Theater Project
Welcome to the webpage for the Strong Connections Theater Ensemble. For two years, these young adults (all alumni of the Illinois child welfare system) performed a 45-minute play based on their experiences.
The play related the personal impact of their journey through foster care and emphasized their struggle to find and maintain meaningful personal connections along the way. It was supported by Adoptions Unlimited, Inc. and the Still Point Theater Collective.
The play opened in September 2008 and received an overwhelmingly positive response. "Outstanding! An inspirational performance for everyone involved in the child welfare system and the general public," said Laura Y. Pleasants, Executive Director of the YMCA Alliance of Metropolitan Chicago.
Subsequent performances were just as powerful. In July 2009, the troupe performed at the National Juvenile and Family Court Judges Conference Awards Luncheoun. The play made a strong impression on many attendees, including Judge Susan Carbon, Supervisory Judge for the Judicial Branch Family Division of the Concord (New Hampshire) District Courthouse.
"The performance of Strong Connections...was incredibly moving," she said. "It brought a room full of judges from across the country to tears, giving us insight into a system we thought we understood. In the course of the 45-minute play, [the performers] will have inspired more change in court practice than any other training we have ever had. It stuck a chord deep inside all of us. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. Other youth will be better served because of them."
"Strong Connections" was performed 14 times before a total audience of roughly 2,700 people. It can still be experienced through the following venues:
- To see streaming video of "Strong Connections," please click here and choose "Strong Connections" from the menu on the right.
- To purchase a DVD recording of "Strong Connections" please click here.
- To read about how "Strong Connections" can be replicated in your community,
please click here.
