A note from the Executive Director, World Theatre of Children:

To parents and educators,

The need for communication skills programs in public and private schools is becoming more apparent to many professional educators, psychologists, parents and other caregivers due to the increasing assault upon children from media sources. Marketing of violence, sex and inappropriate language intoxicates children with fear, anxiety and negative moral standards. These sources of information distort reality and are encountered by children in every area of their lives including at home, school, in the community, at the movies and in recreational areas. The book "The Other Parent" by James P. Steyer, illustrates clearly the need for programs that demystify the media world and help adults and children understand that there is another side of the craft of theatre and acting that is based upon responsibility to community, and especially to children. The World Theatre of Children serves the purpose of these needs.

As an educator for over 30 years, I have been warning parents and caregivers to be wary of the media exploitation of children. In 1987, in addition to teaching communications skills and theatre, I was producing television for children in Albany, NY. I left my job as Actor, Writer, and Producer over a dispute with the executive producers. The question revolved around marketing inappropriate toys to children. Since then I have worked to teach children to be discerning consumers of media, and to give them the tools to understand the difference between commercial exploitation and the art of theatre. As Steyer states in his book, "today's media is guided by one goal and one goal only, at the expense of your children- money". Another recent study released by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2001, found that over two-thirds of TV shows, including 84% of sitcoms, now contain sexual content, up from 56% in 1998. For young viewers, it all adds up to an average exposure of more than 14,000 sexual references each year, on TV alone. This does not include the thousands of exposures children have to acts of violence and gore.

The World Theatre of Children allows children to explore the craft of theatre in a positive life-enhancing way with the goal being individual personal growth within a dynamic group setting. The improvisational techniques we utilize were culled from many of the top acting coaches and directors in history including Stanislavski, Boleslavski, Grotowski, Carney, Morrison and the great Viola Spolin. Use of psycho-dramatic technique has enabled me to develop an insight into the communication needs of children that shows that children require simple skills to vastly improve their ability to relate to others in a positive, confident way. My work with children in the inner cities, exclusive schools, community centers, in private and public schools and many community programs has impacted positively on the mental health of children.

GORMAN JOHN RUGGIERO