LOS ANGELES -- L.A. Theatre Works (LATW) has launched a national education outreach program entitled Alive & Aloud offering its collection of classic and contemporary plays (originally recorded for radio broadcast) free-of-charge to public secondary schools.

In 1998, 1,250 schools will participate in the program's pilot year through start-up grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Alive & Aloud expands access to theatre arts in public schools that have limited resources. LATW developed the program with Karen Goldberg, creator of Theatre As a Learning Tool, an educational program currently used in more than 500 schools in southern California.

"Radio theatre provides the perfect marriage of theatre and literature, offering the excitement of live drama while compelling listeners to focus on language," said Producing Director Susan Albert Loewenberg.

Each participating school will receive audio cassettes of five dramas: Julius Casesar, The Glass Menagerie, Tea, Jump at the Sun and Mr Ricky Calls a Meeting. Detailed study guides provided with each play show how it can be used to promote deductive reasoning, increase vocabulary, create writing exercises, transmit historical information and improve communication skills.

For further information call (800) 708-8863.

-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent