WHAT IS THEATRE FOR A CHANGE?

Sveta, one of the main puppets in the plays, converses with the audience.

Theatre for a Change is Russia's first professional touring educational theater for youth whose  focus is dramatizing contemporary social issues to stimulate discussion and action.  All of the actors are leading performers with a wealth of experience who have participated in international festivals as members of the acclaimed Gorky Puppet Theater and Ratatouille.  The Theatre for a Change troupe is compised of Sergey Nuzhin (artistic director, actor, master of stage), Larissa Tryanina (Nuzhina) (Honored artist of Russia), Alexander Myasnikov (actor, master of stage), and Tatyana Tikhonova (actress, master of stage).

Using life-sized puppets as their principal medium, the company's current repertoire includes “Let's go to Berlin," a play that focuses on human trafficking, “The Enemy Within,”  a play about intolerance, and a production on HIV/AIDS issues and national minorities called "You Have a Choice," as well as "Through the Prism," a play about orphans and people with disabilities. 

"Overcoming Intolerance”, a full-color 12-page brochure, is given to each student and explains the origins of intolerance and what they can do to become more tolerant.

Like all Theatre for a Change productions, each performance takes place in actual school classrooms, not auditoriums with stages. The pre-play activity, actual performance, and post-play discussion are designed to fit within a standard 45 minute classroom period. To maximize the experience, the class size should be no more than 60 students.

Each play is designed as a catalyst to stimulate classroom discussion and ongoing exploration with teachers. In addition to the performance itself, the Theatre for a Change experience includes pre- and post-production activity — such as student questionnaires, theater games, etc., a well-written color brochure about the social issue being dramatized, and a discussion with the actors. All productions feature original music, professional costumes, lighting, sound, and set design.

 

In 2004, Theatre for a Change along with MiraMed Institute (USA) created the Volga

Advocacy Coalition, consisting of more than 20 partner non-profit organizations from Russia’s Volga Federal District.  Keeping with the Coalition’s plan, Theatre for a Change organizes and runs seminars and trainings in the Volga Federal District, as well as conferences to strengthen the role of non-profit organizations in society, and other socially meaningful activities and events.