The Striking Viking Story Pirates
Encyclopedia
Story Pirates is an arts education organization based in New York City
and Los Angeles
. Originally known as the Striking Viking Story Pirates, the group collects written works from students and youth and adapts these stories for the stage. Kid-written work is then performed by professional actors in a sketch comedy venue.
Story Pirates serves over fifty elementary schools and community-based organizations in the New York City area through performances and creative writing workshops. The cornerstone of these services is the “Play/Write Program,” an original arts and creative writing curriculum that allows kids to “develop their creative writing skills…by exploring character building and elements of dramatic improvisation”
” host Jon Stewart
called The Story Pirates “crazy entertaining” on Larry King Live
; Stewart had seen the group perform at a party he attended with his son. The group is “described as a mix between School House Rock and Monty Python
” and has received critical acclaim.The New York Times called their performances a "theatrical treasure," and many others dub it one of the best kids shows around.
graduates including actress and comedian Kristen Schaal
(Flight of the Conchords
). The concept for the Story Pirates grew out of a Northwestern University student organization called “Griffin’s Tale.” Since then, the organization has grown to include a cast and staff of over 40 actors, musicians, puppeteers, and technicians.
Currently, the Story Pirates are based at the Arthur Seelen Theater in Midtown Manhattan
. The group performs a weekly show for all audiences each Saturday at 2pm as well as a monthly late-night “Afterdark” show targeted toward adults. Story Pirates shows are made up entirely of original stories written by children. Often, young authors are in the audience to see their work performed. The show runs approximately one hour, contains 10-12 stories, and features outlandish costumes, puppets, and short films made by the group. The Story Pirates also perform private shows, the most popular being birthday parties.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Originally known as the Striking Viking Story Pirates, the group collects written works from students and youth and adapts these stories for the stage. Kid-written work is then performed by professional actors in a sketch comedy venue.
Story Pirates serves over fifty elementary schools and community-based organizations in the New York City area through performances and creative writing workshops. The cornerstone of these services is the “Play/Write Program,” an original arts and creative writing curriculum that allows kids to “develop their creative writing skills…by exploring character building and elements of dramatic improvisation”
Mission
The mission of the Story Pirates is “to celebrate the words and ideas of young people and to create confident, literate students equipped with a variety of tools for written, verbal, and artistic self-expression.” Story Pirates’ original arts and literacy programs “improve the relevancy and effectiveness of classroom and extracurricular learning, create confident children who carry their ability to express themselves into adulthood, and build strong communities that celebrate the value of young voices from diverse backgrounds.”National Attention
The Story Pirates received national attention in February 2008 when “The Daily ShowThe Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
” host Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
called The Story Pirates “crazy entertaining” on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
; Stewart had seen the group perform at a party he attended with his son. The group is “described as a mix between School House Rock and Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
” and has received critical acclaim.The New York Times called their performances a "theatrical treasure," and many others dub it one of the best kids shows around.
Yesterday and Today
The Story Pirates was founded in 2003 by ten Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
graduates including actress and comedian Kristen Schaal
Kristen Schaal
Kristen Schaal is an American actress, writer and comedienne, best known for her role as Mel in the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, as Louise in Bob's Burgers and as a contributor on The Daily Show.-Early life:...
(Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords (TV series)
Flight of the Conchords is an American television comedy series that debuted on HBO on June 17, 2007. The show follows the adventures of Flight of the Conchords, a two-man band from New Zealand, as its members seek fame and success in New York City. The show stars the real-life duo, Jemaine Clement...
). The concept for the Story Pirates grew out of a Northwestern University student organization called “Griffin’s Tale.” Since then, the organization has grown to include a cast and staff of over 40 actors, musicians, puppeteers, and technicians.
Currently, the Story Pirates are based at the Arthur Seelen Theater in Midtown Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. The group performs a weekly show for all audiences each Saturday at 2pm as well as a monthly late-night “Afterdark” show targeted toward adults. Story Pirates shows are made up entirely of original stories written by children. Often, young authors are in the audience to see their work performed. The show runs approximately one hour, contains 10-12 stories, and features outlandish costumes, puppets, and short films made by the group. The Story Pirates also perform private shows, the most popular being birthday parties.
External links
- www.storypirates.org - The Official Story Pirates Website