Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC) is the participatory arts program of the Northwestern Settlement. As a participatory arts company, ASC productions feature multiple options for audience engagement. First, each production is presented with Spanish supertitles. Additionally, we frame each performance with a Curtain Conversation, asking audiences to keep a question in mind as they watch the play and return to it after the show; our lobby transforms into an interactive installation; and Learning Guides, including show context and arts-integrated activities, are available for teachers and parents.
ASC also offers: Neighborhood Bridges, the in-classroom arts and critical literacy residency program; Trailblazers, a youth mentoring arts program; summer drama camps; and drama instruction in the Settlement’s Rowe Elementary School.
Northwestern Settlement nurtures, educates and inspires children and families across Chicago. The Settlement’s success results from a commitment to treating every person who enters its doors with dignity and respect, while supporting them with transformational programming designed to disrupt generational poverty. The Settlement has led the way in innovative programming by offering residential science and environmental education for inner-city youth, launching successful charter schools, and adding the arts so children and teens have a forum for expressing their life experiences.
Adventure Stage Chicago is a member of IPAY (International Performing Arts for Youth), League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), and TYA/USA.