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Artists from Stomp featured in a Beyond the Curtain event
Deepening artistic understanding
“I learned that if you push yourself, you can do things you never thought you could do.” - Education & Community Programs participant, age 16
“The most valuable information my teacher gave me was to lift up and dance from my soul.” - Education & Community Programs participant, age 16

The People’s Theatre Talks
Based on STG’s Vision as The People’s Theatre, where all are welcomed and represented, The People’s Theatre Talks is a discussion series focused on race and social justice within today’s performing arts. These talks will bring experts in areas of theatre, music, dance, visual art and more to explore how the ways in which the community is being represented, misrepresented, absent, or changing on stages and in art mediums. Particular shows may be considered, but are not the focus of these timely events.
Past talks include:
Disproportionate Casting- Broadway and Beyond October 4, 2021
October 4, 2021 12:00-1:00pm PST
Disproportionate Casting- Broadway and Beyond
For this first series, Moderator Valerie Curtis Newton with speakers Pun Bandhu and Victor Vazquez will explore what casting choices are being made on Broadway. Is representation of traditionally underserved communities growing? Are casting intentions kept throughout years of touring? How is change happening?
Guest Speakers
Valarie Curtis Newton, Moderator

Valarie Curtis Newton
Currently the Head of Directing at the University of Washington School of Drama, Valerie also serves as the Founding Artistic Director for The Hansberry Project, a professional African American theatre lab.Valerie has worked with professional theatre's across the country including: The Guthrie Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Seattle Rep, Playmakers Repertory Comany, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, The Mark Taper Forum, New York Theatre Workshop, and Southern Repertory Theatre among others.
Pun Bandhu, Guest Speaker, Actor and co-founder of AAPAC

Pun Bandhu
Pun Bandhu is an award-winning Actor, Producer and Advocate. He has acted on Broadway, Off Broadway and. throughout the regions and is the recipient of a regional Henry Award and New Dramatists' Bowden Actor Award. He also received an Obie Award for his advocacy work co-founding the Asian American Performers Action Coalition which publishes The Visibility Report, an annual report on representation statistics for New York theatre. He has guest starred on numerous TV shows including NCIS: New Orleans, FBI, and recurs on Blue Bloods. He recently played John Yoo in Amazon’s The Report and can also be seen in the Oscar-nominated films Michael Clayton, Burn After Reading, and Can You Ever Forgive Me? among others. He serves on the Advisory Board for the Yale School of Drama where he received his MFA in Acting.
Victor Vazquez, Guest Speaker, Casting Director for Broadway, Film, and TV

Victor Vazquez, CSA (he/him/his) is the founder and lead Casting Director of X Casting.
Victor has held casting calls in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, the SF Bay Area, and Washington D.C.
Victor is an adjunct professor of acting for senior students in the Drama Department at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts within the New Studio on Broadway.
Previously, he taught Anti-Racist Theatre course at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama.
Victor holds a master’s degree (with distinction) from the University of Oxford in the UK. He is the proud son of Mexican immigrants; Spanish is his first language. Victor is a member of the Casting Society of America, and a 2020 Theater Communications Group (TCG) Rising Leader of Color. He lives in New York City with his partner Bryan.
Indigenous Art: The Power of Cultural Evolution November 3, 2021
November 3, 2021 12:00-1:00pm PST
Indigenous Art: The Power of Cultural Evolution
In this The People’s Theatre Talks, we will be highlighting the dynamic work that has been done by contemporary indigenous artists. We’ll also be exploring what are the misconceptions around contemporary indigenous art and artists? What is important to recognize in current turbulent times?
Guest Speakers
Randy Reinholz

Randy Reinholz
Randy Reinholz, an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is co-founder and producing artistic director, emeritus of Native Voices at the Autry. The award-winning producer, director, actor, activist, and playwright, has produced more than 30 scripts and directed over 75 plays in the United States, Australia, England, Mexico, and Canada. Off the Rails, his bawdy and irreverent adaptation of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure had its World Premiere and a sold-out run at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He is a tenured professor at San Diego State University, where he served as Head of Acting (1997–2007), Director of the School of Theatre, Television, and Film (2007–2012), and director of Community Engagement and Innovation for the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts (2012–2015). Reinholz has been honored with the Ellen Stewart Award for Career Achievement in Professional Theatre, Playwrights Arena’s Lee Melville Award, LA Drama Critics Circle Gordon Davidson Award, SDSU’s Outstanding Faculty Award, and the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission and City of Los Angeles Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Los Angeles Community.
Sandra Laronde

Sandra Laronde
A highly accomplished arts leader, creator, innovator, and influential speaker, Sandra Laronde (Misko Kizhigoo Migizii Kwe) which means “Red Sky Eagle Woman” in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibway) language, M.S.C., O.M.C., B.A. (Hon), Hon. LL.D. has over 30 years of experience in arts and culture. She is from the Teme-Augama-Anishinaabe (People of the Deep Water) in Temagami, northern Ontario and is based in Toronto.
Sandra plays a pivotal role in the ongoing Indigenous cultural resurgence in Canada. For three decades, she has created an extraordinary body of work with collaborators that has led to powerful arts experiences elevating the ecology of arts and culture in this country while strengthening an international presence. Sandra is the Executive and Artistic Director of Red Sky Performance, a leading company of contemporary Indigenous performing arts and culture in Canada and worldwide.
Sondra Segundo

Sondra Segundo
“My hope is that my artistic endeavors amplify the love, wisdom and faith of my Haida people".
Sondra Segundo is an activist, a published author, artist and composer/singer of the Haida language. She is an educator and has worked in schools and programs throughout the Northwest, teaching art and sharing her books and songs.
Sondra grew up singing both traditional Haida songs and gospel music with Elders. She released her first album, Díi Gudangáay uu Síigaay - I Can Feel the Ocean in 2018 and 2nd album, Sáandlaanaay-The First Light in 2020.
Her community activism lead her to building non-profit organization, Haida Roots, which focuses on Haida language education and preservation.
CLASSical Music & Black Artists February 24, 2022
February 24, 2022 12:00-1:00pm PST
The People's Theatre Talk: CLASSical Music & Black Artists
For Black History Month, The People’s Theatre Talk will be exploring how to compose the untold narrative of black classical musicians and what steps are needed in changing the system to open doors to more black classical music artists.
Guest Speakers
Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste

Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste
For 17 years, Black Violin has been merging string arrangements with modern beats and vocals and building bridges in communities along the way. Members Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste first met in orchestra class at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, becoming classically trained on the violin and viola through their high school and college careers. Post-college, they reconvened to produce beats for South Florida rappers, and began building an audience in local clubs. They later went on to win Showtime at the Apollo in 2005, and eventually sold out headline performances at venues across the country, including a sold out two-night headline run at The Kennedy Center in 2018. NPR took note and declared “their music will keep classical music alive for the next generation.” Black Violin’s latest release, Take the Stairs, earned a Grammy Award nomination for “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album”.
Demarre McGill

Demarre McGill
Demarre McGill has appeared with orchestras and participated in festivals around the globe. He is co-founder of Art of Élan, the Myriad Trio, and, along with clarinetist Anthony McGill and pianist Michael McHale, founded the McGill/McHale Trio.
Demarre coaches and presents master classes internationally. He is on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School, and is Associate Professor of Flute at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Now with the Seattle Symphony, Demarre previously was principal flute of the Dallas and San Diego symphonies, Florida Orchestra, and Santa Fe Opera Orchestra as well as acting principal flute of the Metropolitan Opera and the Pittsburgh Symphony.
A native of Chicago, Demarre studied there with Susan Levitin, and continued his studies at The Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School.
Dr. Carlene Brown

Dr. Carlene Brown
Carlene J. Brown, Ph.D., MT-BC is a musician, music educator, board-certified music therapist, and arts manager. Her early training began in Boston, Massachusetts, where she studied music education and music therapy, taught in the Boston Public School system, and began a life-long career of working with youth and the arts, starting at Tanglewood, for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Brown earned a doctorate in Systematic Musicology, with a focus on the Psychology of Music, from the University of Washington. She is currently a Professor of Music at Seattle Pacific University and the Director of the SPU Music Therapy Program. In 2020, to honor her sister’s legacy, Dr. Rae Linda Brown, Carlene Brown wrote the ‘Afterword’ and published her sister’s biography on Florence B. Price, the first African American woman composer to have a work performed by a major symphony orchestra in the United States. Carlene Brown is now dedicated to telling the stories of these two extraordinary African American scholars and how their lives and work have impacted the canon of American music.
Beyond the Curtain Series- Performing Arts Season
Beyond the Curtain Series- Performing Arts Season
Continuing the tradition of the Beyond the Curtain series for STG Performing Arts Season shows, STG will go virtual to discuss upcoming performances and themes.
Your host Sarah Strasbaugh, Associate Director of Community Programs, will ask curated questions to artists about their craft and their artistic journeys. Inspired by the power that the arts have to conjure our imagination, STG unravels the richness of these experiences by taking you Beyond the Curtain.
Tap to expand and enjoy these sessions now:
Beyond the Curtain with Kyle Abraham
In 2011, OUT Magazine labeled Kyle Abraham as the “best and brightest creative talent to emerge in New York City in the age of Obama”.
Abraham is the proud recipient of a 2017-18 Joyce Creative Residency, 2016 Doris Duke Award, 2012 United States Fellowship, and several coveted Princess Grace awards including the 2018 Statue Award. In 2013 he was named MacArthur Fellow.
Over the past several years, Abraham has created several works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, including Untitled America and Another Night.
Prior to choreographing The Runaway for New York City Ballet’s 2018 Fall Fashion Gala, Abraham created a pas de deux for himself and renowned dancer, Wendy Whelan, for her Restless Creature film and live performance. In Fall 2019, he choreographed Ash, a solo work for American Ballet Theater Principal Dancer Misty Copeland; Only The Lonely, a newly commissioned work for Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, and The Bystander, a new commission for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, to rave reviews. Abraham is a Visiting Professor in Residence at UCLA.
Beyond the Curtain with Ahamefule J. Oluo
"Ahamefule J. Oluo is a Seattle-based musician, composer, and comedian. Oluo co-founded the Stranger Genius Award-winning hard-jazz quartet Industrial Revelation and is also leader of the jazz-punk trio The Honorable Chief. He has collaborated with Das Racist, Hey Marseilles, Macklemore, TacocaT, Cataldo, and many others. He works extensively with his wife, writer Lindy West, and co-produced comedian Hari Kondabolu's debut album, Waiting for 2042, for Kill Rock Stars. He was the inaugural artist-in-residence at Seattle's Town Hall, and his 2014 performance of Now I'm Fine at On the Boards received universal acclaim. In 2015, Oluo was featured on This American Life."
Enjoy Beyond the Curtain Broadway sessions here!
For more information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Past Community Programs
Digital Education Program STG Performing Arts Season: JOURNEY SO CLOSE
Digital Education Program STG Performing Arts Season: JOURNEY SO CLOSE
Prior to attending The Actor’s Gang’s The New Colossus on February 20th, students created essays, poems, and monologues that were inspired by their own ancestral immigration stories or a story that was appealing to them.
These are the videos of their projects:
Master Classes And Workshops
Master Classes And Workshops
STG invites community artists and students to fully engage with STG performances by receiving instruction from world-renowned international, national and regional artists. Past artists have included musical greats Wynton Marsalis and Bobby McFerrin; dancers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dorrance Dance, Batsheva Dance Company; the creative team from the Tony award winning musical “Light in the Piazza”; actors from the Gate Theatre of Dublin; the women of Voices of Strength; actors and creatives from the National Theatre of Scotland; Zakir Hussain and Clifton Davis.
Lecture/Demonstrations
Lecture/Demonstrations
Artists discuss and demonstrate the music, dance or performance style that will be presented, providing patrons deeper insight into the art form. Previous artists have included Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Black Violin, Grand Kabuki Theatre of Japan; actors Brian Dennehy and Lynn Redgrave from “The Exonerated;” dancers from Mark Morris Dance Group and Savion Glover; Dance Theatre of Harlem; and composers Laurie Anderson and Philip Glass.
Silent Movie Monday Cineclubs
Silent Movie Monday Cineclubs
CineClub post-film discussions follow each Silent Movie Mondays presentation and focus on the art of cinema and take a deeper look at the film itself. A regional or national film professional introduces each film and provides insight during CineClub, joined by the musician(s) who composes and performs to the film.
For more information on Silent Movie Mondays and the CineClubs, visit https://www.stgpresents.org/smm
Discussions
Discussions
Audiences view performances through a new lens, interacting with artists and learning more about the artistic process related to the creation of the works. Recent programs have featured The Shins; Donald Byrd, choreographer of “The Color Purple” and Artistic Director of Spectrum Dance Theater; Hubbard Street Dance Chicago artistic director Jim Vincent; cast members from “The Lion King”; and filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles.
Open Rehearsals And Soundchecks
Open Rehearsals And Soundchecks
Students and community members get a behind-the-scenes view of what goes into professional performances. Programs include discussion of technical, business and artistic aspects of the performances and a chance to interact with the artists and their technical crews. Participants in recent years include Fleet Foxes, Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, FUN, No Doubt, Zakir Hussain, Wynton Marsalis, Lila Downs, Heart, Cake, Zoe Keating and the Black Eyed Peas.
Additional Events & Contact
For information any of our upcoming master classes, lectures/demonstrations, discussions, open rehearsals and sound checks, please visit our calendar and our For Educators page.
To contact one of the Community Engagement staff reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.