Longtime Evanston community establishment Mudlark Theater Company recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary April 11, marking two decades of providing a creative outlet for students across the city and beyond.
Putting on around eight shows a year with participants from elementary to high school, Mudlark serves as a space for young people to explore the intersection of performing arts, creativity and social expression.
Founded in 2005, Mudlark Theater is a nonprofit organization where children act, write and immerse themselves into the performing arts. Local Evanston resident Karen Van Ausdal, who dabbled in theater and stage crew growing up, has involved her children with Mudlark for five years.
“I have a son and a daughter who have both done Mudlark Theater and just had incredible experiences,” Van Ausdal said. “They accept everyone and put on amazing productions and do it with such artistry.”
Mudlark provides students with the opportunity to write and collaborate on their own pieces, whether those be poems, free-writes or personal essays. Their recent production, “Mudpie,” which had its closing night on Sunday, featured a collection of original pieces from children in the Chicagoland area.
“I think it’s really important to hear what the next generation has to say,” Mudlark Marketing and Engagement Manager Sarah Kinn said. “They say some really important stuff, and not to sound cheesy, but they are our future. It’s just really important to have friends, schoolmates and the community hear what’s going on in the lives of the young people around them.”
Mudlark often relies on peer-to-peer and family-to-family networks because its impact is strongest in those who have experienced it firsthand. Having recently installed new risers to expand audience space in its Hinman Ave. building, Mudlark continues to grow as a space to enrich its current students and give alumni a chance to support the next generation.
This past fall, Mudlark had its first alum come back and direct a show. An event that is only possible because of their tight knit community, Mudlark Artistic Producer and Resident Director Rebecca Schilsky said.
“Mudlark is so resilient and has withstood so much,” Schilsky said. “We have completely flourished and grown because of how much love we build here.”
Executive Director Ian Frank said much of why Mudlark has lasted so long is its unconditional scholarships, which works to eliminate financial barriers keeping students from participating in Mudlark programs. This initiative has been rooted in Mudlark’s values since its founding: being a welcoming, safe space and honoring all youth identities and stories, according to the Mudlark Theater website.
Mudlark’s diverse environment includes students from across communities and socioeconomic backgrounds. However, as the world changes, Mudlark’s commitment to ending all financial barriers for their students only gets harder, Frank said.
“I think what’s really important for people to understand is that if we don’t talk about the good things and we don’t take action to support the good things, they will go away,” Frank said. “I would urge people to donate, to volunteer, or at the very least, if they know somebody that Mudlark has positively impacted, to share that … we are the best place they could possibly be.”
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
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