Over the nine weeks of summer, 240 kids—as young as 4 and as grown-up as 16—participated in 170 Handful Players workshops led by our talented, dedicated team of teaching artists. The children enjoyed a spectrum of enriching performing arts activities, including theater, hip-hop dance, spoken word/rap, clowning & puppetry and storytelling.

Keeping our children inspired, energized and empowered over a long summer is a definite team effort. We couldn’t have done it without the partnership and support of these incredible San Francisco community organizations: The Buchanan YMCA, Booker T. Washington Community Service Center, Western Addition Beacon Center, Boys & Girls Clubs Don Fisher Clubhouse, Hamilton Recreation Center, Prince Hall Computer Learning Center and Up on Top.

All these efforts were on display at the Mo’Magic 2019 Summer Youth Showcase, where Handful Players performed on its biggest stage ever—at the prestigious Marines’ Memorial Theatre. In collaboration with Collective Impact, we were proud to host more than 400 members of the community, including youth, their families and program staff.

San Francisco’s Human Rights Commission curated a summer reading list for our students, with the powerful voices of such authors as Matt de la Peña and Maya Angelou. These works provided the inspiration for over a dozen performances, from short plays and puppet shows to music and dance.

And of course, magical summers like this one are made of moments both big and small. Whether in front of a full house or just a gathering of friends, the children took the stage and earned enthusiastic applause for their creative accomplishments.

Handful Players also celebrated with friends and family at end-of-summer showcases hosted by the Buchanan YMCA, Western Addition Beacon Center, Booker T. Washington and Up on Top.

We are especially thankful for the support of the California Arts Council, which helps us provide summer programs that enrich the lives and encourage the talents in our community’s youth.

Facts & Figures:
• More than 500 kids participated in Handful Players workshops, classes & performances.
• 450 workshops in musical theater, dance, puppetry, singing, spoken word, hip-hop/rap and improv/movement.
• 10 different community partner sites

A Whole Lot of New :
• An all-new hip-hop theater curriculum curated by local MC Jamaal Rahman Jamaal got the kids excited about rapping and rhyming.
• A fresh focus on mindfulness and movement from teaching artist Ben Baker gave students a creative way to channel their energy.
• Fancy footwork from choreographers Angelina Labate and Brandie Norris ranged from hip-hip to house.
• Puppeteers Laura Echegaray, Lanie Weiland and Isabel Taylor popped in to inspire kindergarteners, while teaching them storytelling and honing their motor skills.
• A newly created Handful Players Choir, featuring students from MagicZone and the Prince Hall Computer Learning Center, performed with vocalist Sara Williams.

Well Played:
• Plays, performances and crowd-pleasing community events gave the students a chance to take the stage for their parents and peers.
• Retelling stories like “Where the Wild Things Are” with a fresh rap spin.
• Spring Valley Science School 3rd-grade students used theater to tackle topics from bullying to empowerment
• Handful Players opened the 33rd Annual San Francisco Unified School District Arts Festival.
• “The Frisco Kid” premiered May 18 at the African American Art & Culture Complex starring students from Rosa Parks Elementary School.

Annual Traditions, Unforgettable Experiences:
• Handful Players attended opening night performance of “A Christmas Carol” at the American Conservatory Theater
• An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at “Cinderella” performed by the African-American Shakespeare Company.
• Our season-ending celebration with our showcase performance & community reception at the African American Art & Culture Complex.

Next up, summer! We hope you join us for another great season of workshops and events.

If that wasn’t enough, Sherri has been a steadfast supporter of Handful Players and a hands-on contributor to our success. Handful Players wishes to extend a big handful of heartfelt gratitude to Sherri for her passion, partnership, advocacy and artistry. Check out the CBS KPIX-5 video for more on Sherri’s inspiring contributions to the community.

And that’s just the beginning! We’re also providing after-school musical theater programs at the Buchanan YMCA to elementary students from John Muir, Rosa Parks and New Traditions schools. Middle schoolers at KIPP SF Bay Academy with a passion for dance are attending our after-school classes. And at Booker T., middle school students will immerse themselves in the art of spoken word and dance and we’re even offering a little clowning (around) for the 1^st & 2^nd graders.

New & Familiar Faces

Fall marks the return of some familiar faces as well as some bright new artists to Handful Players.  We’re happy to welcome back Embodiment Project dancer Amber Julian, in a dynamic new capacity. Amber teaches our middle school dance program at Booker T., helping them break in their new facility! Joining Amber at Booker T. is the incredibly talented and eloquent Tassiana Willis. Tassiana is launching a new spoken word program. Wonderful additions to our broad handful of talent!

Our New Resident Playwright

Handful Players is proud to announce this season’s resident playwright: Roy Conboy, a gifted writer, director and teacher of Latino/Mixed Blood descent. Roy will write an original play addressing themes that are academically, culturally and socially relevant to the students of the Western Addition. The play, starring the kids, will have its world premiere next year at the African American Art & Complex. As the head of San Francisco State University’s Playwriting Program for more than 20 years, Roy has brought the program to national prominence, with several graduates achieving internationally acclaimed, award-winning careers. In addition to his vast experience as an educator, Roy is committed to working with young people.  Two children’s plays he wrote, “Hot Tamale/Tamale Caliente” and “El Canto del Roble/The Song of the Oak”, recently toured Central California schools through PCPA Theaterfest of Santa Maria. Roy joins an illustrious group of playwrights who have generously contributed their talents to Handful Players over the past decade, resulting in 95 original plays:  Marcus Gardley, Nick Olivero, Andrew Saito, Eugenie Chan, Jeff Raz, Lauren Gunderson and Chinaka Hodge.

We are thrilled to offer such a full and enriching new season to students of the Western Addition, and we’re overjoyed at the chance to work with a handful of amazing artists who bring the learning to life.

With new programs, new faces and new talent, this year promises to be one full of fun, growth and creative expression.

We can’t wait for the curtains to rise!

We’re excited to announce that Handful Players has received its first ever programs grant from the California Arts Council (CAC).  Our organization was among 136 groups in the state to receive an Artists-in-Schools Extension Program grant. The grant will help fund our free summer workshop programs and performances for kids at eight youth organizations in the Western Addition. We are tremendously honored and grateful to the CAC for their support. For more information on the CAC and the more than $15 million in grants given to California arts & culture program, click here.

We’ve redesigned our site to serve you better. A lot has changed since we first launched in 2007. We’ve worked with 3,650 kids and 49 artists & playwrights to create 95 world premiere performances. And we’re just getting started. You’ll find videos of our live performances, plus more information on upcoming events, past productions and our amazing team of artists and teachers. The site is also mobile-friendly, so it’s easier to access and navigate on your phone or mobile device.  Special thanks to the California Arts Council for helping make the new site a reality. Look for more exciting news and updates right here on our Applause blog.