Author Jonathan Shmidt Chapman

Jonathan Shmidt Chapman

Jonathan Shmidt Chapman currently serves as the Executive Director of TYA/USA. He is an artist, producer, writer, curator, and educator dedicated to the field of Theatre for Young Audiences. Throughout his career, Jonathan has been passionate about innovation, experimentation and advocacy in the TYA field. Most recently, Jonathan served as the first Producer of Family Programming at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, creating ways to re-imagine the Lincoln Center campus as an international arts destination for families. Jonathan is also the Co-Founder of New York’s Trusty Sidekick Theater Company. He led the company through five years of growth and the creation of 12 original works, including the critically-acclaimed Up and Away (a multi-sensory, immersive experience for young people on the autism spectrum). Recent artistic credits include co-creator of The Cerulean Time Capsule for the Kennedy Center, and director of the world premiere of The Boy at the Edge of Everything (Finegan Kruckemeyer) at Seattle Children’s Theatre. He has held artistic and education-focused roles at The New Victory Theater, True Colors Youth Theatre, and the Cloud Foundation.

  • Editorial 01.04.21

    Five Lessons that the TYA Field Needs to Learn from Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical (Or, Why You Should Be Paying Close Attention to the TikTok Musical Movement)

    By Jonathan Shmidt Chapman
  • Feature 09.23.20

    TYA in 2020 Reaching Young Audiences and Rededicating to Mission in the Face of Emergency

    By Jonathan Shmidt Chapman
  • Interview 11.17.19

    Take a Closer Look Inside the UP CLOSE Festival of Immersive Theatre for Young Audiences

    By Jonathan Shmidt Chapman
  • Field News 01.22.19

    Touch, Taste, Hear, and Feel the Story X Marks the Spot at Chicago Children's Theatre

    By Jonathan Shmidt Chapman
  • Editorial 10.31.18

    An Engine for Empathy TYA in a World of Rising Hatred

    By Jonathan Shmidt Chapman
  • Field News 08.06.18

    National TYA Season Preview Most Produced Titles and Trends of 2018/2019

    By Jonathan Shmidt Chapman
  • Artist Q & A 05.10.18

    Magic in a Still Image An interview with TYA Photographer Alexis Buatti-Ramos

    By Jonathan Shmidt Chapman
  • Editorial 03.20.18

    8 Reasons TYA is Vital in 2018 A Message for World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People

    By Jonathan Shmidt Chapman
  • Interview 02.20.18

    Art after the Unthinkable Three Perspectives on TYA and School Violence

    By Jonathan Shmidt Chapman
  • Editorial 08.16.17

    Responding to Hate with Art and Action TYA as a Force of Change

    By Jonathan Shmidt Chapman