Layer the Walls
Two Puppet Pieces about New York Immigration History
Tickets $10 or $11 (depending on venue)
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ABOUT LAYER THE WALLS:
In one Lower East Side tenement, forty layers of wallpaper were found clinging to the walls - each piece applied by a new immigrant family. Using puppetry, masks and live action, Layer the Walls tells the incredible stories held within each layer. Through these stories, young audiences engage their imagination and creativity, build empathy, and better understand current events through a historical lens.
TWO DIFFERENT SHOWS:
This year, we are offering TWO different Layer the Walls experiences. Both are centered in the same tenement apartment. Layer the Walls Part I and Part II illuminate stories from different time periods. Both pieces stand alone. Bring your students to see the stories most relevant to your classroom. Look below to find out more about the content.
LAYER THE WALLS PART I: Turn of the Century (1870-1909)
Perfect for Grades 2-8 * Run time 60 minutes
*An Irish father is forced to take a dangerous job building the Brooklyn Bridge
*Italian brothers survive discrimination and The Great Blizzard of 1888
* Russian Jewish girls must decide if they will join the 1909 Garment Workers' Strike
LAYER THE WALLS PART II: Midcentury (1930-1970)
Perfect for Grades 3-12 * Run time 65 minutes
*A Chinese father swims across the Hudson River to save his family
* A Teen Holocaust survivor finds home in NYC
*Puerto Rican cousins become involved with the Young Lords’ fight for healthcare justice
“Layer the Walls Part II is a thoughtfully created masterpiece that exposes young people to history in an appropriate and engaging way.”
“I loved seeing how entranced my girls were by the show. Their excitement was palpable afterwards.”
“I’d like to commend the company that put on one of the best shows I have ever seen. As an educator for 22 years in the NYCDOE I was in awe as to how the performers engaged the students through each of their senses and used multiple types of performance arts; A standing ovation all around! I can’t wait to bring my children next year! Thank you again!”
““Thank you for giving our kids an opportunity to see a performance that helps bring history to life. It was relevant, engaging, and crucial during this time in our history.””
“The story, combined with puppetry, was incredibly moving and had far more effect than a text. ”
““We have been doing cultural engagement programming for the past ten years and without question nothing has been more impactful than Layer the Walls.””
Find Out More:
See Our Curriculum & Education Guide
Learn About Our Virtual Programs
*Layer the Walls images by Hyphen Photography — Videography for Part I by Treeam. Videography for Part II by Azmi Mert Erdem and Michael Wilson, edited by Julia Sharpe-Levine.