Expanding the Reach of “Real Love” 

Thanks to a blossoming new partnership with the Cancer Support Community, starting in March of 2022, Theatre Within’s John Lennon Real Love Project songwriting workshop will be available at no cost to those impacted by cancer in four additional states.  

The award-winning workshop, which launched with the warm support of Yoko Ono in 2014 at the Children’s Hospital in Montefiore in the Bronx, will be led by acclaimed singer-songwriters, The Kennedys (Maura and Pete), who have been fan-favorites at the Annual John Lennon Tribute in New York since first appearing in the concert in 2007.

In a statement, Yoko said, "It's beautiful that Theatre Within is furthering the positive impact of the John Lennon Real Love Project through its partnership with the Cancer Support Community and Gilda’s Club locations. John would have loved that his songs are inspiring cancer patients and survivors to write their own songs." 

Theatre Within first provided the John Lennon Real Love Project to the cancer community in 2015 for teens who had lost a parent. Since then, the workshop has grown and is now provided throughout the year for children, teens and adults.

Joe Raiola, Theatre Within’s Executive/Artistic Director, worked closely with Kelly Hendershot, Senior Director of Partner Support for Cancer Support Community, to make the new initiative possible. 

"Theatre Within has a history of bringing wonderful workshops in creative expression and mindfulness to our network partners in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. We're thrilled through advancements in virtual programming to expand these opportunities to allow more children, teens and families who are impacted by cancer to experience these workshops,” Ms. Hendershot said.

The John Lennon Real Love Project will be available through four regional network partners of the Cancer Support Community: Gilda's Club Kansas City, Gilda's Club Kentuckiana, CSC Central Ohio and CSC Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky.   

In the spring, the MAD Art Workshop, led by longtime MAD Magazine Art Director Sam Viviano, will launch in similar fashion.