Southern Connecticut State University is taking center stage in a dynamic new partnership with the historic Shubert Theatre, helping to create original children’s theater for New Haven Public Schools—while offering students hands-on, real‑world experience in arts education and performance.
The collaboration launched during the final dress rehearsal of the critically acclaimed musical SIX, which is opening its North American tour in New Haven. Students in Theatre Professor Michael Skinner’s theater history class—many of whom are preparing to devise their own production—attended the performance at the Shubert Theatre and engaged directly with the show’s themes, aesthetics, and cultural impact.
“This is another exciting connection to New Haven and a full‑circle moment for me personally,” said Skinner, who is chair of the Theatre Department and an alumnus of both Southern and the Yale School of Drama. “Our students have already worked with many of New Haven’s theaters. Now they’re collaborating with the Shubert—one of the most iconic performance venues in the country. And this time, they’re not just backstage or in the audience. They’re the creators.”
But the partnership is about more than observation. Supported by a $1.2 million gift from global tech company ASML, the collaboration is helping the Shubert Theatre expand its educational programming in meaningful and lasting ways. As part of the initiative, Southern students will help conceive, build, and perform a new piece of original children’s theater, which will tour several New Haven schools later this academic year—including Bishop Woods Architecture & Design Magnet School, Barack H. Obama Magnet University School, and Hill Central Music Academy.
Children’s theater, often referred to as “theater for young audiences,” is an emerging field in New Haven’s performing arts scene. While major cities like New York and Philadelphia have longstanding institutions devoted to the form, New Haven has lacked a central producer of professional works specifically designed for young audiences. That’s now changing—thanks in part to Southern’s students.
The new initiative builds on momentum sparked by productions like Ada Twist, Scientist, which visited the Shubert earlier this year, and aligns with curricular developments on campus. Skinner will soon launch a new course titled Practicum in Children’s Theater, offering students the chance to take their classroom learning and bring it directly to local schools.
Read the original story on New Haven Arts: “SIX Soars, As Shubert & SCSU Build A New Dramatic Bridge”
