A Roaring Success! NYC Children and Families Enjoy a Special Performance of Androcles and the Lion

April 5, 2003

Members of the New York Philharmonic perform Androcles and the Lion for an audience of children and families at St. Peter's Church.

Children and their families, musicians and animal lovers gathered today at St. Peter's Lutheran Church for the Second Annual Spring Children's Concert, presented by Communities in Schools, New York (CISNY), Emigrant Savings Bank and the Artemis Project, a non-profit organization promoting humane education and care for animals in New York City.

This exciting event featured the premiere of Androcles and the Lion, a retelling of the Aesop's fable with original music by Richard Sortomme and narration by Dorian Rence.

With generous funding from Margaretta Taylor and family, CISNY was able to offer 300 free tickets to children who attend school in Manhattan and the Bronx. In addition to the Taylor Family, generous assistance was also provided by Emigrant Savings Bank, Philip Meyers, the Animal General Hospital at Lincoln Square and St. Peter's Lutheran Church.

A number of children who attended the event are in foster care or reside in homeless shelters. CISNY has made a concerted effort to provide these children with opportunities like Androcles and other special musical events.

Young audience members show off the chocolate eggs they received as a post-performance treat from Emigrant Savings Bank.	Narrator and Artemis Project founder Dorian Rence tells the story of Androcles.

The Artemis Project

Artemis Project Logo

The Artemis Project is an animal welfare organization. Its goal is to alleviate the suffering of the city's animals in crisis. It strives to control and reduce the number of strays by using an approach known as TNR. Animals are trapped, spayed/ neutered, and then either re-released or placed in loving homes.

The Artemis Project also helps people with very limited means pay for medical care for their sick or injured pets. A third goal is to encourage humane care and treatment of animals by the youth of our city. It works exclusively with Animal General at Lincoln Square to provide these services. For further information or to provide donations, contact Dorian Rence (212) 877-9188.

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Silhouette images depicting the Androcles story