The Piscataway High School Theatre Program has once again been accepted into the prestigious Paper Mill Playhouse Adopt-A-School Program.
This selection begins a four-year partnership with Paper Mill Playhouse, a highly acclaimed regional theater located in Millburn. It will give PHS’ upper-level students opportunities to see Paper Mill Playhouse performances, participate in workshops, work with Paper Mill teaching artists, attend arts festivals, and perform on the Paper Mill Playhouse stage.
Piscataway High previously participated in the program from 2017 to 2021.
“We are so honored and excited to be invited back!” said Rebekah Sterlacci, supervisor of visual and performing arts. “We are so fortunate to be so close to outstanding professional arts organizations – and to be able to provide these opportunities to our young artists.”
Paper Mill says the program is designed to introduce New Jersey high school students to the performing arts; to stimulate partnerships between educators, artists, and businesses; and to encourage the permanent inclusion of arts programming as an integral part of New Jersey’s educational system.
The Project has been cited by the Kennedy Center and Stage Directions magazine as one of the nation’s Top 10 arts education programs.
Sterlacci gave credit to PHS theater arts teacher Mike Yoson for building the relationship with Paper Mill and making the partnership possible.
“We are so excited to be working with Paper Mill again,” Yoson said. “The Adopt-A-School Project is an amazing opportunity for the PHS theater students.”
He explained that his students will get to work with Broadway actors and will perform an original piece of theater on the Paper Mill Playhouse stage.
“I am so grateful to Paper Mill Playhouse for offering this free program to my theater students,” Yoson said. “Their education will expand past the walls of the high school with real life experiences in the theater. The students are thrilled and can’t wait to get started!”
The program is fully funded so there is no cost to the district or the students who participate.
“We are looking forward to so much learning and growing in the theater arts over the next four years,” Sterlacci said.