Hello from The Actors Theatre Workshop! As we celebrate the start of a new year, we are happy and excited to bring you news from ATW on the brink of a very important milestone - - our 20th anniversary as an award-winning non-profit theatre, community center and educational institution!

For many years The Actors Theatre Workshop has been committed to a powerful vision and has taught our original theatre and education technique to people from all walks of life, from theatre professionals to homeless children to business professionals and adults from a wide range of backgrounds. This highly effective education technique, created by our Artistic Director and Founder Thurman E. Scott, has brought great success to individuals and to our shared community.

At ATW we recognize that our vision and commitment represent the collective commitment of all of us as individuals and a community. You are a part of The Actors Theatre Workshop - - so our success is your success. And we're very happy to share with you here a story that will illuminate the value of our work in the community and the great importance of your support.

Daequan is a talented young man who for three years was a member of our Builders of the New World theatre and education program for homeless and at-risk youth. As a 12 year old, Daequan was a leader in the program and very committed to applying the lessons he was learning to improve his life. To honor his hard work and commitment, we asked Daequan to accept on ATW's behalf the highly prestigious Encore Award we won in 2000 from the Arts and Business Council for exemplary cooperation with a for-profit company. So we were delighted to see Daequan last April when he came to the theatre to share his journey since graduating from our program nine years ago.

• "I stayed in school, studied hard and became a fashion designer. Last year I started a program at a high school in Harlem for students who want to work in the fashion industry. I teach them about design, creativity and to serve the community. I'm about to celebrate my 21st birthday with a big fashion show of my new designs - - and I had to come here to ATW to see you because I want my celebration to be here! This is where I learned to develop my imagination. This is where I learned the steps I needed to take to reach my dream. The Actors Theatre Workshop is where everything started for me."

We are touched and our spirits are lifted to be able to share with you these inspiring words and images of hope. At ATW Daequan experienced power within himself. He used the new insights, awakenings and lessons he learned to fulfill our charge to all the Builders of the New World - - make choices today to support your dream to become contributing members of society tomorrow. Develop yourself through discipline and responsibility, change your life and give a lifting hand to your community. Daequan's story is only one example of the powerful and hope-filled experiences of the children and studious young adults we serve - - precious moments of passage, the stuff we all dream of as we continue our journey to inspire the dream to continue. Watch the inspiring video below to hear children tell in their own words how the lessons they learned in the Builders of the New World set them on their path to success as young adults.

In Proven Results children express their hopes and dreams for the future - - and then 10 years later these same individuals
share the profound and positive impact Builders of the New World had on their lives.

It's not just the children we serve who learn the powerful lessons Daequan experienced! Mr. Scott teaches his original theatre and education technique in customized, individual ways to children and adults from all walks of life. In our most recent 8-Session Intensive Creative Expression Workshop for Personal Development, nurses, bankers, a professional boxer, teachers and lawyers came together to improve communication skills, strengthen presence, learn new problem-solving techniques, and enhance their productivity at work. A Managing Director from Merrill Lynch joined the class because he couldn't bring the full impact of his expertise and authority to presentations on the job. After working with Mr. Scott for only 20 minutes the first day of class he said "Is it possible the exercise you just taught me has already given me the tool I wanted?" The answer was a resounding "yes!" Our technique creates real change and teaches people to bring more of their individual gifts to their professional and personal lives.

In the Scott Acting Conservatory theatre professionals study all the elements of the actor's craft in this comprehensive, integrated approach to creative development. Mr. Scott's original technique combines the classical European/American tradition of theatre with years of his own technical innovations in the creative process of theatre developed over the course of his long professional career. Members of ATW's resident ensemble acting company are growing as artists and creating new original plays that ATW will produce in a series of staged readings in 2010. These dedicated professionals benefit from Mr. Scott's position as an artist of the highest caliber, track record as a director with whom actors are known to give their finest performances, and one who can transform even the most undeveloped material into theatre that is arresting and fascinating.

The year 2010 marks a monumental and exciting time for the Actors Theatre Workshop as we celebrate our 20th anniversary of successful service to the community and launch a three-year capital campaign. As the demand for our programs continue to grow, our plan is to expand the size of our current facility. The City of New York, inspired by the Builders of the New World's success, has enlisted ATW to develop a family literacy program which will meet 15 hours per week and requires a dedicated space. Our current 5000-square-foot facility is not large enough to meet the needs of this program. We have assembled a team of real estate and architectural advisors and are currently evaluating a number of different options. One is to expand our third floor facility at 145 W. 28th Street to include the second floor.

We invite you to join with us once again in the mission we've been on for 20 years - and we hope you will consider making a generous gift in honor of this important milestone. Support our growth and shared vision to provide children and adults of our community with the tools to develop new skills, change, grow and prosper. Together we will be the generation to renew old things into a new possibility of hope. Together we will be the generation that will restore our faith in each other and our country, and create change.

We wish you and your loved ones all of the blessings, joy and hope of this New Year!

Sincerely,

The Actors Theatre Workshop

P.S. Please visit our YouTube page by following this link http://www.youtube.com/user/ActorsTheatreWorksho to see our new videos - - we've posted a host of illuminating and powerful images of children and adults expressing their gifts that will surely raise your spirits!

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