< Back to Directory

Natasha Mirny

Dance, Multidisciplinary, Multidisciplinary Art, Performance, Theatre

Creating safe and brave space for students and teachers to find their voices and to discover the joy of creativity and learning/teaching through the art of theater.

About the Artist

 NatashaMirny is a stage director, performer, choreographer, and founder of Happy Theater (https://happytheater.com/). Her background is in pantomime, puppetry, and physical theater. Natasha is also a teaching artist at Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, Inspired Child, and Arts for Learning Maryland. She designs and implements arts integration programs for teachers and students in both public and private schools across the US. For the past seven years Natasha has devised and directed more than ten shows for the audiences of different ages. Her show for young audiences To The Clouds was nominated for Helen Hayes Award as an outstanding theater for young audiences production. Natasha is also a faculty member at National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, where she teaches voice, movement, puppetry and Mikhail Chekhov technique.

Natasha Mirny website Happy Theater

Artist's Statement

Happy Theater to you! Happy Theater is a theatrical group that produces shows for different audiences, from children of 0 to 3 years old to adults. Our shows for children can be brought to classrooms, libraries or theater venues. Our shows are the combination of physical theater, object theater, storytelling, clowning and puppetry. We believe in healing, uniting, educational and inspiring theater. We believe in the theater for the whole family – an interactive experience for parents and children. Education is a very important part of our mission. We create and teach unique theater arts classes and Arts Integration residencies for children and adults in DC, VA and MD. You can view and show your students (ages 1-6yo) our educational videos on the Arts For Learning Maryland Portal and Inspired Child Page. Look for the videos created by Natasha Mirny/Happy Theater.

Featured Work

Photos

Videos

  • NATASHA MIRNY - Teaching Artist and Performer

    See more information about NATASHA MIRNY - Teaching Artist and Performer
    Natasha Mirny is a teaching artist who works with children from 7 months to 18 years old. She creates Arts Integration residencies at schools. Each residency addresses the needs of a particular classroom, it is a unique experience that is custom made to help teachers with the challenges in their classrooms by introducing theater, creative movement and puppetry techniques as the classroom tools for transitions, enhancing learning and engagement.

  • NEST - Assembly for Early Learners about Birds Life Cycle

    See more information about NEST - Assembly for Early Learners about Birds Life Cycle
    Interactive show about the life cycle of a bird for children from 6 months to 6 years old
    In a nest in a tree, an egg is kept warm. Then a Baby Bird hatches! The Baby is fed and nurtured by... the Forest Fairy, and both the Baby and the Fairy begin to explore what it means to grow up, and to learn how to fly, and what it means to be a parent. They feel sunshine and rain, smell flowers, taste berries, and see butterflies. There are surprises. One day, the Baby learns to spread its wings and fly. Take the journey with your own Baby Bird!
    Year: 2020
    Details: Duration: 25-30 minutes

  • ALPHABETISIMO! - Interactive Educational Shadow Theater Assembly

    See more information about ALPHABETISIMO! - Interactive Educational Shadow Theater Assembly
    Where do words and letters go, after we say them, do you know? Some of them turn into shadows and dance and play in my House of Light!

    This is the story of a secret House of Light, where Letters and Words live, play and create stories. Shadow letters turn into shadow characters, shadow characters come out of a shadow house and turn into flat puppets. What do we do, if A -angel falls asleep and its W-wings fly away? Angel and Boy and we all will go on a journey to find the Wings. Together we will run, jump, learn some pantomime moves, recall the alphabet and use our imagination to turn letters into character! And of course we will find the wings, and in the end tired and happy Letters will return home and… fall asleep: Z-Z-Z-Z...


    Goals and Objectives:
    - Introduce shadow puppets as a literacy and science teaching tool
    - Introduce and/or recall alphabet
    - Introduce object transformation (letters into characters) as a great problem solving tool and a foundation for coding and decoding skills (basic reading and math skills)
    - Social-Emotional context - helping your friends
    Details: Duration: 35-40 minutes

  • TO THE CLOUDS - Interactive show about water cycle

    See more information about TO THE CLOUDS - Interactive show about water cycle
    INTERACTIVE SHOW about water cycle
    FOR Families with CHILDREN 0-6 years old
    WITH LIVE MUSIC
    This immersive sensory production invites you to embark on a captivating journey through the mesmerizing cycle of water. It’s a unique and engaging experience that seamlessly weaves together various art forms, including movement, puppet theater, object theater, and the enchanting melodies of live baroque guitar music.

Booking

Booking Price: $500-$1,000

Booking price depends on the program you are interested in.
Please email myhappytheater@gmail.com or call +15164151885

Available to travel anywhere in Maryland

Arts in Education

Audiences Types: Early Childhood (0-3 years old), Grades Pre-K – 2, Grades 3-5, Educators

Shadow Theater Residency for K-12 classrooms.

NEST - assembly for preK and K and daycares - a puppet show about the life cycle of birds. With live music. (happytheater.com/nest)

TO THE CLOUDS - assembly for preK and K and daycares - a show about the water cycle. With live music. (happytheater.com/totheclouds)

THE LIGHT HOUSE - assembly for preK through 5th grade - a storytelling and shadow theater show about friendship and finding your light. With live music. (happytheater.com/lighthouse)

Dancing Through Your Storytime - Professional development workshop for elementary school teachers and educators who work with infants and toddlers.

From Natasha Mirny: “I created this workshop to share the joy and playfulness of physical storytelling theater and its magic tools that can be used to engage students, build the community, enhance reading and comprehension skills, bring fun, creativity and social emotional components into your literacy time.”