The MAD Art Workshop Comes to Covenant House New York for Youth in Crisis

With the MAD Art Workshop, led by MAD Magazine Art Director Emeritus Sam Viviano, Theatre Within is once again serving youth in crisis through its partnership with Covenant House New York (CHNY).

CHNY’s mission is to help young people find safety and refuge from the dangers of living on the streets. As the largest provider of runaway and homeless youth services in New York City, CHNY serves over 1,600 young adults annually. 

Following the success of the John Lennon Real Love Project at CHNY in the fall of 2022, Theatre Within Executive/Artistic Director Joe Raiola - who was an editor at MAD Magazine and colleague of Viviano’s for over 30 years — was eager to return with a different program.

"MAD Art seemed like a natural fit,” Raiola said, “not only because it’s such fun but because Sam is a wonderful teacher who loves working with young people.” 

Since creating MAD Art for Theatre Within in 2017, Viviano has led countless workshops for children, teens and adults impacted by cancer. Workshop participants receive basic instruction in the art of caricature, of which Viviano is an acclaimed master, and then get to work themselves.   

“It’s such a pleasure leading workshops for kids and teens because they tend to be less inhibited than adults,” noted Viviano. "With just a little encouragement they’re raring to go.” 

The four summer MAD Art workshops at CHNY are the first to be held on-site since the onset of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. 

Viviano said, “Leading workshops on Zoom is fine, but there’s nothing like being in the same room with everyone.”