The new season is here! Welcome to Be The Good with Kate, where I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to talk with people of a variety of backgrounds and career fields about how they are being the good in our world all while following their passions. Here’s to inspiring us all to make a difference each day.
Today’s guest is Jennifer DiBella, the Director of Education at Roundabout Theatre Company, and I had the chance to work with her back when I was an intern for Roundabout during college. After my internship, she hired me to be a part of the education department’s summer programming, and my mind was blown by all they were doing to be an immensely positive influence on the inner city high school students’ lives with whom they work. Since then, the education programs with Roundabout have only continued to grow.
Going into her 16th season with Roundabout, my conversation with Jennifer is filled with eye-opening information and insight into marrying the arts and education, advice on careers, and overall so much passion for what she gets to do each day in helping others.
While some people might not know Roundabout’s name, they will definitely know their Broadway shows: Cabaret, Holiday Inn, Kiss Me Kate, Sunday in the Park with George, and currently running shows like Caroline, or Change.
Something I love about how Jennifer speaks about her team and the Roundabout leadership is how much they all support one another and are constantly reassessing: how can we better serve the needs of our community, how can we work better together, and so on.
Jennifer has some great insight into taking the pathways presented and seeing where they go. You do not need to have your whole career planned at 22 years old, and even if you think you do, paths wind and weave and shift. But keep your passions in the forefront.
Jennifer and Roundabout’s Education Department work with students across NYC and beyond, with a lot of collaborating with the Department Of Education, and they pivoted at lightning speed to keep supporting students throughout the pandemic.
You may still see some of the virtual projects on their website, as well as more information about their programming here:
www.roundabouttheatre.org/education
The incredible amount of programs, their reach, their connections with experts in the fields, Roundabout is nonstop: from technical theater, to administration, to directing, and more.
Follow Roundabout: @roundaboutnyc
Follow Jennifer & Education's happenings: @educationatrtc
**If you enjoyed this episode, please do follow/subscribe and share on social, YouTube, and your favorite podcast platform!**
www.katecherichello.com/bethegood
We need all the #goodnews we can get.
Do you have stories about arts education or perhaps a Roundabout show you saw? Let me know in the comments!
