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L to R: Michael Thanh Tran, Joshua Mayfield in Metro Theater Company’s production of Seedfolks at the Grandel Theatre. Photo by Jennifer A. Lin.
Students of Gateway MST Elementary at a Metro Theater Company, U.S. Bank Foundation, and Fresh Starts Community Garden presentation. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.
Do you remember your first experience going to the theater? The thrill of the house lights going down and the stage lighting up to reveal a whole new world? The unexpected surprise of being carried away by a story? The magic of discovering a little piece of your own story in the story unfolding on stage?
Every day MTC performs on stage, there is a young person in the audience having that very experience for the first time too. This fall, the 4th grade and 5th grade students at Gateway MST Elementary (a St. Louis Public Schools school) all shared that experience together. For nearly every student attending from the school, Seedfolks was their very first time at a live theater performance.
It is all made possible by the generosity of donors like you. Your past generosity makes it possible both for MTC to create quality programs - and for young people across our region not only to see a play, but to escape, to connect, to imagine, to dream, to hope... all through the power of theater.
For Gateway students, experiencing Seedfolks was more than benefiting from underwritten tickets. A month before the show, MTC visited the school alongside our community partner Fresh Starts Community Garden, led by Rosie Willis. Rosie shared her story of starting her community garden in a vacant lot in north St. Louis city – less than a mile from Gateway. It was a story of perseverance, hope, and, in the end, true transformation. Her story not only mirrored the story of Seedfolks, but also inspired the Gateway students with what may be possible in their own backyard. The school’s own garden had not been tended for two years of the pandemic. It was time to prepare it to flourish too.
By the time the students saw Seedfolks, seeds they had been given at the assembly were already starting to sprout – and their excitement for seeing the play was palpable. Their joyful energy even spread to the cast on stage like “a breath of fresh air,” as Production Manager Jimmy Bernatowitz said. In the Q&A that followed, nearly every hand in the theater shot up with thoughtful questions.
Young people in our region face so many challenges every day. To have a morning at the theater like this – when young people could step away from their worries to discover a story that matters and truly thrive – is one of the core reasons MTC exists.
This holiday season, would you consider making a gift to help the young people in our region who need it most? Every $50 can help make it possible for 5 students to see a Metro Theater Company performance at no cost to them or their school. Think of the magnitude of impact you can have with a gift of $100, $250, $500, or even $1,000 this holiday season! All donations are fully-tax deductible.
Thank you so much for your consideration – and have a wonderful holiday season!