Dear Manka,

“Accept me for who I am and what I stand for. I will raise my voice and no longer keep quiet.”

Aneesha, Franklin High Teen Speak

As a supporter of education and teens at Seattle Rep, you know that last week’s Franklin High Teen Speak performance was transformative for the teens onstage and in the audience. After months of hard work, the Franklin community came together to celebrate the voices and stories of Aneesha, Thien, Rebekah, and more.

Seattle Rep had the opportunity to be in the classroom with these students every step of the way, and witnessed firsthand the power of theatre to transform these teens from self-motivated individuals in to a cohesive, supportive ensemble with a point of view.

68% of students at Franklin participate in the free and reduced lunch program, which is a big reason we’ve worked hard to offer Teen Speak free of charge to Franklin High and, more importantly, the teens in the program. This program costs over $15,000, from teaching artist time to stage crew in our Leo K. theatre to offering every teen in the Franklin High Humanities Academy free admission to The Great Society. The Rep makes this investment because we believe these teens will see exponential results in terms of confidence, comfort in public speaking, empathy, and teamwork.

The chance for these students to share their stories onstage inspires them to dream big about a Great Society, and amplifies their confidence tenfold. Your donations afford teens like these the opportunity to think critically and make themselves heard, as well as making it possible for Franklin High and its students to pay nothing for this program. Will you join us in supporting Teen Speak with a gift today?