Where theatre connects community

The Actors Theatre Workshop
The Actors Theatre Workshop (ATW) is an award-winning, non-profit community theatre in NYC and educational institution that expands our collective and individual potential through drama. Our performing arts programs and diverse educational theater initiatives explore life’s deepest struggles and inspire personal and societal transformation.
No individual challenge is too personal, no topic is taboo, and no struggle is too overwhelming (although they may be very, very difficult). ATW’s techniques explore our shared humanity and use theater and acting as transformative tools for self-discovery, self-belief, and personal fulfillment. We offer volunteer theater opportunities in NYC that make a real difference in people's lives. Join us and discover how community theatre in NYC builds empathy and change

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Put Creativity on Your Calendar

Help set up The Actors Theatre Workshop (ATW) in preparation for our Spring performing arts program for children living in temporary housing! Prepare the facility for our weekly classes of Builders of the New World, ATW’s award-winning after-school theater-arts education program, which has been serving homeless and at-risk youth living in NYC’s temporary housing facilities since 1995. After the class, help serve hot, nutritious food to the children. To sign-up for this event, please RSVP here: https://bit.ly/BNWVolunteer

When:

  • Tuesday, 5/27, 6/3, 6/10, 6/17 from 2:00pm-6:00pm
  • Saturday, 6/14, 6/21 from 1:00pm-4:30pm

What you will do:

  • Do light cleaning – sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, cleaning windows and other surfaces, picking up and disposing of odd-shaped or odd-textured items that cannot be swept or vacuumed. Cleaning products used: Windex, Dirtex, Pine-Sol, Endust/Pledge, Goo Gone, and other similar products with different brand names.
  • Hang the children’s artwork around the space.
  • Creating marketing material to promote the program.
  • Complete administrative tasks in support of the program.
  • Prepare for, and serve nutritious meals.
  • Help us clean and organize after the food service is complete. Specific tasks may include plate pickup and disposal, trash removal, washing dishes, table breakdown, left-over food packaging, and light general cleaning.
  • Light lifting and climbing on a ladder or step stool is required for much of this work. We have 10’ ceilings and therefore use 6’ – 8’ ladders to hang artwork in the theatre.

Other possible tasks

  • For volunteers comfortable using tools: small repairs include tightening screws, using a hammer and nails or a staple gun to fasten items.
  • Inventorying supplies that are on-site that will be used during the children’s classes.
  • Purchasing supplies, if we run out, or picking up purchased or donated supplies. (ATW will provide funds for this.)

Other important info:

  • The day’s events will be videotaped & photographed for our program documentation and communication purposes. Volunteers must be comfortable with this. We will distribute Video Releases to each volunteer when they arrive to review and sign.
  • Participants must dress comfortably: sneakers / flat shoes and clothes they can move around in.
  • Due to the popularity of these events, participants who sign-up should arrive PROMPTLY and stay for the whole event.
  • Participants will be split into smaller groups to complete the overall. Please bring a can-do attitude to the work for the day!

Get Inspired

Put Creativity on Your Calendar

Join us and learn how to tell your story through the creative process!

 

My Immigrant Life Story is a five-week creative writing and performance program for immigrants and their descendants to share and celebrate their journeys, struggles and insights, through drama and the creative process.

Schedule:

Wednesdays, 6:00 – 9:00pm

  • May 28th
  • June 4th
  • June 11th
  • June 18th
  • June 25th

 

Final Presentation: Monday, June 30th, 6:00 – 9:30pm

*For accepted program participants only*

If you’re interested in participating in this free program, apply by May 21st.

Get Inspired

Put Creativity on Your Calendar

Help make a difference for children in temporary housing today!

Now in its 30th year, The Builders of the New World program provides arts and civic education to children living in temporary housing facilities. Volunteers make this program possible, supporting vital tasks like setting up the space, supporting the program administration, and serving food to the children during their classes.

If you would like to assist in any of these areas, RSVP today. Thank you for your commitment to this program!

Get Involved

ATW’s creative innovation in drama, acting, and theatre education transforms lives and communities through award-winning programs and productions, led by Artistic Director and Founder Thurman E. Scott.

By liberating the talents of people from all walks of life—from homeless children to formerly incarcerated individuals to the educationally and economically privileged—ATW fosters empathetic and resilient communities through theatre. Over 10,000 individuals have benefited from our work. Join us and be part of transformative theater experiences.

Join Us

In order to make the crucial contact which makes learning, teaching and the exchange of ideas possible, the teacher or facilitator must understand the background of each child. He must understand that every member of society feels validated in some places and invalidated in others.

-Thurman E. Scott

Rent Our Space

Looking for a unique theatre rental space in NYC? The Actors Theatre Workshop offers 5,000 sq. ft. of creative space for performances, workshops, auditions, and video shoots, including a 65 seat blackbox theater, three rehearsal studios, a meeting room, kitchen, and offices. Your rental directly supports our non-profit theater education programs.

Learn More

The programs of The Actors Theatre Workshop are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and by public funds from the New York City Department Of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

The Actors Theatre Workshop is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax exempt organization. EIN: 13-3593882
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