ABOUT US

Mini Misfits Origin 

Following the success of Playground Theater Project’s performances of William Mastrosimone’s powerful play, Bang, Bang You’re Dead at the New York City International Fringe Festival, two of Actors Playground’s youngest students, Gillian Andresen and Dixie O’Connell came up with the idea of creating a younger version of the theater company. When they approached company director Ralph Colombino with the idea, he absolutely loved it. He thought that maybe the same peer to peer philosophy that Playground Theater Project used with the teen company could also work with a younger company. He put together some of Actors Playground’s very best young students who he felt were not only strong actors but leaders as well. At the very first rehearsal he asked the kids what the company should be about. For the next hour, he listened to each cast member talk about their experiences being bullied and how it negatively affected their lives. They also talked about other anti-bullying programs  they had seen at school assemblies. The kids expressed that many of these presentations were frivolous, condescending and, most importantly, did not get the message across. The mission was clear; create an anti-bullying program that students will find enjoyable, relatable and truly impactful. Ralph went home that very night and, using many of the ideas he gathered from the cast, wrote the very first version of the anti-bullying play the company would be performing for the next fourteen years—The Gaggle. 

First Performances

Even in the shows’ infancy, what we realized right away was that our peer to peer philosophy was working. Our audiences were actually paying attention. At every performance, the play was met with cheering, laughter, and applause. Moreover, during each post show Q&A, it was obvious to everyone involved that the message got through. The show only grew from there.