Every day on Art&Seek, we’re talking to people who have tips for virtual art experiences. Share yours with us on Facebook, Instagram, or @artandseek on Twitter. Click above to hear Junior Players’ Executive Director, Rosaura Cruz share her tip with KERA’s Nilufer Arsala. 

Junior Players is opening a new virtual show this weekend called The Aftermath. 

It’s a recipient of a grant from The Arts Community Alliance (TACA) New Works Fund and stars 12  North Texas teenagers who highlight the many hurdles North Texas teens face today.

Photo: Junior Players

The piece is directed by Jamal Sterling, written by Dallas playwrights Erin Ryan Burdette and Michael Federico. The show mixes the concepts from Junior Players’ 2019 broadcast journalism project with playwriting, movement and acting. It weaves stories about gender identity, mental health, family pressures and other challenges teens are facing in their day-to-day lives.

Image: Junior Players

The Aftermath explores themes that may be unsettling for some viewers. Characters will navigate gender dysphoria, misgendering, transphobia, and suicide. It was created help from members of the LGBTQ community. Junior Players hopes to reach a wide and diverse audience, but reminds viewers to be aware of the content.

The show is available via Zoom  June 26 – 28, and guests can go online to get tickets to any of the three performances. Tickets are “pay-what-you-can.” Donations are requested to help Junior Players continue providing free quality arts education programs to over 15,000 North Texas youth annually.

For the future, Junior Players, the oldest nonprofit children’s theater organization in Dallas, will host free virtual summer events in July, continue adding to its free library of arts education resources and have its annual Future Stars Gala online this year. If you’d like to donate or stay up-to-date with Junior Players events, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or visit their website.

Got a tip? Email Jessica Cross at jcross@kera.org. You can follow her on Instagram @jessica.cross.

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