Cultural Conversations
Stephanie Ansin of the PlayGround Theatre
The Knight Arts Challenge is back and ready to hear the best ideas from Miami’s artistic community. To get everybody in the spirit of The Challenge, SocialMiami sat down with past awardees to learn about the grant competition and their secrets of success.
Stephanie Ansin is the founding artistic director of the PlayGround Theatre in Miami Shores. Under her direction, the theater received a grant for $100,000 to produce The Red Thread, an adaptation of a Chinese folktale.
The PlayGround Theatre’s submission to the Knight Arts Challenge was as follows: To foster understanding of Chinese culture, the PlayGround Theatre will produce the world premiere of a children’s production based on an ancient folktale. An estimated 16,000 children, teachers, family members and others will make up the audiences for 62 performances of The Red Thread, a play inspired by Chinese folklore. Study guides, available online and in the theater, will help teachers present pre- and post-performance classroom activities designed to maximize the play’s academic and creative impact. The theater also will conduct workshops with PlayGround actors in schools, parks and community events to introduce students to live theater and create interest in PlayGround productions.
See all six of SocialMiami’s Knight Arts Challenge conversations, including: Dennis Scholl from the Knight Foundation; Stephanie Ansin from PlayGround Theatre; Lucus Levya from Borscht Film Festival; Peter Boswell from MAM; Chris Chrebet from Leggo My Demo; and Laura Quinlan from Rhythm Foundation.
