mainstages staff and kids in costumes posing after performance

About Us

Mainstages is an interactive educational theater company for children. Throughout the year we implement afterschool programs, tour with interactive performances, game shows and lead creative birthday parties. Over the summer we run theater classes and produce shows at both sleepaway and day camps across the nation. We provide all the tools for impactful theatrical experiences from our dynamic staff, culturally inclusive programming, innovative activities, costumes, sets, fun giveaways and ongoing support for every member of our community. We ensure you and your children will have a successful experience and are driven by the values that make the performing arts an integral component of education.

Mission Statement

mainstages is an educational theater company committed to the growth of children through creative programming and performances. We are driven by the values that make the performing arts an integral component of education and we aim to create a safe space for children to take risks and grow as individuals. We seek to build a framework with our partner organizations to incorporate their central values to lift up the visibility and impact of the performing arts while allowing students to think outside of the box and grow. Fun and celebration are key to our mission. We take on big topics and embrace and celebrate our differences, while always emphasizing collaboration and enjoyment. Overall, we use theatrical programming and entertainment to educate and prepare well-rounded youth for leadership in tomorrow’s world.

Community Commitment

Accountability, Responsibility and Community. These words are vital to mainstages creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. We hold ourselves accountable for the harms we’ve caused and honor that our country was built on the systematic oppression of marginalized communities. It is our responsibility as educators and artists to dismantle that oppression and uplift these communities. To allow space for people of all identities to feel safe and confident in sharing their culture and experiences. This is why we have added to our team a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator to revise and publish our values, Mission Statement, and instill anti-bias practices to embed equity throughout our organization.

OUR COMMITMENTS:

Mainstages has taken an assessment of our practices and through conversations with our BIPOC community have cultivated commitments for us to move forward. We’ve made these commitments as stepping stones to creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community. As our outreach and community of BIPOC, people of all genders, abilities and backgrounds expand so will these commitments. We will continually hold ourselves accountable, listen, learn and grow with our partners and collaborators.

We are committed to an anti-oppressive infrastructure:

Institute mandatory anti-racism, conflict resolutions and accountability training for staff, teaching artists and performers. We are both developing a customized learning and participating in external training programs that take into account our need to assume responsibility for any caused harm and give us the skills we need to become anti-biased practitioners.
Employ staff, create programming and performances, and cultivate communities that reflect the demographics of NYC, fostering an environment that welcomes all individuals.
Create and publish an equitable and transparent structure for compensation and job descriptions to ensure consistency.
Review and revise existing institutional materials and provide support through a DEI staff lens and establish an ongoing process for the future.
Continue the usage of pronouns in email signature and other communication.
Evaluate and, if necessary, expand the current external system for efficacy in reporting DEI violations.
Staff are required to sign a Staff Solidarity Agreement outlining our DEI standards.
Provide staff and partnered programs with our Inclusive Language Guide and Culturally Responsive Guide.

We are committed to creating a diverse and equitable environment for our staff.

Create ongoing space for our staff and community to identify, discuss, and address mainstages’ history of and continued relationships with marginalized communities.
Promote an equitable interview process for new hires, including streamlined questions for all candidates, reframing job descriptions using competencies rather than “check boxes,” and removing degree requirements unless absolutely necessary.
Publishing salary ranges, removing years of experience and educational attainment requirements, broadening the network of people and places with whom we share job postings.
Create personal development opportunities and ongoing learnings for staff to have tools to navigate surviving racism, white supremacy, and microaggressions.
Through annual surveys and exit interviews, continually seek employee feedback on organizational culture, individual needs/accommodations and EDI progress.

We are committed to uplifting diverse cultures and creating accessible content:

Rethink the way we produce work, create a transparent framework, and establish shared agreements with our staff.
Undertake a comprehensive and separate marketing and audience-development strategy to target diverse races/ethnicities, ages, physical abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds. Hiring paid specialists and consultants when identities are not represented by our team members.
Curate special performances and programming that both celebrates and educates on various cultures, genders, disabilities and backgrounds.
We commit to exploring and implementing facilitated methods of restorative justice for those who have been impacted by prior incidents with members of the community.

We are committed to holding ourselves and clients accountable:

Develop relationships with local NYC Indigenous communities in an effort to collaborate and make amends for past and present harms.
Have all our affiliates adhere to our Solidarity Agreement which uphold mainstages’ standards of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Build relationships with new community-partner organizations over the next five years so we may create a shared diverse community of performers and teaching artists.

CORE VALUES

Improvisation

Improvisation is the act of creating something that is unplanned and utilizes the space around you as inspiration. At the essence of improv is the term “yes, and.” This acknowledges and affirms what a participant has offered and invites others to expand that line of thinking. We use innovation and flexibility to educate children on how to adapt to life’s challenges with creativity and positivity.

What you will see:

We will BE LIVE , engaging, and supporting participants in-the-moment, without pre-recording.
We will encourage children to be flexible in their mindset by actively listening, believing and thoughtfully responding to those whose experiences are different from their own.
We will mindfully change and adapt so that we can be culturally responsive and inclusive of all participants' abilities. We keep our subject matter flexible and ever-evolving.
We will focus segments on mental dexterity , using riddles, puzzles , and cerebral methods of problem-solving

CONNECTION

We bring groups together in a way that focuses on similarities while celebrating our differences. We tap into the universal experiences that lift us up and allow space for unique perspectives when we are together. We think of it like the applause that comes at the end of the show - a palpable sense of celebration that comes from the recognition of egroup collaboration.

What you will see:

We will rally around our achievements and milestones, focusing on expressing our joy.
We will encourage children to celebrate their differences and similarities alike, encouraging them to see the full spectrum of what makes humanity beautiful.
We will work to spotlight and give individual attention to participants , including small touches like using names and remembering special occasions .
We will keep pricing low and continue our outreach to underserved communities offering access to shows and programs for all in need.

CHARACTER

We strive to challenge children to discover and explore distinct qualities about themselves and others. We build upon our connections to others to develop characters. How you respond when your back's up against the wall is what defines you. We look inside ourselves and summon the inner strength that comes from accessing our emotions. For kids, that means checking in often and communicating our feelings in a way that allows us to be more present.

What you will see:

We will actively listen to each other, creating an atmosphere that encourages self-pride and open sharing.
We will be diligent in making sure our programs and performances provide a secure, safe space for all of our students, especially those students who are a part of marginalized communities.
We will work to ensure that the members of our community - including our employees, teaching artists and performers - are trained on ways we can combat implicit bias and create a more inclusive environment.
We will implement themes that are relevant, including topics of physical and mental health , racism , and gender identity.
We will provide a secure, safe space , recognizing the vulnerabilities presented by virtual engagement.

IMAGINATION

Theater has always offered the opportunity to escape reality and see the world from a different perspective. We want to transport people from the present to an idyllic world of new adventures and opportunities. Our innovative and adaptive nature allows us to continuously evolve and explore the possibilities.

What you will see:

We will push the boundaries of remote learning , leveraging technology to create a highly-produced, professional experience .
We will step out of our comfort zones, and remain open to seeing new points of view.
We will utilize the imagination as a tool to encourage empathy in the children who participate in our programs and performances.
We will delve into imaginative play and explore larger-than-ever ideas, characters, settings, and scenarios.
We will step outside of the ordinary to maintain an infinite perspective, emphasizing the big picture, and focusing on the optimistic future that still lies ahead.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Mainstages is working to learn more and strengthen our relationships with members of our local community, and dismantle the harmful effects of white supremacy and colonization. Our first step is acknowledging that our administrative offices and our partnered schools, organizations, and camps are located on the unceded land of the several indigeonous tribes. We acknowledge the Munsee Lenape , Matinecock , Schaghticoke , and Canarsie people as the original caretakers of Mainstages’ land. We pay our respects to these indigenious communities, honor the harm and destruction colonizers have caused and work towards a harmonious relationship between the indigenous people and the descended immigrants of this land.

We also acknowledge that Mainstages occupies a virtual space utilizing the internet and other technologies that are not as readily available or accessible in present day indigenous communities.

This acknowledgement is the beginning of our awareness, education and building our community with the indigenous community. We must honor and learn from our past to create a respectful and inclusive future.