Halfway Through the Garden: What We’ve Learned on the Road

We’ve been running The Garden 2026 fall tour for the last few weeks. It’s a good moment to pause and look back at where we’ve been. The first few weekends brought rain, quick pivots, and full houses. They also brought some of the clearest proof yet of why we make theater the way we do.

An opening day indoors

Our first weekend of shows was rainy, so we learned fast how to bring an outdoor show inside. Our incredible partners made that possible. We opened in the Discovery Room at the American Museum of Natural History, a space built for the museum’s youngest visitors. We set the show beside the giant tree at the center of the room, and it was a beautiful setting for the world of The Garden.

Opening day had a lot of last-minute changes, and it was a long, intense day. We performed two full shows. Our invited guests included several Broadway actors, but what was even more exciting was that, for many of the families that attended, The Garden was their child’s very first show. That’s exactly the moment we make this work for.

We owe a huge thank-you to our friends at New Victory and the American Museum of Natural History. Their staff did a lot of work behind the scenes so opening day could run smoothly through every change.

“What is that?”

Then came Staten Island, and two days that captured everything we’re trying to do with this show.

On Saturday we performed at Stapleton Houses. Before the first performance, our founder Jess Kaufman asked one young boy if he wanted to come see a show. He asked, “What is that?” He had never been to a theater show and wanted to know what you do at one. Jess told him you start by watching and listening, and then you get to do whatever feels fun for you. He said okay.

Many of the kids that day were skeptical, and a lot of them were older than our usual audience, around seven, eight, and nine. But they were won over fast. From the moment Milkweed floated past them, they were all in. Every child stayed for the whole show, and our second performance was a full house. At the end, that same boy turned to Jess and said, “This was actually a really good movie.”

We’ll take it.

Parents shared their reactions too. One mom told us the show “was refreshing. It was new. In my environment, we don’t have things like this.” One dad was so excited that he told us to start recording before we asked him anything: “This was a great, great show. Y’all gotta bring your kids. It was so great. It was so relaxing.”

From Stapleton to Snug Harbor

Sunday’s show was at Snug Harbor, and this is where the weekend came together.

Snug Harbor sent a representative to our Saturday shows at Stapleton Houses. Before the show she told families about the Staten Island Children’s Museum at Snug Harbor. She made sure they knew it’s free and that they’re welcome, and she explained how to get there by bus or car.

The next day, that same dad made the trip from Stapleton Houses to Snug Harbor, a place his family had never visited. He brought his older child, who hadn’t seen the show yet. He also brought another family from Stapleton Houses with him.

This is the work we care about most. Ticket price is only one of the barriers between families and the arts. It also matters whether a place feels like it’s for you, whether you know how to get there, and whether anyone has ever invited you in. Snug Harbor went out to Stapleton and welcomed families in person. The next day, some of those families walked into a cultural center in their own borough for the first time, one that was there for them all along.

That’s radical access in practice: a performance in their own neighborhood that led them to a cultural center in their borough.

Both Snug Harbor shows were full houses. There was a little rain, but we kept going. One of our teaching artists from New Victory kept a matching umbrella over one of our performer’s clarinet for the whole second show so the music could keep playing. Team work really does make the dream work.

What’s ahead

The second half of the tour is underway. Our Bronx performance was rained out and has been rescheduled for October 25. Coming up next are Abrons/Vladek, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for dry skies.

If you’ve been to a show, thank you for being part of it. If you haven’t yet, we’d love to see you out there. Every performance is free for families. Tickets can be found here.

See you at The Garden.

Eco-Histories of Socrates Sculpture Park

By Lisa Kitchens

The Eco-History of Socrates Sculpture Park

Where you are right now is part of Lenapehoking, which is the Lenape name for the Lenape homeland (this includes all of NYC). Socrates Sculpture Park sits on the original homelands of the Munsee Lenape Nation and the Matinecock Nation. They have lived on and stewarded this land for thousands of years. In the 17th century during the colonization of America, European settlers inhumanely forced them out of their homeland leaving them displaced across the country. While reparations are still needed, over the years people from the Lenape Nation and Matinecock Nation have moved back to their homeland and live here in NYC.

This park sits where the Harlem and East River merge, and in the late 1700s was considered a dangerous channel for ships to navigate because of its powerful tides and rocky shores. In 1876, the dangerous rocky outcroppings were blasted away, making way for ease of navigation. Over the next century, sadly, this waterfront land became an illegal dumping site and an abandoned landfill. It wasn’t until 1985 that local sculptor Mark di Suervo, along with a coalition of other local artists and community members, founded an outdoor sculpture laboratory known as Socrates Sculpture Park. The park, named for the Greek philosopher as well as a tribute to Astoria’s large Greek community, underwent years of restoration with the support of community members. It became a new model for engagement with the arts and place. This public park–an outdoor laboratory, an art gallery, and a community space–is truly a one-of-a-kind treasure in NYC!

Socrates Sculpture Park : NYC Parks. (2025). Nycgovparks.Org. https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/socrates-sculpture-park

Socrates Sculpture Park. (n.d.). Socrates Sculpture Park. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://socratessculpturepark.org/

Eco-Histories of The Vladek Houses

By Lisa Kitchens

The Eco-History of The Vladek Houses

Where you are right now is part of Lenapehoking, which is the Lenape name for the Lenape homeland (this includes all of NYC). The Vladek Houses at Corlears Hook Park sit on the original homeland of the Munsee Lenape Nation. They have lived on and stewarded this land for thousands of years. In the 17th century during the colonization of America, European settlers inhumanely forced them out of their homeland leaving them displaced across the country. While reparations are still needed, over the years some Lenape people have moved back to their homeland and live here in NYC.

Where you are right now was once marshland! Because of its gradual coastal incline, the Lenape people used it to land canoes, and later, in the 1600s, Dutch settlers used it to unload transport vessels. Then, in the 1800s, during the rise of industrialization and immigration, there was pressure put on the city to create a park that could be used by residents of the tenement housing in the neighborhood. The city purchased Corlears Hook Park in 1893 and opened it in 1905. Through the years, the park has seen many changes, including the construction of FDR Drive. Now, connected to the East River Park by footbridges and paths, Corlears Hook Park offers the neighborhood fresh air, recreation, and community connections.

Nearby, the Vladeck Houses are named in honor of Baruch Charney Vladeck, a Jewish political activist who was appointed to the New York City Housing Authority in 1934 to help address the city’s housing problems. Vladeck was a dedicated advocate for low-cost public housing for working New Yorkers. Because of his tireless efforts toward better living conditions, the Vladeck Houses were named in his honor.

Corlears Hook Park Highlights : NYC Parks. (2026). Nycgovparks.Org. https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/corlears-hook-park/history

Vladeck Park Highlights : NYC Parks. (2026). Nycgovparks.Org. https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/vladeck-park/history

Eco-Histories of The Abrons Arts Center and Henry Street Settlement

By Lisa Kitchens

The Eco-History of Abrons Arts Center and Henry Street Settlement

Where you are right now is part of Lenapehoking, which is the Lenape name for the Lenape homeland (this includes all of NYC). Abrons Arts Center sits on the original homeland of the Munsee Lenape Nation. They have lived on and stewarded this land for thousands of years. In the 17th century during the colonization of America, European settlers inhumanely forced them out of their homeland leaving them displaced across the country. While reparations are still needed, over the years some Lenape people have moved back to their homeland and live here in NYC.

In the late 19th century, many immigrants moving to NYC were living in tenement housing in the Lower East Side. In 1893, humanitarian and nurse Lillian Wald moved to the LES with a mission to help care for the impoverished. Two years later, with the help of benefactor Jacob Schiff, Wald established Henry Street Settlement, offering social services to the neighborhood. One of Wald’s core beliefs was that the arts were essential to an individual’s well-being and should be accessible to all, regardless of income.

Guided by Wald’s mission, originally founded in 1975 and known as the Arts for Living Center, Abrons Arts Center offers LES residents high-quality, affordable artistic experiences grounded in the immigrant and working-class history and culture of the neighborhood. Abrons is the only comprehensive arts and culture center embedded within a social service agency in NYC and is truly a beloved part of NYC.

History | Abrons Arts Center. (2026). History | Abrons Arts Center. https://www.abronsartscenter.org/about/history

About - Henry Street Settlement. (2016). In Henry Street Settlement. https://www.henrystreet.org/about/

Eco-Histories of The Albany Houses

By Lisa Kitchens

The Eco-History of The Albany Houses

Get to know the park!

Where you are right now is part of Lenapehoking, which is the Lenape name for the Lenape homeland (this includes all of NYC). Albany Houses sit on the original homeland of the Munsee Lenape Nation. They have lived on and stewarded this land for thousands of years. In the 17th century, during the colonization of America, European settlers inhumanely forced them out of their homeland leaving them displaced across the country. While reparations are still needed, over the years some Lenape people have moved back to their homeland and live here in NYC.

In 1636, the Dutch established this area of Brooklyn, but it wasn’t officially known as Bedford Stuyvesant until much later. Over the years, this neighborhood has seen a lot of history! In the mid-1800s Weeksville, one of the earliest free Black communities in the nation, was established right here in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights. In the mid-1900s during the Great Migration, the area became home to Black men and women moving from the South and the West Indies. By the 1960s it was known as Brooklyn’s own “Little Harlem.”

Albany Houses came to the neighborhood in the early 1950s. In response to the housing shortage in the city, Albany Houses was built as a public housing project providing affordable housing to the residents. Over the years, Albany Houses has seen a lot of changes in the neighborhood, and through it all, have remained a cornerstone of the Bed-Stuy community for over 70 years!

About Us. (2019, December 27). Albany Houses. https://albanyhouses.us/about-us/

Alexander, O., & Alexander, O. (2025, February 16). Bedford Stuyvesant, New York (1636- ). BlackPast.Org. https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/bedford-stuyvesant-new-york-1636/

Eco-Histories of The Rev. Dr. Maggie Howard Playground at Stapleton Houses and Snug Harbor

By Lisa Kitchens

The Eco-History of Rev. Dr. Maggie Howard Playground at Stapleton Houses

Where you are right now is part of Lenapehoking, which is the Lenape name for the Lenape homeland (this includes all of NYC). The Rev Dr. Maggie Howard Playground sits on the original homeland of the Munsee Lenape Nation. They have lived on and stewarded this land for thousands of years. In the 17th century during the colonization of America, European settlers inhumanely forced them out of their homeland leaving them displaced across the country. While reparations are still needed, over the years some Lenape people have moved back to their homeland and live here in NYC.

Long before it was a playground, this area of Staten Island was known for its hillsides, farms and even fresh springs. The neighborhood of Stapleton was officially founded in 1836, and because of its waterfront access, by 1870 it was considered the commercial center of Staten Island. It wasn’t until years later, in 1947, that the City of New York bought this land and decided to turn it into a playground for the local school and the general public to use. Officially opening in 1951, this park has been offering New Yorkers recreation and respite for years.

In 2020, the park was renamed to honor of Reverend Dr. Maggie Howard, a born and raised New Yorker who lived in the Stapleton Houses and served her community through advocacy for education and social justice. The park also got a huge makeover with an increase in accessibility and quality, including new play equipment and a mini pool. The Rev Dr Maggie Howard Playground is a beloved part of the neighborhood, offering fresh air, recreation, and community connections.

The Eco-History of Snug Harbor

Where you are right now is part of Lenapehoking, which is the Lenape name for the Lenape homeland (this includes all of NYC). The Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens sit on the original homeland of the Munsee Lenape Nation. They have lived on and stewarded this land for thousands of years. In the 17th century during the colonization of America, European settlers inhumanely forced them out of their homeland leaving them displaced across the country. While reparations are still needed, over the years some Lenape people have moved back to their homeland and live here in NYC.

In 1801 when the heir to a large shipping fortune, Robert Richard Randall, passed away, he left his money to be used to create a rest home for worn-out, retired sailors. That’s how Snug Harbor was founded! Snug Harbor grew to house over 900 residents with their own farm, a bakery, a power plant, a hospital, and a cemetery. It wasn’t until the mid-1900s when government programs like Medicare and Social Security were founded, that the sailors of Snug Harbor started to leave and the buildings began to fall apart.

But local communities knew how much Snug Harbor meant to the city, and with their help, Snug Harbor Cultural Center was founded in 1975 as a cultural landmark and center. In 2008, Staten Island Botanical Gardens and Snug Harbor merged to form what it is today. Now, Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens is home to historical architectural buildings, fourteen lush gardens, art and music programs, and educational offerings. It is truly a loved part of the New York City community.

Sources

Rev. Dr. Maggie Howard Playground : NYC Parks. (2020). Nycgovparks.Org. https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/rev-dr-maggie-howard-playground

Rev. Dr. Maggie Howard Playground Highlights : NYC Parks. (2020). Nycgovparks.Org. https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/rev-dr-maggie-howard-playground/history

“History.” Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, 7 Dec. 2018, snug-harbor.org/about-us/history.

“Snug Harbor Cultural Center: NYC Parks.” Official Website of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, www.nycgovparks.org/parks/sailors-snug-harbor.

Eco-Histories of The American Museum of Natural History and Mill-Pond Park

By Lisa Kitchens

The Eco-History of The American Museum of Natural History

Where you are right now is part of Lenapehoking, which is the Lenape name for the Lenape homeland (this includes all of NYC). The American Museum of Natural History sits on the original homeland of the Munsee Lenape Nation. They have lived on and stewarded this land for thousands of years. In the 17th century during the colonization of America, European settlers inhumanely forced them out of their homeland leaving them displaced across the country. While reparations are still needed, over the years some Lenape people have moved back to their homeland and live here in NYC.

In 1861, Albert Smith Bickmore, an American naturalist with big ideas, began devising the idea of an American natural history museum while studying zoology at Harvard and after visiting European natural history museums. After several years of dreaming and planning, Bickmore’s proposal was successful in 1869. It wasn’t until 1877 that the first building opened on 77th St. Over the years, the museum has grown and evolved with the city and the world. It now houses about 32 million specimens of plants, animals, fungi, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, and human cultural artifacts. The museum has full-time scientific staff and sponsors scientific field expeditions every year that further their mission “to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world.”

Across the street from Central Park and sitting in a park itself (Theodore Roosevelt Park, managed by the Parks and Rec Dept), the land around you is a refuge to the people of New York, the dogs of New York (thanks to Bull Moose Dog Run!), migratory birds traveling the Atlantic Flyway, and travelers visiting this iconic institution. It is truly a loved part of the New York City community.

The Eco-History of Mill-Pond Park

Where you are right now is part of Lenapehoking, which is the Lenape name for the Lenape homeland (this includes all of NYC). The Bronx Children’s Museum and Mill Pond Park sit on the original homeland of the Munsee Lenape Nation. They have lived on and stewarded this land for thousands of years. In the 17th century during the colonization of America, European settlers inhumanely forced them out of their homeland leaving them displaced across the country. While reparations are still needed, over the years some Lenape people have moved back to their homeland and live here in NYC.

Mill Pond Park used to be the location of a pond that helped power a gristmill (which is how it got its name!). Back in 1813, developer Robert Maccomb built a dam on the Harlem River to help power his gristmill (a gristmill is a machine that helps grind grains into flour or meal). The dam was later torn down because it blocked access to the Harlem River, but the memory of the pond remained. Through the years, this land has been home to railyards, factories, and in 1935, the Bronx Terminal Market–providing wholesale fruits and vegetables to the locals.

In 2009, Mill Pond Park opened for the community! With tennis courts, landscaped picnic areas, an outdoor classroom, and waterfront views for the community, Mill Pond Park became a favorite spot in the neighborhood. In 2022, the beloved traveling Bronx Children’s Museum decided to make this park its permanent home, creating a place where children and families can learn, play, and discover together.

Sources

Mill Pond Park : NYC Parks. (2025). In Nycgovparks.org.

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/mill-pond-park

Mill Pond Park, Bronx. (2017, May 19). Hidden Waters Blog. https://hiddenwatersblog.wordpress.com/2017/05/19/millpondbx/

American Museum of Natural History. (2019). About the Museum | American Museum of Natural History. In American Museum of Natural History. https://www.amnh.org/about

Theodore Roosevelt Park Highlights : NYC Parks. (2026). Nycgovparks.Org. https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/theodore-roosevelt-park/history

Why We Open Our Books

We often talk about the approximate 72 cents of every donated dollar that goes directly to artists. It's a number we're proud of, and one that reflects our budgeting priorities over time rather than a fixed promise attached to every dollar we raise. The real story behind that number is based in the philosophy that produces it, and the two practices we build that philosophy on: open book management and a formal pay equity policy.

Open books, on principle

We practice open book management, a concept common in the business world that we first encountered through producing theater on a shoestring budget. The idea is straightforward. Anyone working on a Flying Leap project can see that project's budget at any time, and anyone on our admin team can see both project budgets and our overall operating budget.

We think this matters because of what our industry actually looks like. We live in an economy that doesn't have much room for what we do. Theater isn't a luxury good, and it isn't mass replicable, so it struggles to fit a model built around scale and margin. That mismatch tends to produce an extractive ecosystem, where artists are underpaid and it's genuinely hard to tell who, if anyone, is profiting.

We can’t independently change the economy in which we operate, but opening our books is our answer to addressing those built in inequities. It does two things.

First, it helps people understand why we set rates the way we do and where our financial priorities sit, which builds trust and gives people room to push back on us. Someone might look at a budget and say a line item feels unfair, and that conversation only happens if the budget is visible in the first place. 

Second, it opens up opportunities. A collaborator might offer to do part of a job in kind to build their portfolio, or point us toward a college intern looking for credit, or mention a Materials for the Arts membership we can use for free. Transparency turns the budget into something collaborative instead of something guarded.

What our pay equity policy actually promises

Our pay equity policy is the second pillar of financial transparency, and it's public on our website. We commit to meeting or exceeding whichever is higher: the MIT Living Wage Calculator figure for where a given artist lives, or the comparable union or guild rate for that kind of work when one exists.

Those two benchmarks come from different places. The union and guild rates tell us what the theater industry itself considers standard, for example what an actor earns on a TYA tour under an Equity contract. The MIT calculator, run by the Living Wage Institute, tells us what someone actually needs to earn to live in a specific place, and it's almost always the higher of the two figures. Because our artists and touring partners live in different cities, this means our rates flex by location. As one example we checked while writing this, the living wage for a single adult with no children in Kings County, New York was $32.48 an hour, and it drops closer to $21 an hour per adult in a two-adult household with no children. Those numbers update roughly annually, so we recheck our own rate table against the calculator regularly to make sure we're still in compliance with our own standard.

We also look to W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy, found at wageforwork.com), which sets suggested pay rates for artists across visual and performing arts based on an organization's operating budget tier. W.A.G.E. certifies both organizations that meet its standards and individual artists who commit to turning down underpaying work. Between union and guild rates, the MIT Living Wage Calculator, and W.A.G.E.'s broader arts-economy view, we're triangulating fair pay from three different directions rather than relying on any single standard.

Being honest about the limits

None of this solves the underlying problem. We work in an industry where even Broadway actors often don't earn enough to live comfortably, and no organization our size can single-handedly fix that. 

What we can do, while we don't live in an economy where every artist gets paid what they deserve, is make transparency the best available interim practice. We try to build a rehearsal and production environment where people are treated with respect, paid as well as we're able, and able to cover rent and groceries with what we pay them, even when that's not the number we wish we could offer. The quality of that experience is part of the compensation too. You can work in far worse conditions for a lot less money, and we're trying hard not to be that.

That's what sits underneath the 72 cents. Not a guarantee stamped on every donation, but a running record of an organization trying to be honest, in public, about where the money goes and why.

If you’d like to make it easier for us to pay our artists what we think they deserve, make a tax-deductible donation today.