The Shoreline Theater Academy began in 2006 as Kidz Konnection, a youth theater company founded by Artistic Director Laura Attanasio in Clinton, Connecticut. Dedicated to educating young people in the performing arts, the Academy’s mission is to foster self-empowerment and leadership skills, cultivating strong, community-oriented leaders of the future. Each year, Kidz Konnection reaches hundreds of children across Connecticut, producing 14 shows in a variety of genres and styles for the local community.

Zip to Script: Empowering Youth Through Original Theater

The Academy's newest initiative, Zip to Script, launched in 2023 to support young artists in creating original works that address pressing social issues affecting their generation. Through collaborative workshops, students write, produce, and perform original material that highlights challenges faced by today’s teens while building meaningful connections with their peers. These performances aim to spark awareness and dialogue, fostering understanding and positive change within communities.

The program’s goal is twofold:

Empowerment Through Creativity: Students discover their potential and purpose, building confidence and leadership skills.
Raising Awareness: The original works are shared with local, national, and international audiences, serving as a catalyst for open discussions about critical topics such as mental health, identity, and social pressures.

Completed projects are performed for diverse audiences and may be further developed into educational curricula for other youth programs seeking similar support for their communities.

Transforming Challenges into Art

Through Zip to Script, teens collaborate with professional playwrights and composers in focused workshops. Together, they explore topics that resonate deeply with their experiences and transform these discussions into powerful theatrical productions. This year, the program’s first full play with music has received recognition from educators, industry leaders, and foundations. It has even garnered a letter of endorsement from Senator Chris Murphy.

The production has been selected for the prestigious 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, providing young artists with an opportunity to share their work on an international stage. Locally, the play has also been invited to multiple festivals and schools, showcasing the impact of youth-led storytelling.

Our Vision and Call to Action

Zip to Script strives to ensure every child, regardless of financial status, can participate in this extraordinary program. By engaging in a global exchange of ideas, participants not only grow as artists but also as global citizens. To achieve this, we are fundraising to:

Provide a safe, inclusive space for emerging artists to develop their work.
Cover costs associated with hiring industry professionals for mentorship and development.
Support travel and accommodations for 15 dedicated youth artists to attend national and international theater festivals.
Fund the publication and dissemination of educational materials for schools and civic organizations.

A Global Impact

Our ultimate vision is for Zip to Script to serve as a blueprint for communities worldwide. The curriculum, derived from these original works, will encourage dialogue among teens, educators, parents, civic leaders, and government officials, addressing the challenges young people face in today’s complex world. By fostering creative expression and collaboration, we hope to inspire meaningful change and build a stronger, more empathetic society.

The kids who grow up at Kidz Konnection find a safe environment to be themselves, a community to discover purpose in life, and a family where they belong. To hear the impact Kidz Konnection has had on previous alum visit: https://youtu.be/2eKKN4CZJFM?si=oWFYxoFC12Lo3jIE I am deeply grateful for any support you might give. My deepest and most sincere gratitude, Ms. Laura

Kidz Konnection

Campaign to Support Local Emerging Artists