Keen Teens is a unique educational program from the award-winning Off-Broadway theater, Keen Company. This free program for teens provides invaluable mentorship opportunities: working alongside professional writers, directors and designers to rehearse and premiere new plays. By commissioning one-acts specifically designed for the high school stage, Keen Teens creates work that speaks to teens on their level, presenting a perspective which is as complex and multilayered as the students themselves. The 12-week program culminates in the Off-Broadway premiere of each new piece during the Keen Teens Festival of New Work at Theatre Row and the subsequent publishing and licensing by Concord Theatricals.
The 2023 Festival will feature an all-star cast of New York City high schoolers in two newly-commissioned plays and a musical:
Buck Stars
By C. Julian Jiménez
Directed by Michelle Chan
When an unsheltered person walks into a chain coffeehouse, snap judgements abound, and customers and staff alike must wrestle with their own capacity for compassion while navigating their own personal traumas at the same time.
Kirdle & Miffins: Curiosity Saved the Cats
By Rona Siddiqui
Directed by Tom Costello
A celebration of curiosity and wonder, Kirdle & Miffins follows two lovable alley cats who are whisked from the tough city streets to cushy living room life. But what happens when they become so complacent that they don’t question those in power, even when trouble is afoot?
Hidden Inside
By Nambi E. Kelley and Daniel Carlton
Directed by Christopher Burris
A novice student teacher is put in charge of Saturday School for chronically late kids. But when a standard drill goes awry, the students are forced to honestly connect with each other, transcend high school archetypes and reckon with their true identities.
