Drama Free!

We are pleased to present the Legacy of Service Award to New York Nonprofit, Drama Free!

Drama Free! uses theater arts and education to empower at-risk youth and teens. The organization offers a range of activities, including acting workshops, yoga, fencing, dancing classes, and more, serving as therapeutic outlets for youth. Since its inception, Drama Free! has brought its transformative programs to The Children’s Village, where it continues to host night classes and theater showcases aimed at teaching youth how to channel negative energy and develop a solid sense of self-esteem. The organization has attracted notable figures such as actors Harry Lennix, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and our Master of Ceremonies for the Dinner Mika’il “Obi” Sankofa, who have lent their expertise to its workshops.

The Legacy of Service Award  will be accepted by Shabaya Clark.

Founder and former CV resident Shabaya Clark used the films he watched as a kid to mentally escape the perils of the impoverished environment he was living in, but he eventually turned to the streets to fill a void. During his adolescence, he spent time as a resident at CV where he decided he wanted to change his life for the better. Inspired by his CV mentor and college acting class—Clark wanted to work towards being a positive example for other teens who had come from similar upbringings and experienced setbacks.

“Acting became therapeutic for me and it made me see things in a different light… It was acting that prompted me to separate myself from certain people who were going down the wrong path… Seeing what the arts did for me, I knew that it could do the same for others.” -Shabaya Clark