Session A2. Literature at Play: Using Children’s Books to Explore Topics of Identity through Theater

Presenters:
Madeline Calandrillo, Director of Education and Public Engagement, New York City Children’s Theater
Frank Ruiz, Manager of Education Programs, New York City Children’s Theater
Remy Feldman, Education Administrator/Teaching Artist, New York City Children’s Theater 

This session explores how theater can serve as a powerful vehicle for meaning-making by engaging students with banned and challenged children’s books through embodied, creative practice. Building from New York City Children’s Theater’s Literature at Play model, teaching artists guide participants through theater and songwriting exercises that transform these texts into original musical adaptations. The process is deeply participant-centered, empowering students to become co-authors and co-creators as they explore character, conflict, and theme through improvisation, movement, and collaborative storytelling. Through role play and “aesthetic distance,” students can safely explore complex issues—identity, equity, belonging, and difference—by stepping into the shoes of characters whose experiences may differ from their own. This fosters empathy, critical thinking, and an expanded understanding of whose stories are valued.