Norah Shapiro

If you dare to give a child a chance, the possibilities are infinite. That’s what a new documentary, If You Dare, examines movingly through award-winning film maker Norah Shapiro’s lens.
Children are natural storytellers, actors, directors (as in “please put the fish stick on this side of my plate, next to the peas but not touching the noodles.”) Willie Reale recognized these traits in kids and created a beautiful program in the 1980s called the 52nd Street Project, which matches up inner city kids with playwrights, directors and actors to help youth create and realize the gifts they possess. Through the theater arts, the kids gain confidence, bond with a supportive community and, perhaps most importantly, enjoy the process.
The 52nd Street Project has been replicated in communities across the country. Norah’s film, which will have its regional premiere at the Minneapolis/St Paul International Film Festival, follows the kids at Minneapolis’ Chicago Avenue Project, a program based on the 52nd Street Project and hosted by the Pillsbury House Theatre.
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