Announcing PlayDate babysitting for Theatregoers

Kathleen Register (L), the Very Rev. Miguelina Howell (C), and Shanice Outar (R) with PlayDate guests. Photo courtesy: C. Oliver/Hartford Stage

HARTFORD, CT — Hartford Stage and Christ Church Cathedral are partnering to provide free babysitting services for theatregoers. PlayDate will offer reliable, convenient babysitting for parents and guardians eager to relax and enjoy a live theatre performance. The service will be available during the 2 p.m. matinee performances of Cry it Out on Saturday, November 2, and Sunday, November 3.

“We are thrilled to be offering this opportunity to families in our community – and what better play to start this initiative than Cry it Out, a witty exploration of the challenges of becoming a full-time caregiver overnight. We hope this makes our theatre more accessible for everyone, including parents of young children,” said Melia Bensussen, Hartford Stage Artistic Director. “As we continue to work to keep Hartford Stage an essential civic institution in the city, we are pleased to partner with our direct neighbors, Christ Church Cathedral, to strengthen this vital corner in the city of Hartford.”

Parents and guardians of children ages 2 to 10 can participate in PlayDate. Babysitting services are provided by background-checked and vetted caregivers at Christ Church Cathedral, located directly across the street from Hartford Stage. During their PlayDate, younger children can play with age-appropriate toys and coloring pages, while older children can enjoy movies and board games.

PlayDate received a soft launch on Sunday, October 13, during the closing performance of Quixote Nuevo. The new service received positive feedback from parents and guardians who participated. One parent noted that PlayDate “made it actually possible for us to come see a show, when it is otherwise very cost-prohibitive at this point in our lives.”

“This partnership is a response to our commitment of being a cathedral for the 21st century,” said The Very Rev. Miguelina Howell, Cathedral Dean. “This is a new way of being church. Our calling is to meet God and God’s people in the neighborhood, and what better place to do so than at the theatre.”

Christ Church Cathedral has previously partnered with Hartford Stage on several community engagement initiatives, including Having Their Say: Generations in Conversation – an intergenerational oral history storytelling project which debuted in 2016 during Having Our Say: The Delany Sister’s First 100 Years.

For more information about PlayDate, visit https://www.hartfordstage.org/cry-it-out/.