Matinee + Workshop
Student Matinees with a Creative Workshop
A theater matinee followed by an interactive session with the creative team.
At The Kind MIND, we use the power of theater to help students discover their voice, build meaningful connections, and develop essential life skills. By engaging students through theater matinees, creative workshops, impactful storytelling, improvisation, conversations and performance, young people learn to express themselves with confidence while having fun in an inclusive environment.
Whether we're working with an entire school, a single classroom, or a small group, every program is designed to inspire creativity, encourage empathy, and celebrate each student's unique potential.
Our core programming combines creativity and social-emotional learning to create experiences that go beyond the stage. Students develop confidence, communication skills, teamwork, resilience, and emotional awareness — all while exploring the magical world of the theater.
Our workshops are designed for students of all abilities and experience levels, creating welcoming spaces where everyone feels valued and empowered to participate.
Our Mission
Theater as a practice of presence
We work with mental health professionals, youth programming professionals, and theater creatives to bring meaningful arts education to students who need it most. Our programs are grounded in the belief that theater — as a way of being together — builds the social and emotional skills students carry with them long after the session ends.
Our Approach
Meeting students where they are
We don't ask students to perform. We ask them to listen, respond, and be present with each other. Our methodology draws on ensemble theater practice, social-emotional learning research, and the direct experience of our teaching artists — who are themselves practitioners, not just facilitators.
Curated theater experiences for students
Programs that meet students where they are.
Designed in collaboration with youth programming professionals, mental health professionals, and theater creatives — built around discussion, reflection, peer-to-peer connection, and the genuine craft of performance.
How we work
Theater as a way of being together —not a performance metric.
We teach kindness by experience, not instruction. Students step inside stories, reflect on what they discover, and carry those feelings into how they treat one another — building compassion, communication, and resilience along the way.
Who we are
A team built around the work.
Stacie Weisbrot
Founder
Stacie Weisbrot is an educator, theater producer, and creative learning leader dedicated to helping children thrive through the power of connection, creativity, and emotional well-being. Drawing on years of experience in theater, special events, and education, she brings a dynamic approach to social-emotional learning, blending educational programming and mental health-centered initiatives, where students feels seen, safe, and inspired to lead with kindness. At The Kind MIND, Stacie's mission is to bridge the performing arts, mindfulness, and evidence-based educational practices to support collaboration, resilience, and compassion for one another.
Paloma Garcia
Programming Associate
Paloma is a New York–based triple-threat. A graduate of New York University's BFA Drama program, she has performed in productions including Twelfth Night, Three Sisters, The Office Plays, and Fefu and Her Friends, and has appeared in several independent short films, including Over My Dead Body, Blowing Up Your Life, and Nothing Sweet. Her training includes the William Esper Studio's Two-Year Meisner Program, RADA, Atlantic Acting School, The Lee Strasberg Institute, and the International Theatre Workshop in Amsterdam. In addition to her work as an actor, Paloma serves as the Producing Associate for Stacie and Steven Weisbrot's theater production company, Second Set, and has been working behind the curtain to share research, assist in marketing initiatives, and launch theater programs and special events.
Our Advisory Board
Diane Nicoletti
Creative Director & Producer
A creative director and producer behind major fan experiences and brand activations — from the Game of Thrones Fan Experience to Super Bowl and Comic-Con — and founder of the experiential agency Rubik Marketing.
Janie Slavens
Educator & Nonprofit Leader
Interim EVP of the Educational Theatre Foundation, expanding access to school theater nationwide, with a decade as a classroom drama and dance teacher.
Ann James
Broadway Advocate & Sensitivity Specialist
Broadway's first Black Intimacy Coordinator (Pass Over); credits include Hamilton, The Outsiders, Sweeney Todd, and Parade.
Sammy Lopez
Producer & Theater-Maker
A Tony Award-winning producer and co-founder of P3 Productions (A Strange Loop, Sunset Blvd., How to Dance in Ohio) and Producing Director of New York City Children's Theater.
Matthew D. Lerner, Ph.D.
Autism Researcher & Clinical Psychologist
Associate Professor at Drexel University's AJ Drexel Autism Institute and co-founder of the Stony Brook Autism Initiative, researching the social experiences and evidence-based support of autistic people.
Shoshana Parets
Commercial Theater Producer
Lead commercial producer of the new musical MYTHIC and founder of SHO Productions, with 25+ years across Broadway, the Tony Awards, television, and family entertainment.
Mental Health Partners
Meredith Wolff
Philanthropic Consultant
Founder of Seek to Be LLC, a philanthropic consulting firm for high-impact giving across sports and entertainment, with a sustained focus on youth mental health and well-being.
Sharon Feldstein
Entrepreneur & Nonprofit Founder
A multifaceted entrepreneur across costume design, styling, trend forecasting, and expert management — creator of the “Sparkle Cell Phone” and founder of the nonprofit Your Mom Cares, which she led until closing it in 2025.