FREE
RESOURCES: Behind
the Scenes
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Background
info about the stories and themes of ArtReach's plays
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This
page (Page #3) has stories and helpful info from behind the scenes
of ArtReach productions! Push back the curtain and check out
all these great ArtReach titles: Sleeping
Beauty, Alice
in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz,
Pinocchio, Jack
and the Beanstalk,
The
Jungle Book,
Christmas
Peter Pan,
Kid
Frankenstein,
Alice
in Christmas Land,
Beauty
and the Beast,
Cinderella,
A
Thousand Cranes,
Mulan,
Young
Cherokee,
Wizard
of Oz, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Don’t
forget, a Teachers Guide will come with your School Play Package and
contain lots more background articles and info about your play!
FSHS
Tiger Drama Camp Performs ArtReach's Sleeping
Beauty
Fort Scott
Kansas High School Thespians rehearse and perform
in just two weeks
This
year's annual Fort Scott High School Tiger Drama Camp (KS) performs
ArtReach's Musical
Sleeping
Beauty by Kathryn Schultz Miller on June 10 and 11 at 7 p.m. at
the Fort Scott High School Auditorium. Thirty three students in
1st through 9th grade spent two weeks at camp preparing for the production.
The
character of Aurora is played by 8th grader Celia Hamilton and
Morgana (the Bad Fairy) is played by freshman Isis Patton. Other
notable characters include King Alfred, played by freshman Beowulf
Carpenter; Lilac (the Head Good Fairy), portrayed by fifth grader
Audrey McNutt; and Prince Ferdinand, played by seventh grader Adam Perry.
"I
have loved seeing the different personalities & energies from
the kids."
 
Fort
Scott High School Tiger Drama Camp (KS) - ArtReach's Musical
Sleeping Beauty
The
camp and show are directed entirely by FSHS Thespians. Recent
graduate Regen Wells and senior Cooper George are the Directors.
George
said, "I have been enjoying the technical aspect and working
one on one with the designers. I have loved working on set dressing
and learning how to use materials for what they weren't designed for.
But overall, I have loved seeing the different personalities and
energies from the kids. I truly hope the kids will see what theatre
is and all the different possibilities they can find in it, and the
possibility of them returning for more shows or being involved with
theatre during their high school and college years."
"Students
learn lighting, sound, costuming, stagecraft, and make-up."
 
Fort
Scott High School Tiger Drama Camp (KS) - ArtReach's Musical
Sleeping Beauty
Technical
staff include: senior Mykael Lewis - Stage Manager, senior
Kiara Thompson and junior Garrett Arvidson - Assistant Stage
Managers, graduate Casey Gomez - Choreographer, sophomore Allie Wards
- Costume Designer, graduate Natalie Woods - Sound Designer, graduate
Lizzy Moore and junior Junie Fisher - Music Directors, junior Charlie
Chaplin and sophomore Abby Szczepanski - Lighting Designers, junior
Tobi Larrabee and senior Molly Hoyt - Arts Directors and senior Milo
Donnelly - Props Master. Many other Thespians serve as acting coaches
and leaders and Thespian Director Angie Bin serves as show producer.
During
the two week camp, students learn about most technical theatre areas
such as lighting, sound, costuming, stagecraft, and make-up. They
also help to create the artistic set decor.
"We
are very lucky to have an amazing group of recently graduated
seniors working on this staff in the areas that they are going to be
majoring in in college. They are really experiencing on the job
training right now in the careers they plan to pursue in the
future," Bin said.
'This
is one of the most valuable high school programs.'
Fort
Scott High School Tiger Drama Camp (KS) - ArtReach's Musical
Sleeping Beauty
"This
is my fourth time working on directing the children's summer play
through the FSHS Tiger Drama camp. I find that this program is one of
the most valuable things the high school runs. This year alone, I
have received so many kind words from parents about how much their
children love and enjoy these shows. Because of Tiger Drama Camp, I
discovered my passion for directing and Stage Management. I'm
pursuing theatre as a career in college. I hope you'll all come out
to support these amazing kids and see the work they've put into
making this show spectacular!" Wells said.
Star
of the Day's Winter Spotlight Academy to Present ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Join
young aspiring thespians for a fresh take on this classic tale.
EMMAUS,
PA - Star of the Day proudly presents Alice in Wonderland on April
5th and 6th in In the eyes of a child, is there better than time
spent with friends and playing with the favorite toy of the day?
Alice
in Wonderland is a story that travels deep into the imagination of a
child and expands on the importance of childhood fantasies. Alice
represents the very imagination and creative spirit we as adults long
for in our daily lives. Her time in Wonderland challenges the very
idea of "growing up" and leaving childhood behind. Like
many adolescent children, Alice struggles with her sense of identity
in a world with its own expectations as to who she "should"
be and who she "is."
"Embrace
your imagination - never abandon your inner child."
 
ArtReach's Alice
in Wonderland - Basis International School, Hangzhou, China
In
the end, Alice comes to appreciate her eagerness to explore new
things and to challenge the status quo. She recognizes that children
deserve to be seen and heard. Although written for the Victorian era
in which Lewis Carroll lived, the message carried by Alice in
Wonderland can be heard loud and clear in 2024: live your most
authentic life, embrace your imagination, never abandon your inner
child, and fight for what's right.
Playing
the titular character of Alice is Southern Lehigh High School
first-year student, Laney Levin. Join Laney onstage are Vega Alarcon
Rivas as the White Rabbit, Jach Ruch as Lewis Carroll, Kyleigh Herman
as the Queen of Hearts, Gabriella Montero as the Mad Hatter and Mock
Turtle, Jack Yost as the Cheshire Cat, Arianna Lutz, Brynn Godshall,
and Nick Ruch as the Storytellers, Avalyn Wasiewicz as the March
Hare, Korina Doundas as the Dormouse, Lennon Ness as the Pigeon,
Giana Jachowicz, Matthew Welsh, Amelia Malkovsky, Lydia Frei, and
Charlie Fogelman round out the cast as the ensemble and assorted
Wonderland characters.
"Travels
deep into the imagination of a child."
ArtReach's Alice
in Wonderland - Basis International School, China
Alice
in Wonderland is the finale of Star of the Day's Winter Spotlight
Academy. Star of the Day offers four academies each year, all
culminating in a fully-staged musical. They are directed by the
founder of the organization, Kirsten Almeida. Almeida elaborates:
"I chose Alice in Wonderland because ultimately when you take
away the silliness of it all, it addresses something to which Star of
the Day is committed: creating a space for young, talented kids to
come explore and to stretch their imaginations, to feel safe, and
just be themselves. I have found, in my 24 years working with theatre
kids, that if they feel safe in the space, their characters are
bigger, bolder, and brighter. In turn, so are they!"
The
show is musically directed by TJ Seislove, choreographed by Abby
Roth, and stage managed by Kyleigh Vicoso.
The
Palace Theatre Presents The
Wizard of Oz for the Children's Summer Series
Join
us at The Palace Theatre for a kid-friendly performance of
ArtReach's "The Wizard
of Oz"!
There's
no place like the Palace Theatre in the summer! Join Dorothy, the
Tin Man, Galinda, and all your favorite Ozian friends for a
professional performance of the time-old classic: The Wizard of Oz!
July 18-20 at 10 am and 6:30 pm.
Grab
your ruby slippers and be swept away on a wonderful adventure across
Oz! Come face to face with a brainless Scarecrow, heartless Tin Man,
flying monkeys, and, of course, the evil Wicked Witch of the West.
"Wizard
of Oz is designed specifically for children & their families."
 
ArtReach's "Wizard
of Oz" at the Palace Theatre, Manchester NH
This
production of The Wizard of Oz
is the second performance in the Children's Summer Series presented
by the Bank of New Hampshire. The Palace Professional Theatre for
Children (PPT4C) productions are designed specifically for young
children and their families. The Series features ArtReach plays:
Peter Pan, The Wizard Of Oz,
Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and Alice In Wonderland. Best of all, your
children get an opportunity to meet the characters at the end of
every show! Shows are performed by professional actors and last
between 45 minutes to an hour.
Sowams
School students ready to bring ArtReach's Pinocchio
to life!
East
Bay Media Group, East Bay
RI
Sowams
School students will perform Pinocchio this weekend.
The
production, which is part of the Arts Alive! program, will feature
dozens of Sowams School students telling the classic tale of a little
wooden boy who wishes he were real. "Encountering many
temptations and distractions along the way, Pinocchio has to learn
about honesty, bravery, love, and what it means to be human,"
stated a release.
"Pinocchio
has to learn about honesty, bravery, love."
ArtReach's Pinocchio
- Sowams Elementary School, Barrington RI
The
Sowams School and Arts Alive! production of Pinocchio will feature
(from left to right) Wilder Battersby (as Hickory Cricket),
Nathan
Romano (as Gepetto), Esme Freedman (as Pinocchio), Harry Brown (as
Fibber the Fox) and Layla Kupperman (as Blue Fairy).
Performances
of Pinocchio will be held on Friday, Feb. 28, at 6:30 p.m. and
Saturday, Feb. 29, at 12:30 p.m.; both performances will be held at
Barrington High School. Tickets cost $8 and will be available online
as well as at the door (cash only) before each performance.
In
addition, audience members may purchase tickets for the raffle of a
Broadway Weekend Getaway for 2 at every show. At $10 per ticket, the
winner of the grand prize gets to choose two tickets to a Broadway
show (Disney’s Frozen, To Kill a Mockingbird, or Mean Girls),
with flexible dates between May 19 and Sept. 6. The prize includes a
two-night stay at a 4-star hotel in Times Square and a $100 Visa
card. The drawing will be held on Saturday, May 9 after the Nayatt
performance of Frozen. The winner will not need to be present at the
drawing to win.
Jack
and the Beanstalk Play is Full of Folk Music
History
of the Songs in ArtReach’s Jack
and the Beanstalk
Froggy Went a Courting:
This great old story song has quite a history. Some people claim that
it goes back 400 years to England, and that the frog is actually a
French Duke while the mouse is Queen Elizabeth I. It has been popular
in America since colonial times, and it seems to change a little with
each person who performs it. In some versions of the lyrics include
"uh-huh”, some "mm-hmm”, some "hey hey”.
Look the song up and you will find there are so many versions with
so many verses you could sing this song all day!
Old
Dan Tucker was a Mean Old Man!
"Old Jack he went a
running and he did run, uh-huh!" - Tale Tellers!
Polly Wolly Doodle:
This familiar American song dates back to the Civil War where it was
a favorite in minstrel shows. It came to be used as a
"walk-around," often the finale of the show in which each
performer would step out to do a verse, answered by the cast and
audience, leading to a final verse with everyone joining in clapping
and dancing. Polly Wolly Doodle appears in the existing manuscript
for Laura Ingalls Wilder's These Happy Golden Years.
Buckeye Jim:
Made popular by Burl Ives in the 1950’s, Buckeye Jim was first
recorded around the time of the Civil War. There are many versions
and some believe it belongs in a category with "Limber Jim”
songs. It may have come from the slave culture of the south since it
expresses a wish for escape and flight. It was heard most recently in
the animated film "Fantastic Mister Fox”.
Old Dan Tucker:
Published in 1843 by Dan Emmett (the author of "Dixie”) who
also claimed authorship, Old Dan Tucker may have evolved from a
popular slave song about a part-time minister who lived near
Elberton, Georgia. The song was popular around Northern and Southern
campfires during the Civil War. In later years it became a standard
for bluegrass and country music with recordings by Pete Seeger and
most recently, Bruce Springsteen.
On Top of Spaghetti:
A well-known parody of "On Top of Old Smoky” deals with the
loss of a meatball "when somebody sneezed." It is a
well-known children’s song. The song appeals to kids because
it’s about an inanimate object that comes to life. A meatball
defies expectations, and defiance—within reason—is usually
celebrated in children’s literature.
"All
music is folk music. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song."
-- Louis Armstrong
The
Story of ArtReach’s Play The
Jungle Book
"Now
this is the Law of the Jungle
—as old
and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf
that shall keep it may prosper
but the Wolf
that shall break it must die.
As the creeper
that girdles the tree trunk,
the Law runneth
forward and back;
For the
strength of the Pack is the Wolf,
and the
strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”
 Rudyard
Kipling’s classic books, The
Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book have been read and loved
by generations of children and their grownups. It can be argued that
the main story is about a Mowgli, a boy who was raised by wolves in
the Indian Jungle. The greater meaning of the story seems to be a
call for peoples of every kind, animal and human, to overcome
life’s cruelties and work together to order themselves and their
actions in a way that serves the greater good. ArtReach’s new
School Play version of the story uses audience participation to bring
everyone together to create their own unique Jungle world.
The play begins with the
storytellers – the Jungle-People – reciting the law of the
Jungle. They then begin the story of how Mowgli was found one dark
night. A Man-Father was traveling through and was attacked by a
tiger, the legendary Shere Khan. Bagheera, the panther, witnessed the
attack and also saw that a human boy had been abandoned as a result.
Bagheera takes the baby to wolves Akela and Raksha to raise along
with their own four cubs. At first hesitant, Akela resolves to keep
the Man-Cub but must gain the permission of all of the pack at
Council Rock. At Council Rock, the wolves of the pack give permission
and Bagheera promises to educate the boy in the ways of the Jungle.
"The
strength of the wolf is the pack."
Mount Hood Community Theatre,
Gresham OR
Years later Bagheera teaches
Mowgli the Master-Words and the Hunting Call. He also cautions Mowgli
against noticing the Bandar-log or Monkey-People. Though Mowgli is
interested in learning, he is a typical boy who loves to climb and
swim and doesn’t take his lessons as seriously as his teacher
would like.
A bad time comes to the Jungle
in the form of drought. All of the animals are starving and Akela
calls everyone to the Peace Rock. This is a rock that is exposed in
the river when the waters dry up and leave only a little water for
the animals to drink. Because the animals are starving, Akela calls a
Water Truce, meaning that they may all drink from the small supply of
water but must not hunt each other during the time of the Truce. All
the kinds of animals agree and the Truce is sealed by a prayer from
Hathi the great elephant with a chant of "Peace, Peace, Peace!”
None of the animals are happy
to see the great tiger Shere Khan arrive at Peace Rock because he
seldom cares about the greater good and acts only for himself.
Shere Kahn tells the group
that Mowgli the Man-Cub endangers all Jungle creatures because when
he grows up he will be a Man, the enemy of the Jungle. The animals
see the truth of Shere Khan’s words, even though Raksha begs
them to let her son stay. Finally, Bagheera says he will take the boy
to the Man-Village and Mowgli makes his tearful goodbyes.
On the journey, Mowgli defies
his teacher Bagheera and runs away from him.
Kaa, the Rock Python, appears
and uses her large, shining eyes to hypnotize Mowgli. The Man-Cub
falls for her charms and is almost eaten when Baloo, a big bear,
ambushes the snake chasing her off and saving Mowgli’s life.
Mowgli loves his new friend,
Baloo, who is easy going and funny. The two of them hit it off and
develop a friendship. Soon, Bagheera appears and convinces Baloo that
the boy must be taken to the Man-Village in order to save his life
and keep the Jungle safe from Man. Mowgli feels betrayed and leaves
them both, running off alone.
As he travels alone in the
Jungle, Mowgli is captured by the Monkey-People who swing him among
the treetops and have fun with him like a toy. They take him to their
leader, the Golden Queen of the Bandar-log. The Queen tells Mowgli
that she wants him to go to the Man-Village and bring her the Red
Flower, which is a word the animals use for fire. The Golden Queen
tells him that Akela, the boy’s wolf father, has been killed by
Shere Khan.
"Kaa
the Python hypnotizes Mowgli."
Apple Box Children's Theatre,
Salem OR
Coming to Mowgli’s aid,
the vulture Chil flies in and restrains the Monkey-People so that
Bagheera and Baloo may rescue the boy. They tell Mowgli the sad
truth, that Akela has indeed been defeated and killed by Shere Khan.
Once again the boy defies his friends and runs away. Only now Mowgli
runs straight for the Man-Village with the goal of securing the Red
Flower for his own use.
When Mowgli reaches the
Village he encounters a woman who seems to be the mother he left when
he was a baby. Mowgli begins to understand that he is not Wolf or
Man, but he is both, becoming another kind of Jungle-Creature. The
Villagers recognize the value of Mowgli’s mission and give him
the Red Flower.
Mowgli runs back to the Peace
Rock in the Jungle and when he gets there, the tiger Shere Kahn is
waiting. Mowgli knows that he must fight the tiger in order to earn
his place in the Jungle. All the animals gather to see the struggle
between the two and recite the Law of the Jungle. Mowgli uses the
power that his human relations have given him, the Red Flower, to
defeat Shere Kahn. But unlike the tiger, Mowgli is generous and lets
the tiger live.
Audience
and Jungle People: "All hail, Mowgli."
  
Geneva
Christian College, Tasmania
When they are free of Shere
Khan the animals realize that Mowgli has earned his place among them
and cry out "All hail, Mowgli!” and again recite the Law:
"The strength of the Wolf is the Pack!”
Celebrate
season at Villagers Theatre with 'Christmas Peter Pan'
Franklin
theater presents ArtReach's 'Christmas
Peter Pan' (NJ)
FRANKLIN (Somerset) - Capt.
Hook is at it again! No longer satisfied with disrupting the peace in
Neverland, he has decided to take a "stab" at ruining
Christmas. That is the premise of "A
Christmas Peter Pan" opening at the Villagers Theatre on
Saturday and running through Dec. 20.
Hook's plan includes
preventing Santa from making his deliveries, capturing Peter Pan to
keep him from interfering with Part One of the plan, and, for
extra-bad measure, scattering all the toys out over the frozen North
Pole landscape. Now it's up to Tinker Bell and those darling kids,
Wendy, Michael and John - with a little help from the audience - to
save the day.
"Hook's
plan is
to
keep Santa from making his deliveries."
 
ArtReach's A
Christmas Peter Pan - Roxburgh Area School, Roxburgh NZ
The production is directed by
Tina Lee and produced by Paul Carver, both of township residents.
Performances are 12 and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and 12 p.m. on Sundays.
The 12 p.m. performance on Dec. 19 is not open to the public and is
reserved for the "My Name is Matthew" program. The purpose
of the "My Name is Matthew" program is to invite children
with special needs to enjoy the experience of live theatre.
Franklin Villagers Barn
Theatre was founded in 1960 by 20 people who dedicated their
organization to bringing ongoing cultural enrichment to Central
Jersey. Mostly referred to as simply as Villagers Theatre, their
first production was presented in October 1960 in the Van
Middlesworth barn behind what is currently the Stage House Tavern
bar/restaurant. Villagers used the Van Middlesworth's barn until 1979
when the property was sold and the building converted to commercial use.
Rather than search for a new
home, Villagers built their own. They convinced to township to lease
them a piece of swampy ground in the back corner of what would
eventually become the Municipal Complex. It was on this spot that
Villagers erected the state's first purpose built community theater.
The new theater, a
prefabricated metal barn, opened in 1980. This "new barn"
was Villagers home for the next seven years, until changing fire code
and access laws forced Villagers to close their building. Rather than
give up and move, Villagers rallied the township residents and raised
more than $250,000 to renovate and expand Villagers theatre into the
facility that it is today.
"Special
performance
for special needs kids to enjoy live theatre."
 
ArtReach's A
Christmas Peter Pan - Roxburgh Area School, Roxburgh NZ
The renovated theatre opened
its doors in September 1988. The main theater seats 220 people and
the Black Box Theater holds 100. The building is both air-conditioned
and fully accessible for the disabled.
In September 2015, Villagers
began plans for renovating the theatre again funded by building a
"buy a brick" Yellow Brick Road, which will lead people of
all ages on a path that will enable everyone to participate in a
wonderful enhanced facility. Our goal is again another $250,000. See www.villagerstheatre.com/ybr.
Tickets are $10 for all seats
(Adult/Senior/Junior) and are available at www.villagerstheatre.com,
by emailing: [email protected] or calling the Box Office
at 732-873-2710. Villagers Theatre is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/villagerstheatre.
Villagers Theatre is at 475
DeMott Lane in the municipal complex in the Somerset section and is
wheelchair accessible.
ArtReach's
Version of Kid Frankenstein
Compare
ArtReach’s Kid Frankenstein
to Mary Shelley’s Novel
Mary Shelley
published her most famous book name "Frankenstein; or, The
Modern Prometheus in 1818 and it has been fascinating readers ever
since. The story of a scientist who created a living being from
inanimate tissue has inspired an unending parade of satires, movies,
novels, cartoons and comic books. ArtReach’s play Kid
Frankenstein is a light-hearted satire, comedy and fantasy, very
loosely based on Shelley’s novel, which is intended for kids to
enjoy and perform.
SYNOPSIS OF THE PLAY
The play begins
with students, Kidz, introducing the weird and spooky event that
happened at their school. They begin their story by explaining
that the Science Fair was coming up and their friends Frankie and
Irving had big plans for their project.
Frankie and
Irving are regular kids with very vivid imaginations. We see
them in Frankie’s basement, pretending to be scientist and
assistant. It all seems like a silly fantasy until a package
arrives. The box has been sent from Transylvania and contains a
book by Dr. Frankenstein, explaining how he accomplished the amazing
feat of creating a living being. Frankie is delighted to have a
blueprint for his extravagant science project.
"A
weird and spooky event happened at school!"
 
Newcastle Civic Theatre,
Newcastle, Australia - ArtReach's
Kid Frankenstein
Frankie and
Irving are late for school the next day and are presented by the
principal Mr. Klondike to Mrs. Newton, the science teacher.
Troublemakers, T-Bone and his Gang of Bonez make Mrs. Newton’s
job difficult. She introduces two locals who are making
donations for the science lab: Mr. Spots brings a monkey’s
brain and the nearsighted Mrs. Magillacutty brings her late dog’s
brain.
Mrs. Newton
assigns Helga to be partners with Frankie and Irving in their science
project. The three friends pretend that they are in the
laboratory where Frankie has assembled a being made from stuff he
found in his mom’s freezer. He directs Irving and Helga to
get the monkey’s brain to complete the project.
"Mrs.
Newton knows what Frankie is up to."
 
Newcastle Civic Theatre,
Newcastle, Australia - ArtReach's
Kid Frankenstein
At night,
Irving and Helga attempt to sneak into the school to get the brain
but are caught by the Gang of Bonez who try to disrupt their
plans. In the comic fracas, the monkey’s brain is
dropped. Irving and Helga get the dog’s brain and take it
to Frankie – but they don’t tell him that they had to
switch the brains.
Frankie has
rigged his laboratory with everything needed to bring his creation to
life. They are very excited when they flip the switch to give
the creature a life inducing jolt of electricity. However, the
creature does not move. Frankie believes all is lost. The
kids leave to eat dinner feeling that their experiment is a failure.
But in their
absence, slowly the Monster comes to life, dances around the
laboratory and escapes to explore the world. The town is in an
uproar as there are several sightings of a creature that cannot be
explained. The Monster comes to Mrs. Magillacutty’s
house. She cannot see him clearly and assumes he is a local
school student who would like some chicken soup. When she goes
to light the pilot light on her stove the Monster goes crazy at the
sight of fire, and runs away.
Meanwhile,
Frankie and his crew find the Monster. As Helga distracts him
by playing her violin, the boys drop a net over him, capturing
him. They take him back to the laboratory where they prepare
him for the Science Fair.
"Kidz
end their spooky story with a happy: The End."
 
Newcastle Civic Theatre,
Newcastle, Australia - ArtReach's
Kid Frankenstein
Principal
Klondike is keen to get the Science Fair underway to distract the
frightened population from the worry of a Monster running loose.
T-Bone and his Gang of Bonez present their less than impressive
Volcano experiment which fizzles. At last, Frankie is thrilled
to present his creature – the Monster who makes a show of
himself by dancing to Helga’s fiddle. Surprisingly, the
Bonez’ volcano erupts belatedly, scaring the Monster. The
kids wrestle him to the ground and bring him back to the laboratory.
Learning the
brain he has used is the dog’s brain, Frankie decides he must
perform brain transference. He hooks his head up to the
Monster’s head but at the last moment, Mrs. Newton appears and
stops him. It turns out, Mrs. Newton was much like Frankie in
her youth and she knows what Frankie is up to. She knows that
he must stop now. Finally, Mrs. Magillacutty arrives, insisting
that the Monster is really her late dog and insists on taking him
home. The Monster loves the idea and everyone agrees.
All are
gathered in the laboratory when Mrs. Newton gives a strong defense
for kids who love science as Frankie does. She shares old
stories with Frankie as they depart and Irving flips the electric
switch one last time.
At last the
town is safe and Kid Frankenstein has ceased his experiment.
The Kidz end their spooky story with a happy: "The End”.
"Imagination
does not become great until human beings,
given
the courage and the strength, use it to create.”
-- Maria Montessori
A
Christmas Wish from Lewis Carroll
To All Child
Readers of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll, 1871
Dear Children,
At Christmas-time a few
grave words are not quite out of place, I hope, even at the end of a
book of nonsense - and I want to take this opportunity of thanking
the thousands of children who have read Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland, for the kindly interest they have taken in my little dream-child.
ArtReach’s
Alice in
Christmas Land
 
Golfshore Playhouse, FL -
Brandenburg Elementary School, Irving, TX
The thought of the many
English firesides where happy faces have smiled her a welcome, and of
the many English children to whom she has brought an hour of (I
trust) innocent amusement, is one of the brightest and pleasantest
thoughts of my life. I have a host of young friends already, whose
names and faces I know - but I cannot help feeling as if, through
"Alice's Adventures" I had made friends with many other
dear children, whose faces I shall never see.
To all my little friends,
known and unknown, I wish with all my heart, "A Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year". May God bless you, dear children, and
make each Christmas-tide, as it comes round to you, more bright and
beautiful than the last - bright with the presence of that unseen
Friend, who once on earth blessed little children - and beautiful
with memories of a loving life, which has sought and found the truest
kind of happiness, the only kind that is really worth the having, the
happiness of making others happy too!
Your affectionate Friend,
Lewis Carroll
December 25, 1871
Love
Transforms: Beauty and the Beast
Lessons From a
Story Old as Time
By Joseph
Dispenza and Dr. Beverly Nelson
The ageless
children's story Beauty
and the Beast is one of the finest parables we have about the
transforming qualities of love -- and about one of life's most
important lessons: things are not always what they seem.
"Beauty
is all around us -- all the time."
 
Dana Elementary
School, Santa Maria, CA - Solano Youth Theatre, CA
Here are some
lessons from Beauty
and the Beast about choosing truth over appearances -- and love
over fear.
Avoid judging.
Virtually all spiritual literature warns us against judging people
and conditions. The reason is that when we judge someone or
something, we immediately put them in a kind of prison of our opinion
-- a prison which they cannot get out of and which we cannot get
into. If you think of a person as a thief, for instance, the person
is labeled forever -- and your judgment actually can make that person
act like a thief. Stay away from judgment: it limits perception and
keeps you in fear.
See the beauty.
Beauty is all around us, everywhere and at all times. But it is up to
us to actually see and appreciate beauty. Many people go through life
choosing to regard their reality as ugly and unsatisfying. They look
at the half-full glass and see it as half-empty. When all of life is
seen only as an opportunity to confirm the human experience as a vale
of tears and troubles, then it certainly becomes that! See life for
the beautiful journey it truly is, and watch miracles happen.
Stop complaining.
Complaining is another form of judging. When you complain, you are
automatically saying that people and situations are imperfect,
defective, and even ugly. Try to head off a complaint by taking a
second to question and reconsider your initial response. Even a brief
moment will give you the chance to see things in a different way. A
complaint is a comment that comes from a willful ego. Life will go
much smoother if you trade a complaint for a compliment.
Move beyond the appearance.
Things are not always what they seem. In fact, things are almost
always different from how they appear to the eyes and how they sound
to the ears. If you will find the truth about people and things, move
beyond appearances -- entertain exactly the opposite of what you are
seeing and hearing. The truth, like the prince, lies behind the wall
of the physical senses, in a place where only the heart can discern.
Choose love.
When given the choice between fear and love, choose love every time.
If the culture is presenting you with fearful visions, you can
personally dispel them by deciding to leave fear behind and go toward
love. In this way, by raising your own consciousness into a loving
place, you are lifting all of Consciousness with you. This is how
wars are stopped or prevented -- and how people and situations in
'terminal' conditions are healed unconditionally.
The lessons of
The Beauty and the Beast are everywhere in this enchanting fairy
tale. We encourage you to surround yourself this month with the
energy of its transformative teachings: love transforms everything,
elevates everything, and reveals your life as the truly beautiful
experience it is.
ArtReach’s
Cinderella is an Ageless Classic
Charles
Perrault – The Classic Cinderella
Charles
Perrault was born in Paris in 1628 to a wealthy bourgeois family. He
attended the best schools and studied law before embarking on a
career in government service. He took part in the creation of the
Academy of Sciences as well as the restoration of the Academy of
Painting. When the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres was
founded in 1663, Perrault was made secretary for life.
"Perrault's
classic children's literature."
 
Solano Youth
Theatre, Fairfield, CA
At the age of
55 Perrault tried his hand at children's literature and in 1697 he
wrote his famous Contes de ma Mere L'Oye – Tales of Mother
Goose. Its publication made him very popular and marked the
beginnings of a new literary genre, the fairy tale. He used images
from around him such as the Chatename au Ussé for
Sleeping Beauty and in Puss-in-Boots, the Marquis of the Chateau d'Oiron.
Perhaps because
of his age, Perrault did not sign his own name to the collection, but
published under the name of his 17-year-old son. Ever since, there
has been some dispute whether father or son wrote it, but the
tendency of scholarly opinion is to attribute it to the father.
The Contes were
instantly successful on their first publication and have remained
enormously popular ever since. Although the style of the tales
in the original French suggests the sophistication of the courtly
audience, by the time the tales were translated into English (by
Robert Samber in 1729), they were clearly directed toward a child audience.
"Cinderella
has remained enormously popular."
ArtReach's Cinderella
- Actors Studio, Hemphill TX
In England, the
fairy tales became widely available through chapbooks (cheap,
inexpensive books sold by traveling peddlers) as well as other, more
reputable publications. The first American edition was not published
until 1794, although the tales may have been available to colonial
readers through imported books.
Perrault's most
famous stories are still in print today and have been made into
operas, plays, movies and animated films. Some of Perrault's
best known stories are:
Charles
Perrault died in Paris in 1703.
Fremont
Civic Theatre needs community's help to make 1,000 paper origami cranes
Behind
the Scene: Canon City News, By Carie Canterbury, The Daily Record,
Canon City, Colorado
The
community is invited to be a part of Fremont Civic Theatre's
upcoming production of "A
Thousand Cranes" by making paper cranes for the production
that also will be sent to the Children's Peace Monument in Hiroshima, Japan.
FCT's
Varsity Players need 1,000 of these origami paper cranes by April 1.
The
production is based on the true story of Sadako Sasaki, a
12-year-old girl who died as a result of the atom bomb radiation sickness.
"I
actually love the story of Sadako."
 
Chloe Martin,
14, Emma Schmitz, 13, Valerie Goodland, 12, Bella Martinez, 15, and
Bjorn Piltingsrud, 14, create paper cranes for an upcoming
Fremont Civic
Theatre production of 'A Thousand Cranes' on Thursday. (Carie
Canterbury / Daily Record)
The
cranes are a tribute to her, and also a global symbol of peace, said
Marcy Del Castillo, the production's director.
When
Sadako Sasaki finds out she is dying, she tried to fold 1,000 cranes.
"In
Japan, there is a legend that if you can fold a thousand paper
cranes, you will get your wish to become well, which is her
wish," Del Castillo said. "She starts folding cranes, but
she dies before she is able to finish them."
Her
classmates finish them for her, and they also raise money to build
the Children's Peace Monument.
Fifteen-year-old
veteran actress Bella Martinez, who plays Sadako Sasaki, already was
interested in this story before she was cast for the role.
"I
actually love the story of Sadako," she said. "I thought
it was really fun that there was a play about her because it combines
my favorite things, history and Sadako. I think it will be a lot of
fun bringing the character back to life. Her story is so inspiring."
Del
Castillo said the cast and crew would like community involvement in
folding the paper cranes.
"We're
sending them off to the Children's Peace Monument."
 
Paper cranes
are made in preparation of Fremont Civic Theatre's production
of ArtReach's
'A Thousand Cranes.' (Carie Canterbury / Daily Record)
"They
will be used in our production, but when production wraps, we are
going to package up all of the cranes and send them off to the
Children's Peace Monument," she said. "Every year, people
that perform this play send cranes to the monument, so we are going
to do the same thing."
Those
who would like to help are invited to visit FCT's website for paper
folding directions or search for directions on Google.
The
cranes may be dropped off from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays or
from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays at the FCT office at 623 Main St. The
cranes will be placed in the front window display so passersby can
watch them grow.
THE
LEGEND OF MULAN
Island
School News, Lihue, Hawaii - 1/10/2018
Fifth
graders are preparing in earnest for their upcoming show, "The
Legend of Mulan," by Kathryn Schultz Miller and directed by
Peggy Ellenburg. Yesterday, the class had a session on set painting
led by former Island School parent and volunteer, Laurel McGraw.
These photos capture them painting base colors on their backdrop
flats. The finished product will be of aChinese landscape.
"Parent
volunteers have been assisting with set building."
 
Island
School, Lihue, Hawaii readies for ArtReach's "Mulan"
Parent
volunteers have been assisting with set building and volunteer
coordination. Anyone wishing to get involved with sets or costumes is
encouraged to contact Peggy Ellenburg: 808-639-7963.
Painting
a Chinese landscape for The Legend of Mulan.
 
Island
School, Lihue, Hawaii readies for ArtReach's "Mulan"
"The
Legend of Mulan" will run the weekend of March 2-4 at the
Island School theatre.
Theatre
in Education Co. entertains, educates about Cherokee stories
Western
Carolina University performs ArtReach's Young
Cherokee
WCU
Administrator
Western
Carolina University students will film the last scenes from the
Theatre in Education Company's performance of "Young
Cherokee" this week, concluding a year-long theatre
initiative that has captured attention at national conferences and
connected university students with the Cherokee people.
Glenda
Hensley and Claire Eye, visiting assistant professors in the
department of communication, theatre and dance, designed the program
so Western students could create and perform quality theatrical
productions that also are educationally relevant. To explore
diversity and help promote cultural understanding, WCU students in
the theatre program centered workshops for middle school students and
a play for elementary school students on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
"Cherokee
is 20 minutes away, and so few of us take the opportunity to learn
about that culture that we are connected to," Eye said. "We
hoped it would allow us to pass on to students what we learned."
"Young
Cherokee" has captured attention at national conferences."
 
Western
Carolina University students worked with the WCU-Cherokee Center
WCU
student Gregory Tomlin records a scene from "Young
Cherokee" in which Chosen One, played by Kendris Myers, talks to
the Sun, played by Rachel All.
As
the theatre group designed costumes and rehearsed Kathryn Schultz
Miller's play "Young Cherokee,"
Western students worked with the WCU-Cherokee Center, its director
Roseanna Belt, community elders and artists such as Davy Arch, who
produced hand-carved masks for the show. Western students adapted the
script, for instance, to change a crawfish to a water beetle to
better reflect Cherokee stories of this region, said Sara Dodson, a
senior theatre student and the play's director.
"We
learned so much about the Cherokee because we wanted to stay as true
to the story as possible," said Dodson, who plans to return to
her home state of Florida after graduation to work with a drama ministry.
In
the play, a young Cherokee boy named Chosen One battles an
Underwater Panther and a Thunderbird as he tries to restore power to
the sun and fire. He overcomes fear, shows love for all things on
earth and glimpses the greatest enemy of the Cherokee culture - the
approach of people with vastly different beliefs. The play was
performed for elementary school audiences this spring, is being
filmed and will have an encore performance this fall.
The
program's students and directors have presented their experiences at
national conferences to convey how Theatre in Education has helped
link college students with younger people in the community and create
opportunities to experience literature, theatre, art and music.
Another presentation about the program will be delivered this summer
at the American Alliance of Theater Educators conference.
"The
Cherokee Center opened their hearts to us."
 
Western
Carolina University performs ArtReach's "Young
Cherokee."
"Weaving
cultural and environmental literacy and service learning into
arts-based learning strategies creates so many possibilities for
collaborative learning and teaching designs," Hensley said.
"Our goal is to create a Theatre in Education program that will
serve as a model for both artistic excellence and significant learning."
Eye
said with so many positive results, they do not intend for this to
be a one-time project.
"The
whole process of approaching the Cherokee Center and asking for
their help in learning myths, legends and culture opened their hearts
to us, and that has been powerful," she said. "We intend to
foster the relationships we've been able to establish through this
program, toward a long-term collaboration that will benefit everyone."
For
more information, contact Glenda Hensley at (828) 227-2469 or
[email protected] or Claire Eye at (828) 227-3961 or [email protected].
'Wizard
of Oz' comes to Shoultes Elementary
Marysville
Globe, By Kirk Boxleitner
Even
after three years, Shoultes Elementary's school plays still manage
to surprise Nancy Hammer. Hammer, a 15-year teacher at Shoultes who's
also served as a school librarian for the past few years, has
directed versions of "Beauty and the Beast" and "Peter
Pan" in the past two years that were specifically adapted for
large casts of young performers. This year's version of "The
Wizard of Oz" boasted 38 students in the cast, only three more
than last year's play, but it presented new challenges nonetheless.
"School
plays still manage to surprise librarian director."
 
Shoultes Elementary School,
Marysville, WA
MARYSVILLE
- Even after three years, Shoultes Elementary's school plays still
manage to surprise Nancy Hammer.
Hammer,
a 15-year teacher at Shoultes who's also served as a school
librarian for the past few years, has directed versions of
"Beauty and the Beast" and "Peter Pan" in the
past two years that were specifically adapted for large casts of
young performers. This year's version of "The
Wizard of Oz" boasted 38 students in the cast, only three
more than last year's play, but it presented new challenges nonetheless.
"I
knew that doing 'The Wizard of Oz' would entail so much more work
than the others," Hammer said of the play, which was presented
March 17 and 18. "I really didn't want to go to the thrift store
to try and pull things together that looked like the characters, so I
started right after Halloween and purchased costumes for half-off,
praying that they would fit the performers that got the parts."
Hammer
went online to find costumes such as the Cowardly Lion and Toto,
which were purchased and given to Shoultes by the Schmidt family. The
school's PTSA supplied the remaining funding for the play.
While
Hammer had been able to create a backdrop for last year's "Peter
Pan" by using the other side of the backdrop from "Beauty
and the Beast" the year before, she had to start from scratch
with this year's backdrop, buying large table cloths new and sewing
them together. Because she was unable to obtain them at a thrift
store, she wound up paying $100 for them, for which she was
reimbursed by Troy Van Horn from the Venture Church down the street
from the school.
"Teachers
were so wonderful for reaching out ."
 
Tin Man, Toto, Dorothy,
Gatekeeper, Munchkin, Shoultes Elem, WA
"Teachers
in the district were so wonderful for reaching out and helping us
this year," Hammer said. "Aleesha Paddleford from the
Marysville Arts & Technology High School volunteered her students
and made a movable screen to use as Dorothy's house. Jeff
Tillinghast, from the International School of Communications at
Marysville Getchell High School, turned our antiquated sound system
into a well-oiled machine by lugging his own equipment into our old
gym and working his magic. Even my 89-year-old parents could easily
hear my little thespians. Andrew Christopher and his video production
crew from ISC also came in to capture those precious moments on stage
forever by video taping the performance."
Now
that Shoultes has sets, props and costumes for three different
plays, Hammer plans to take advantage of these reusable resources.
"The
kids and I are already gearing up for "Beauty and the Beast'
again next year," Hammer said.
Headless
Horseman will ride through SVSU's 'Sleepy
Hollow' production
SVSU:
Saginaw Valley State University
Audiences
may lose their minds when they witness The Headless Horseman take
the stage at Saginaw Valley State University's Malcolm Field Theatre
for Performing Arts beginning Wednesday, April 6.
That's
when SVSU's Department of Theatre will present the first of five
productions of Washington Irving's classic tale, "The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow," featuring the infamously noggin-less
antagonist. The show is SVSU's annual children's production intended
to introduce young people to theatre and inspire them.
Ric
Roberts, SVSU professor of theatre and director of the production,
promises a memorable "ride of The Headless Horseman," a
character known for using flaming pumpkins as weapons when
terrorizing the townsfolk of Sleepy Hollow and protagonist Ichabod Crane.
"A
memorable ride of The Headless Horseman"
 
ArtReach's The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow - SVSU's Department of Theatre
"We
use a combination of shadow puppetry and a moving bridge to simulate
the chase between The Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane,"
Roberts said. "The flaming pumpkin is a special effect that will
be produced by our own technical theatre department and the students."
"The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a storybook tale that revolves
around characters such as the bumbling, awkward schoolteacher,
Ichabod (played by Joe Green, a theatre major from Shelby Township);
the coquettish Katrina Van Tassel (Rebecca Boes, a theatre major from
Saginaw); and Ichabod's brutish rival, Brom Bones (Donte Green, a
theatre major from Saginaw).
The
Headless Horseman is played by Jonah Conner, a theatre major from Warren.
There
also are six characters acting as storytellers, keeping the action
and pace moving throughout. This adaptation remains dedicated to the
spirit of the original work yet expertly involves the audience with
suspense and comedy. The play explores scary elements and
music, but also is a humorous, G-rated show full of "goofy"
characters, Roberts said.
"Expertly
involves the audience with suspense & comedy."
 
ArtReach's The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow - SVSU's Department of Theatre
"This
stage version - a children's theatre production - is geared to third
through sixth graders, but it can be enjoyed by the entire
family," Roberts said.
As
such, SVSU will stage two productions of the play during school
hours. Students from Kingston Elementary School, Pinconning Middle
School and Swan Valley High School are among those expected to attend
10 a.m. showings Thursday and Friday, April 7-8.
The
public - of all ages - is invited to each showing. Additional
productions are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, April
6-7; and 3 p.m. Saturday, April 9. Tickets are $13 for general
admission, $10 for students and seniors, and $7 for children under
the age of 12. For more information, please contact the SVSU Box
Office at (989) 964-4261 or visit www.svsu.edu/theatre.
'Young
Pirates' on Volm stage Wednesday
Antigo
Daily News: Breaking News
Is
there buried treasure in the high school's Volm Theater? Elementary
students are going to find out.
Area
fifth through ninth grade students will take the stage Wednesday for Young
Pirates of the Caribbean - Treasure Island for one show at 6:30 p.m.
The
cast of 28 has been in rehearsal since June 12 through the Antigo
Youth Theater program and bring a new energy to the pirates who are
seeking a treasure.
"Is
there buried treasure in High School's Volm Theater?"
 
Lopez Middle School, San
Antonio - ArtReach's Treasure
Island: Young Pirates of the Caribbean
The
production begins in Jim Hawkin's home with a young boy who has a
big imagination. On his journey, he meets Billy Bones whom
alerts him to the treasure and the evils of Long John Silver. As Jim
sets sail with the crew of the Hispanola: Doctor Livesly, Moby Dick,
and Captain Smollet. They part ways when they reach Skeleton Island.
Then Jim encounters Benn Gun and a group of natives before returning home.
Jim
Hawkins played by Nathaniel Pyett, Colden Carley, and James Meade.
The Storytellers guiding the audience through the adventures are Lily
DeWan, Lucy Slominski, Jenna Cerneski, Maddie Anderson, and Michaela
Tomczyk. Amerila Moreno shares her talent as Jim's Mom while Jacob
Seay is his teacher.
The
crew of the Hispanola is led by Holly Zimmerman as Captain Smollet,
Anna Evans as Doctor Livesly, Payton Noskowiak as Squire Trelawney
and Allison Verhasselt as Moby Dick.
"A
young boy who has a big imagination."
 
Lopez Middle School, San
Antonio - ArtReach's Treasure
Island: Young Pirates of the Caribbean
Joslilyn
Williams, Jocelyn Seay, Maggie Slominski, and Claire Repp are a
group of pirates who join Jim as he seeks the treasure. Along the way
Jim meets Billy Bones played by Sam Swartz and Maggie Baginski as
Bobby Bones.
Logan
Pruel plays Blind Pew. Ella Wienke lends her talent and enthusiasm
to Long John Silver, while Brie Young is Long John's Sidekick, Cora
the Parrot.
Once
Jim gets to the Skeleton Island, he meets up with Benn Gun, a maroon
pirate, played by Abby Noskowiak. The island natives are played by
Adrianna Makay, Sydney Swartz, Sophia Moreno, Shambo Wienke, Anna
VandeWeerd, Amerila Moreno, and Maggie Baginski.
The
performance is directed by Holly Luerssen and Clarice Zimmerman.
"Pirates
join Jim as he seeks the treasure."
 
Lopez Middle School, San
Antonio, TX - ArtReach's Treasure
Island
Community
partners for Treasure Island are Antigo High School drama
department, Antigo Community Theater, and the Antigo Unified School District.
Treasure
Island is written and adapted by Kathryn Schultz Miller of ArtReach
Children's Theatre Plays.
Admission
is by donation to the Antigo Area Food Pantry.
Behind
the Scenes
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