The national initiative recognizes and supports outstanding out-of-school and after-school arts and humanities programs for children, especially those with great potential, but limited outlets for creative expression.

In the Epic Theatre Ensemble's Shakespeare Remix after-school youth development program, students "fully debate the critical social and political questions of the play, decode the meaning of Shakespeare’s text, speaking the language with truth and courage, and weave their own writing into the fabric of the script." The venture culminates with the children performing alongside professional theatre artists in fully produced Shakespeare productions at Off-Broadway theatres.

This season, Epic Theatre Ensemble will present Shakespeare Remix Macbeth (Dec. 17-19), featuring Kathleen Chalfant and students from Chelsea High School, at Theatre Row's Beckett Theatre. The project will then play with students from Bronx High School for Writing and Communication Arts (in February 2010), Urban Assembly School for the Performing Arts and Frances Perkins Academy at Automotive High School. For more information on further runs and free reservations, call (212) 613-5434.

For more information, visit the Epic Theatre Ensemble at epictheatreensemble.org. Coming Up Taller can be found online at cominguptaller.org.