Bond Street Theatre

Bond Street Theatre initiates theatre-based projects for conflict resolution,
education and empowerment in critical areas worldwide.

Myanmar

BST collaborated with Thukhuma Khayeethe (Art Travelers) of Myanmar on an adaptation of Ben Jonson’s Volpone, reconfigured to suit Burmese characters and culture, and highlighting the idea of taking personal responsibility to speak out against injustice. After decades of military dictatorship and heavy censorship, the Burmese people find themselves in a nation on a precipice. The play’s interactive ending invites the audience to take a stand, to act as a jury -- a new concept brought to light through a comic, yet serious, story with colorful characters.

Afghanistan

BST has launched a program to inform citizens about their legal rights and protections through theatre performances in schools, markets and locations where people congregate. Currently, much of the country relies on traditional councils for dispute resolution, with outcomes that can be arbitrary or overly harsh. The program, supported by the US Institute of Peace, promotes fair and equal access to justice. The project builds on our recent community improvement program, which engaged 400+ youth in 25 provinces in creative, constructive activities that counter violence among youth and improve their communities.

Azerbaijan

Bond Street Theatre's recent program in Azerbaijan, Community Drama for Peace, introduced social theatre methods to university students in Baku. BST and the students created a play based on the issues that they identified as most crucial: domestic violence, and corruption in education and health. The play toured to six cities countrywide, providing communities with a platform to constructively discuss issues, and forming a new theatre group, Maybe Theatre. We thank the US Embassy in Azerbaijan for initiating this project. Enjoy the video, "Agents for Change", an upcoming documentary produced by Michael Carson Productions, above.

Upcoming

In July 2017, Bond Street Theatre is initiating a project in Malaysia for refugee and migrant populations. Bond Street will partner with Asylum Access Malaysia, a respected advocate on the international stage for refugee legal rights, as well as multiple local organizations and community groups. We will work with Asylum Access and their local partners to develop theatre-based tools to initiate rights-based discussions among refugee groups in the Klang Valley. We are grateful to Rational Games Inc. for making this project possible.

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Awards and Recognition

Joanna Sherman receives the Lee Reynold Award

Above, Ambassador Cynthia P. Schneider presents
Ms. Sherman with the Award at the March gala.

Artistic Director Joanna Sherman received the League of Professional Theatre Women's Lee Reynold Award in honor of Bond Street Theatre's work for social justice around the world.

Joanna Sherman receives the Castillo Award

Above, Pennie Ojeda, former head of International Programs at NEA, presented the Award to Mr. McGuigan and Ms. Sherman.

BST has been awarded an Otto René Castillo Award for Political Theatre. We are honored to receive recognition for our years of creating theatre for social change in conflict areas around the world.

Bond Street Theatre is the recipient of a MacArthur Award for its innovative cultural programming.
The company has a 5-star rating on Guidestar, has been TOP RATED by Great NonProfits, and is an NGO in association with the United Nations DPI.