Creative Tableaux is Teatro Grattacielo’s year-round, tuition-free program that places young people and emerging creatives at the center of the creative process. Designed for students and early-career professionals ages 13–22—open to students of all backgrounds—CT offers workshops and hands-on training in performance, design, and stagecraft alongside mentorship from leading artists, creatives and administrators. Participants receive free workshops, paid internships, and production opportunities while also gaining access to materials, assets, and performances across New York City.

By connecting opera to visual arts, design, and storytelling, Creative Tableaux nurtures both access for artists and access for audiences. Each season, the program provides free public-facing performances, distributes hundreds of tickets to schools, and offers collaborative opportunities that build confidence, skills, and community. Our goal is not only to promote opera as an art form but also to empower the next generation of performers, designers, and cultural leaders.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The primary goals of Creative Tableaux are as follows:

a. To provide free, high-quality training and work-based learning internships that support artistic and technical career tracks.

b. To introduce participants of all ages to the creative processes behind opera and its interdisciplinary collaboration across music, design, storytelling, and production.

c. To increase equitable access to artistic careers by eliminating financial and institutional barriers.

d. To promote the values of collaboration, creativity, and inclusive arts education.

e. To stimulate critical thinking and expand participants’ artistic horizons.

f. To create unique and engaging experiences that combine opera and visual arts.

g. To foster an understanding and appreciation for opera among students and New York communities as part of this broader creative and career-focused framework.

Program Objectives in Action:

a. Free workshops and masterclasses in scenic design, costuming, stagecraft, and performance
b. Stipends for work-based learning internships
c. Collaborative access to materials and tools used in professional scenic/costume construction
d. Free performance and technical opportunities integrated into TG’s public productions across New York City
e. Mentorship and portfolio development with support from leading artists in opera and theater
f. Free public-facing performances through Access for Audiences. Each year, TG distributes more than 300 tickets annually to schools and offers free performances in public spaces such as Gotham Park.

Commitment to Impact:
Creative Tableaux also prioritizes long-term community impact. We collect participant feedback, track alumni pathways, and evaluate each program cycle to ensure it remains accessible, relevant, and impactful. By creating intergenerational spaces where young artists work side by side with professionals, we empower participants to see themselves as contributors to the cultural fabric of New York City.

JOIN US!

We would love to meet you and to collaborate with you! Creative Tableaux is dedicated to sharing our free, inclusive community programming far and wide across the five boroughs. If you would be interested in bringing Creative Tableaux’s programming to your school or community organization, or simply wish to learn more, please contact Hilary Baboukis at hilarybaboukis@grattacielo.org.

Developed under the artistic direction of Stefanos Koroneos, and in collaboration with professional opera creatives and visual arts experts, the program benefits from the warm guidance and expertise of the Teatro Grattacielo Board—most notably Judi Kende, Jana King, and David Santiago—whose support helps shape and sustain the initiative.

“Thank you and David so much for your most recent program at Sunset Ridge, The Importance of Color in Opera Production and How it Anchors Tone (or Mood) Set Design, and Costumes. The Workshops were a wonderful progression for us and the performance will be the cherry on the sundae.”

— From 2025-2026 Creative Tableaux Participant, Sunset Ridge Community

PROGRAM GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY:

• Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation
• Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)
• Marcia Ragonetti Bel Canto Fund
• This program is supported, in part, by Public Funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
• This program is supported, in part, by Public Funds from the New York State Counsil on the Arts.
• This program is supported, in part, by Eric Bottcher, District 3.

Program Overview & Details

Creative Tableaux’s programming is split into two parts:

Part One: The Warm-Up

OBJECTIVES

To engage participants in the creative process behind opera production, focusing on storytelling, color-blocking, design decisions (including lighting, costuming, and set design), stage management and stagehand work, and sustainability in the arts), and the process behind a production.

In the first part of this interactive program, we walk participants through the creative process of an opera:

• How an opera is commissioned and written (for new operas)
• How we create the visual/design elements (sets, costumes, lighting) of a new operatic production
• When possible, establish a basis for paid, practical work-based learning internships in the participants’ area(s) of focus

Part One can be offered in person and/or online via Zoom.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

The duration, focus, and structure of the sessions are always tailored to the needs of the participants, but a sample structure could consist of the following:

1. Introduction to Opera (2 hours)

• Overview of opera as an art form
• History of opera and its significance in the performing arts
• Interactive discussion on opera’s storytelling elements and visual arts integration

2. Creative Workshops (4+ hours)

• Introduction to upcoming productions
• Insight into the creative process behind color-blocking and design decisions
• Hands-on activities guided by creative teams, focusing on costume design and color selection
• For Arts High Schools: start working with student groups on working-based learning internships

3. Group Activities (3 hours)

• Facilitated group discussions on key concepts and themes
• Hands-on experiences related to opera production, such as set design mock-ups or costume sketches

4. Wrap-up and Reflection (1 hour)

• Review of key concepts learned during the program
• Reflection on personal insights and connections made between opera, storytelling, and visual arts
• Discussion on possible future engagement opportunities, including Work-Based Learning Internships

5. Paid, Work-Based Learning Internships (within operatic production cycle)

• Hands-on experience alongside professionals in participants’ area(s) of interest (costume, set, and/or lighting design, sustainable design, stage management and stagehand work, performance, etc.)
• Brings full visibility to the range and scope of work involved across the production and performance of an opera
• Opportunities to develop new skills and be exposed to new artistic fields
• Paid internships support the participants (in many cases making their participation possible), highlighting the value of their work and developing their sense of worth within the industry

Inclusivity and Diversity Practices:

• All discussions and presentations are built on a foundation of inclusivity, using gender-fluid terminology and respectful language
• All presentations actively represent all cultures and races across examples and discussions
• We encourage participants to share their own diverse perspectives and experiences related to the arts

Follow-up Opportunities:

• We provide information about Teatro Grattacielo’s ongoing programs and performances for continued engagement
• We share resources for further learning and exploration in opera and the arts
• Our community and student feedback sessions provide further opportunities for learning and growth

RECENT AND UPCOMING GUEST PRESENTERS

• David Santiago, Set and Interior Designer
• Stefanos Koroneos, Director and Designer
• Angela Huff, Costume Designer
• Sarah Rose Johnson, Costume/Theatrical Hair and Makeup Designer
• Robert Di Mauro, Lifestyle Commentator, HSFI Board Member, IPP Founder

Part Two: All Elements Come Together!

STUDENT AND COMMUNITY ACCESS to free opera performances at La MaMa, Creative Shares

Young and underserved community members, public school students, retirees, and volunteers are invited to attend full-scale opera performances for free at our partnering theaters. These performances serve as the culmination of Part One, giving participants the opportunity to experience in person everything they learned during the program. Students who participated in work-based internships have the chance to create or perform in close collaboration with opera professionals.

Through Creative Tableaux, we give away 25% of our tickets for free to students and community members, amounting to $9,000 in free tickets annually. Audiences have the opportunity to attend full-scale opera performances at La MaMa, Creative Shares.

Recent Activities and Outcomes

Over the last several months, Creative Tableaux continued its work across several school and community partnerships.

At the High School of Fashion Industries, students participated in weekly Monday afternoon costume classes connected to Teatro Grattacielo’s production process. Working with professional artists and designers, they developed costume pieces, learned about construction and wardrobe practices, and gained direct experience of how design work moves from concept to the stage.

Across the course of the spring, seven incredible students conceptualized, refined, and ultimately constructed designs that were deployed in the costumes for The Tempest and Gianni Schicchi. Scroll onward to explore the work of Aishatou Soumare, Alexia Hernandez, Arlinne Molina, Danazia Crump Banks, Esther Briceño, Hafsah Javed, and Natalie Zhu, our Spring 2026 costuming cohort:

These classes led directly to work-based learning internships with Teatro Grattacielo across their 2026 summer season, where students worked in the costume and hair & makeup departments for Teatro’s 2026 productions of The Tempest and Così fan tutte. Students assisted with fittings, alterations, and maintenance of costumes, as well as learning and executing basic stage “looks” with the hair & makeup team, in collaboration with Costume Designer Anabel Simotas and Hair & Makeup Designer Karine Ivey.

At the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, students took part in mock auditions, performance preparation, and professional development activities, receiving feedback from industry professionals and mentors and culminating in offers to join in Teatro Grattacielo’s summer and fall 2026 productions. These participants were introduced to the expectations of a professional rehearsal and performance environment, and some received their first-ever paid employment and professional paycheck through the program.

Creative Tableaux also presented arts-career workshops with Asian Americans for Equality, introducing high school students to possible artistic, technical, and administrative career paths, as well as sessions at Sunset Ridge that brought opera workshops, demonstrations, mock auditions, and live performance to senior residents.

In the community of Sunset Ridge in Brooklyn, part of New York City’s Senior Affordable Rental Apartments Program, Creative Tableaux worked with Tenant Activity Coordinator Victoria Hofmo to facilitate sessions in December, February, and May, immersively introducing seniors in the building to opera. Facilitators included Stefanos Koroneos, who presented in December on the development, direction, and production of operas; Hilary Baboukis, who hosted the February session on auditions and the rehearsal process, including “mock auditions” for community members, with a performance by soprano Lu Huang; and David Santiago, who introduced and unpacked the creative/design process in May. This culminated with community members joining Teatro Grattacielo at their summer 2026 performances to experience the art form they’d been exploring all year!

Our July 2026 production cycle also included Creative Tableaux’s paid student interns across all areas of production: two assistant stage managers, two production assistants, seven assistant costume designers, and four hair & makeup assistants! Their contributions were essential to the success of the operas, and the students received immersive experiences in their chosen area — for many, their first experience in opera, with a fair paycheck, in a positive, supportive community.

The diversity of our participants remains one of the program’s greatest strengths. The recent group included young people from immigrant families representing a wide range of cultural traditions, religions, gender identities, and LGBTQ+ communities, including transgender youth, as well as seniors from a wide socioeconomic background.

We have also learned that some student participants have since been accepted into respected arts schools and conservatories. These outcomes show how access to mentorship, professional expectations, and paid experience can help young people imagine and pursue longer-term educational and career opportunities in the arts.

HISTORY

Creative Tableaux was born through our 2021 program, “Tableaux of Amico Fritz.” Since its launch,, it has served an average of 4,000-5,000 participants per year across the five boroughs, growing and collaborating with schools and community organizations, and creating opportunities for work-based learning internships in all fields related to operatic production and performance, including design, stagehand work, singing, and sustainability in performance.

In May and June 2023, we collaborated with Dominican Academy, Harrison Public Library, several NYC public schools, seniors from the Hudson Guilt, volunteers from God’s Love We Deliver, members and staff of the LGBTQ Center of NY, and more to introduce new audiences to opera through workshops and collaborative activities, and presented Bizet’s Carmen and Mozart’s Don Giovanni. This was followed by our October 2023 collaboration with the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in our mainstage performance of Gaspare Spontini’s La Vestale, and November 2023’s The 10 Faces of Maria Callas, which reached an audience of over 700 enthusiastic attendees.

In June 2024, we expanded Creative Tableaux’s reach by conducting a series of school and community workshops, masterclasses, and work-based learning internships, for a wide group of passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds, including ongoing collaborations with NYC public schools, the Hudson Guilt, God’s Love We Deliver, the LGBTQ Center of NY, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, the High School for Fashion Industries, North Bergen High School. We extended invitations to these enthusiastic participants to our sold-out performances of Donizetti’s Elixir of Love at the Flea Theater on June 1 and 2, 2024.

As part of our commitment to fostering young talent, in 2024, we awarded two outstanding students scholarships [link] through our Creative Tableaux program: Anthony Jimenez Peña (Mexico, 10 years old), in the field of graphic design, and Huntersky Farrell-Conlan (New York, 17 years old), in the field of costume design.

In 2024-25, Teatro Grattacielo continued to expand its commitment to arts education, fostering the next generation of creative minds through hands-on experiences in opera production. We proudly collaborated with students from the High School of Fashion Industries (costume & production internships), Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (creative process workshops & auditions), Seton Hall University (opera immersion and work-based learning internships), North Bergen High School and Harrison Public Library (interactive workshops and community discussions), Pace University (stage management internships), Marist University (sustainable design internship), and The Roundabout Theater (mentorship opportunities, stagehand and lighting design internships) to bring opera to life in dynamic and innovative ways.

We offered more than 25 internships through Creative Tableaux across our 2025 summer season, in the fields of Sustainable Production & Design, Costume Design, Stage Management, and more, as well as featuring students from the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in the chorus of our sold-out production of L’amico Fritz. Learn more about our incredible interns through our Stories page.

DOWNLOAD CREATIVE TABLEAUX’S ONE-PAGE PRESENTATION HERE

DOWNLOAD CREATIVE TABLEAUX’S POWERPOINT PRESENTATION HERE

DOWNLOAD THE COMPREHENSIVE 2024 FULL REPORT HERE

WE WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU!

Creative Tableaux is dedicated to sharing our free, inclusive community programming far and wide across the five boroughs! If you would be interested in bringing Creative Tableaux’s programming to your school or community organization, please reach out to Hilary Baboukis at hilarybaboukis@grattacielo.org. We would be thrilled to hear from you!