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New York, New York - It is TDF’s belief that future audiences are built by engaging students, first-hand, in the vital and exciting activity of the creative process, as well as providing opportunities to see live performances of great theatre. To that end, 900 New York City high school students from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and The Bronx who are participating in TDF’s STAGE DOORS and RESIDENCY ARTS PROJECT (RAP) PROGRAMS will be attending August Wilson’s RADIO GOLF on Wednesday, May 16 at 2pm at the Cort Theatre.

“We’re thrilled to have nearly the entire theatre for our students,” said TDF education director, Marianna Houston. “Our experience over the years is that August Wilson’s plays have, without exception, spoken to NYC students on a deep, emotional level. These are teenagers who have mostly never been to the theatre and this will be the perfect welcome for them.”

TDF’s STAGE DOORS is a project-based arts education program that provides middle and high school students with a meaningful introduction to live theatre.  Each participating class attends a Broadway or Off Broadway performance and participates in eight in-class workshops: four workshops conducted by a TDF teaching artist and the other four conducted by the classroom teacher.  The workshops engage students in discussion, writing, reading and improvisation to prepare them for their experience at the theatre. This program is offered at no cost to the school or students. Over 40,000 students have been through TDF’s STAGE DOORS.

TDF’s RESIDENCY ARTS PROJECT (RAP) is an intensive playwriting program. It was created in response to the need for curriculum-based arts programming, and introduces the craft of playwriting to young people who have little or no prior exposure to theatre. The project consists of a series of workshops led by a TDF teaching artist, using professional productions as models for student work. The teaching artist and classroom teacher collaborate to develop a sequence of workshops that best serve their students. Over 5,000 students have been through TDF’s RESIDENCY ARTS PROJECT.

The 900 students who will see RADIO GOLF through TDF’s programs are from the Manhattan schools: Bayard Rustin Educational Complex, Beacon High School, Essex Street Academy, Independence High School, OES: Phase Piggyback, Professional Performing Arts School, Talent Unlimited High School and Washington Irving High School; the Brooklyn schools: High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology, New York Harbor School, Teachers Preparatory School and William E. Grady High School; the Bronx schools: High School for Contemporary Arts and Marble Hill High School; and Richmond Hill High School in Queens.

RADIO GOLF is August Wilson’s most contemporary play.  The tenth and final work in two-time Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright Wilson’s historic decade-by-decade portrait of 20th Century African-American is directed by Kenny Leon and stars Harry Lennix and Tony Award winner and Olivier Award nominee Tonya Pinkins. Set in 1997 in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, RADIO GOLF could be ripped from today’s headlines, as Harmond Wilks (Lennix), a charming and powerful African-American politician, is running for the highest office of his career, with the loving support of his savvy wife, Mame (Pinkins). As Harmond steps into political prominence, the past is just a few steps behind him … and gaining fast.

For more about TDF’s Arts Education programs to go:  www.tdf.org.

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