In the world of Story Pirates, it’s not at all unusual to watch a play featuring a talking carrot on Saturn or flying cats.
That’s because the playwrights may seem a bit unconventional: They’re kids.
Story Pirates is an organization that pairs actors and comedians with stories written by young students. The results are fantastical productions that celebrate the power of imagination while also empowering kids for a lifetime.
Check out their story:
Story Pirates is based on the belief that literacy and education aren’t rooted just in ability, but also in self-expression and imagination.
And the results are real.
Founded in a single Harlem elementary school in 2004, Story Pirates has since traveled to schools across the United States to bring kids’ stories to life on stage.
“Over and over again, we’ll be in a classroom and teachers will come up to us and be like, ‘Wow, this kid is often one of our most reluctant writers,’” executive producer Sam Reiff-Pasarew says. “But in the world of Story Pirates, where we sort of encourage them to use their imagination and be creative, it frees up some of those reluctant writers to become really enthusiastic writers.”
This kids-first ethos is even rooted in the name Story Pirates itself.
“With Story Pirates, we wanted a name that sounded awesome to kids,” CEO Benjamin Salka says. “We wanted it to be kids-centric. We wanted kids to hear the name Story Pirates and feel like rock stars were coming into their classrooms, not teachers.”
And Story Pirates’ productions feel a lot different from your typical school talent show.
That’s because the organization connects schools with big-city producers, creatives, and improvisors who know how to put on a professional-level performance.
And when the kids see their own words brought to life with big, thoughtful productions? That’s when the magic happens.
“I’m so thrilled that I’m with them,” says Amber Castillo, a young writer who participated in the program. “I felt, like, really positive for myself and my story.”
