Opening the Stage: How Opening Act Helps New York City Students Find Their Voice

Playbill has partnered with Inspired to create and amplify stories of inspiration that advocate for access to arts and cultural experiences for young people across the country. The following article is written by the team at Situation Project and adapted from their online publication Inspired. Click here to learn more.

In classrooms and rehearsal spaces across New York City, a quiet but powerful transformation is taking place. Students who may have never imagined themselves on a stage are discovering the thrill of creating something together. A shy idea becomes a scene. A group of strangers becomes an ensemble. A spark becomes a voice.

For more than 25 years, Opening Act has partnered with New York City public schools to provide free, high-quality theatre programming in communities where arts education is often under-resourced. Their approach is rooted in a simple but radical idea: young people are not just participants in the arts, they are creators.

“Our programs always place student voice at the center of the creative process,” Matthew Greene, the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications, explains. “Through improvisation and devising, students create truly original pieces of theatre built from their own experiences, questions, and imagination.”

At a moment when many schools are stretched thin and arts programs are often the first to disappear, those spaces matter more than ever.

“What feels most urgent right now is that students need spaces where their voices matter,” Greene shares. “Theatre gives young people a place to show up as themselves, take risks, collaborate, and explore ideas together.”

Theatre Beyond the Stage

While Opening Act’s work culminates in performances, the impact reaches far beyond the stage.

Research consistently shows that arts participation builds social-emotional and professional skills, from collaboration and communication to empathy and creative problem-solving. But Opening Act sees the transformation in a more personal way: in the communities students build together.

“In many of our programs, students describe rehearsal as a place where they feel supported and heard,” Greene explains. “They learn to listen to one another, build on each other’s ideas, and take creative risks in a space that values curiosity and experimentation.”

For many students, that experience can shape how they see themselves, not just as performers, but as storytellers, collaborators, and leaders.

A New Artistic Pathway

This spring marks an exciting new chapter with the inaugural production of the Opening Act Youth Company, an ensemble designed to deepen the artistic journey for students who want to continue growing in theatre.

Many young people first discover Opening Act through school-based programs in middle or high school. The Youth Company offers a next step: a citywide ensemble where students can develop their craft alongside peers who share the same creative drive.

“For a young person interested in deepening their experience in the arts, opportunities are often limited or cost-prohibitive,” Greene explains. “We wanted to create a space that challenges these young artists while giving them the support to rise to that challenge.”

The ensemble’s first production, GORGONE, is a devised original work that reimagines the Medusa myth for the modern world. Blending elements of Greek mythology with contemporary themes—from the pressures of the beauty industry to the commodification of bodies in late-stage capitalism—the piece is bold, surprising, and unmistakably the product of its young creators.

That work will culminate in a special benefit performance on April 12 at Theatre Row, alongside a sponsor reception and brunch celebrating 25 years of Opening Act’s impact, bringing together supporters, families, and the broader community around this next generation of artists.

“It's something that could only have grown out of this particular ensemble at this moment,” Greene says.

The Power of “Yes, And”

Perhaps the most remarkable transformation happens gradually, rehearsal by rehearsal.

Students often arrive unsure of themselves. Some hesitate to speak. Others are nervous to perform. But over time, something shifts.

“The world can be quick to tell young people ‘no,’” Greene reflects. “It can be transformative to step into a space where they hear ‘yes.’ Or more accurately: ‘yes, and.’”

That phrase, a cornerstone of improvisation, becomes a guiding principle. Students build on each other’s ideas. They support one another’s risks. They discover that creativity thrives in collaboration.

Sometimes the most powerful moments happen long before opening night: a quiet student suddenly jumping into an improv scene, or a group building an idea that none of them could have imagined alone.

By the time students step on stage, the transformation is often unmistakable.

Families and teachers see it immediately. A student who once hesitated to speak is suddenly leading a scene. Another delivers a monologue they helped write themselves. Laughter fills the room.

And every rehearsal ends the same way. The ensemble gathers in a circle and shares a simple affirmation with one another:

“I’ve got your back.”

Writing the Next Chapter

Looking ahead, Opening Act is focused on expanding those pathways, ensuring students can stay connected to theatre, creativity, and one another over time.

The Youth Company is just one step in that vision. What excites the team most, though, is something even larger: the futures their students are already beginning to write.

“We think about the future of this work in terms of the individual students we serve,” Greene says. “The members of the Youth Company have bright, vibrant futures ahead of them, and we’re honored to play a small part in helping them write those stories.”

Across New York City, in classrooms and rehearsal rooms alike, those stories are already unfolding, one scene, one idea, and one brave “yes, and” at a time.

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