presenting the stories of effective young activists during rehearsals.  Additionally, the Youth Council provides participants with opportunities to become engaged in their communities by compiling a calendar of local activism and awareness events organized by various local organizations.

Touring, Community Outreach, and Peer Education

After the premiere, the cast tours the show to local and regional high schools, community centers, and conferences such as the ‘Get Real’ Conference at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College. The participants also create peer education workshops, participate in leadership training, and serve in many capacities as leaders of the program’s operations.
Because they take a leading role in all elements of the production, the teens develop the interpersonal, communication, analysis, and creative skills needed to foster personal and social change. Participants also continue to provide a consistent support network for conflict resolution for one another. This network provides much-needed ongoing advice and encouragement as the teens attempt to resolve new and unforeseen conflicts in their lives.

For audition Information, go to Join a CP-NY Program.