Family & Youth Programming

I took some video of the Zany Umbrella Circus performance this past weekend in Bethlehem. You'll see the company's circus rig, set up on a platform stage all within a circus tent.  The company performed for school children Thursday and Friday last week and for the public (families) Friday evening, twice Saturday, and again on Sunday.  Truly a "zany" show.

I'm a little behind here but there are SO many terrific performances on the horizon between now and the New Year.  It is necessary to share the good stuff and know that I will add to this in coming weeks.

For Families and Children

Philadelphia

World Cafe Live (Philly and Wilmington) - I'm not sure one can really go wrong with any of the musicians on the Peanut Butter & Jams line up.  I prefer theater and dance to kid's music but WCL always picks good ones.  Every Saturday at 11:30am, they have a great time slot for young ones and moreover, they give you the option to buy the whole package -- ticket and a kid friendly buffet.  I took my son at 7 months with his cousins (2-8 years) and everyone had a rockin time.  I really need to get us back there.  A few I'd like to see: Kidrockers and Gustafer Yellowgold.  Also a brilliant way to engage kids and teens -- the Rockdale Music School Showcase. 
http://tickets.worldcafelive.com/eventcategory.asp?c=45

Philadelphia Orchestra - Despite my feelings on their organizational structure and business planning, this is a hidden gem.  The Orchestra produces two series - the Family Concerts (for children 6-12) and the Sound All Around (for children 3-5).  Saturday, October 22 they offer Simply Spooktacular for the older crowd.  Starting at 11:30am, they run just one hour (love).  And what better way to get your child exposed to classical music?  And have an experience in Verizon Hall?
http://www.philorch.org/families.html

Penn Presents at The Annenburg offers the Student Discovery Series and there isn't one "meh" performance on this series. Chunky Move and RUBBERBANDance Group are on the fall docket.  Perfect as a mainstage event or with your elementary (or older) child.  But who am I kidding?  I would bring my 3 year old.  
http://www.pennpresents.org/tickets/discovery.php

The Arden Theatre produces Charlotte's Web this holiday season.  I am usually drawn to more original productions but I've been wanting to take my son to an Arden production for a long time.  They are such a polished theater company and always produce with high production value -- you and your little one will love the performance. Sometimes Philly Fun Saver has deals for the Arden.
http://www.ardentheatre.org/2012/charlottesweb.html
 

Elsewhere

NYU's Skirball Center opened its Big Red Family Series last weekend with Dan Zanes & Friends.  Treasured Stories of Eric Carle by Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia (this month) and the Dinosaur Petting Zoo (just after the holidays) are good picks.  Last year I saw the amazing Mumanshanz at Skirball and even sitting in the balcony was awesome.  It's an intimate space.  In the past I have found discounts online at Theater Mania.
http://skirballcenter.nyu.edu/events

The off Broadway staple for children and families - The New Victory Theater - presents a host of wonderful performances for kids and caregivers.  I will seeing local to Philadelphia Bristol Riverside Theater's production of The Little Prince before it wraps mid-October.  In November I am taking my 3 year old to see White, a theater piece for little ones by Catherine Wheels Theatre Company from Scotland. Untapped is another one that I would suggest for an older child and whole family outing.  The New Vic brings in a wealth of overseas work and it's a wonderful way to introduce children to age appropriate performance.  They are trend setters in the quality of work they present - it's always thought provoking and poignant. 
http://newvictory.org/shows.m

Princeton's Mccarter Theater has an amazing education component to their mission and if you have an older child (13+), any of the classics here would be amazing - on their own or as part of a school trip.  I am a classic literature lover and lit play lover so if I could afford it, I would see every one of these - and insist some of my jaded teen cousins come in tow. Various plays throughout the fall.
http://www.mccarter.org/Education/matinees.aspx?page_id=73

RVCC Arts at Raritan Valley Community College has a great line up of family programming.  Shape of a Girl is a darker edgy piece for teens that walks us through one girl's struggle to do the right thing.  http://rvccarts.org/12/12Events/Family.htm
RVCC arts also has a school time series and sampler series that feature a few childrens books classics as well as Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, an African folktale. http://rvccarts.org/12/12Events/Sampler.htm. There are several programs on the School Time series that look enchanting: The Princess and the Pea (the puppet element of this sold me) on November 14, Down These Mean Streets (literature!) for high schoolers on November 15, and The Dave Leonhardt Jazz Trio (I have Dave's CDs -- he's wonderful) on December 16. http://rvccarts.org/12/12Events/SchoolTime.htm

For Adults

Danu - one of my personal favorite Irish bands ever - will perform at Annenburg in early December.  I am never fortunate enough to score a comp or deal for this one but honestly, it's SO worth every penny.  I saw them showcase in early 2008 when I was 5 months pregnant and emotional.  Yeah, I was a wreck.  A few years later I saw them at Annenburg for their St. Patty's Day celebration and they just tear the house down.  You feel like you are in the Titanic scene where Kate and Leo are dancing and drinking.  Sans the beer.  I have no doubt their Christmas celebration will be just as awesome. 
http://www.pennpresents.org/tickets/?id=175
Penn does world music, jazz and theatre very well and you can't go wrong with any of the wonderful artists on their 11/12 season.

Philadanco's fall home season at The Kimmel Center -- 'You thought Flashdance made you want to be a dancer?  Philadanco is explosive, powerful and athletic.  'Nuff said.  They kick a$$.
http://philadanco.org/events/

At NYU's Skirball Radio & Juliet will be amazing.  Radiohead, Shakespeare, and classic ballet are all at work here.  With a narrative told from Juliet's perspective, epic sounds of Radiohead couple with an expressive mix of Ballet Maribor's minimalist forms to intensify the universal themes of seduction, love, friendship, and violence. The electronic edge, pulsing beats, and ardent melodies that inspire and underscore Clug's tight choreography and talented company remake the world's greatest love story into a brilliant new experience.
http://skirballcenter.org/calendar/radioandjuliet

I mentioned my love of literature?  Right.  This is a no brainer - not just because of it being a drama about Gatsby but because the cast.  See GATZ at McCarter in Princeton.
http://mccarter.org/ticketoffice/eventdetail.aspx?page_id=7&event_id=6846

Disclaimer -- I work in the performing arts.  I'm an artist manager and it's part of my job to see as much programming as possible.  While I do know many programming directors and their aesthetic, I am not paid to write this.  The opinions and suggestions above are my own. For discounts, I have tooled around on Theater Mania, Philly Fun Guide or performed a simple Google Search for a discount code. 

Last week at Performing Arts Exchange (PAE), I participated in a discussion on the topic of family programming.  A recurring theme in any presentation on family programming is how to involve and engage the teen audience.  Is it what we program? How we market it? How much say the audience members have in the decisions?

This is a tough market to reach but it is not impossible.  First and foremost, remember that tomorrow's teens are today's toddlers and preschoolers.  Do you have something for them and their caregivers?  You have a moment right now to get into their psyches and let them be lifelong arts patrons.  How are you taking advantage of that opportunity? 

As elementary and middle schoolers, you need to appeal more to the children and their interests (less the caregiver) but keep in mind the caregiver is still the ultimate decision maker/spender/mode of transportation.  Can you curate a season that has a mix of popular with edgier programs?  Recall my post on curation and how each should stand alone but still work together.  Ideally, one show can help attract audiences to the other.  Don't rule out your bus-in performances.  While these tend to be more education related, they are still exposing young minds to the arts.  How much are the schools really doing with the children before and after the program?  That translates into eager minds if schools are doing things right.

Now you have a teen...a jaded know it all teen.  I raise my hand loud and proud because I was that kid.  Essentially from the time I was 12/13 through 16/17.  My high school helped me embrace my artistic niche and it really made a difference in how I treated others - mostly elders.  I saw that they were there to teach, empower, excite and move me forward.  There is still a lot of peer pressure but the second you give a teen some respect and ownership, the more willing he or she is to engage and be respectful in return.  So to my programming and marketing friends, it does involve understanding.  A couple ways to do so:

• Envision a teen series
• Invite some local teens to be part of a focus group for this series
• Once you've collected your data on potential performers, ask for their input
• Explain curation and why it is important and ask the group to consider that when offering their opinions
• Ask them for suggestions - new bands, performers, etc.
• Consider the Friday night open mic/coffee house/talent show - peers (and family) love seeing each other on stage.  It's that simple.  And coffee?  It's a trend that will never die. 
• Remember what else is going on in their lives - proms, dances, sports, schooling/tests, etc. Consider how to program around all that.
• In terms of marketing - again, get them on board but educate them.  Let them know that an occasional FB post isn't enough.  Show them how a marketing plan with integrated communications tactics can work.  They can divide and conquer with social media, PR, simple advertising, and word of mouth.

The main thing is to try. Try with sincerity.  And keep trying.  It is a tough group and there is a ton of competition out there but there are folks doing it well so keep asking for feedback and for ideas from your peers.  Don't assume that because the first time bombed that "my audience doesn't respond to teen programming." I can't tell you how often I hear that.  What if every sales person said that with each rejection?  We are ALL selling something to someone.  So remember that people are on bell curves.  It may take several tries to get that audience's attention and then get them engaged. 

Ahhh HA!
November 26 –January 1 @ The Echo Theatre, Portland Oregon

For Immediate Release
Portland, OR - September 28th, 2011

Media Contact: Janine Twining
Email: janine@dojump.org
Phone: 503-231-1232

Aerial Artistry - Hilarious Holiday HiJinks - Dazzling Spectacles - Daring Feats... AND MORE!
Get a Do Jump! Start on your Holidays!

Debuting in 2010 as Greatest Hits for the Holidays, Ahhh HA! has been renamed, refined and picked up for a 3-week run on Broadway! Before we head for the Big Apple, we want to give our Portland audiences the opportunity to see one of our most popular shows to date, in its latest incarnation!

Like a colorful patchwork quilt, we have woven together bits and pieces of material from the past 34 years and created a delightful new work. Bring the entire family and get wrapped up in Ahhh HA! this holiday season!

Theatre/Box Office Location:
Do Jump! Extremely Physical Theatre
The Echo Theatre
1515 SE 37th Ave
Portland, OR 97214

Box Office/General Information: 503-231-1232
Box Office Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-4pm
24-hr Online Ticket Sales: www.dojump.org
Ticket Prices: $32.00 Adults/$26.00 Seniors (over 62)/$20.00 Youth (under 12)

"At some point in Do Jump!'s new show, you're likely to observe that you've become unmoored, floating giddily above yourself...so surprising and creative, it all seems new.” Bob Hicks, The Oregonian

PERFORMANCE DATES & TIMES
11/26/11 7:30pm
11/27/11 12:00pm & 4:00pm
12/02/11 7:30pm
12/03/11 3:00pm & 7:30pm
12/04/11 4:00pm
12/09/11 7:30pm
12/10/11 3:00pm & 7:30pm
12/11/11 4:00pm
12/16/11 7:30pm
12/17/11 3:00pm & 7:30pm
12/18/11 4:00pm
12/20/11 3:00pm & 7:30pm
12/21/11 7:30pm
12/22/11 7:30pm
12/23/11 3:00pm & 7:30pm
12/26/11 3:00pm & 7:30pm
12/27/11 7:30pm
12/28/11 12:00pm & 4:00pm
12/29/11 7:30pm
12/30/11 3:00pm & 7:30pm
01/01/12 4:00pm

"Do Jump! Reinforces a child's sense of wonder and revives it in adults." NY Times

Choreographed/directed by: Robin Lane.

Featuring: Nicolo Kehrwald; Yoji Hall; Brittany Walsh; Jack StockLynn; Lindsay Fischer, Shersten Finley; Curtis Carlyle; Mike Mesa; Tony Palomino.

Live Music: Original Music by Klezmocracy.

Dates: November 26th, 2011 – January 1st, 2012

Doors Open: 30-minutes before curtain. Live music and entertainment before every performance.

Location: Echo Theatre 1515 SE 37th Ave, Portland, OR 97214

Ticket Prices: Adults $32, Seniors (over 62) $26, Youth (under 12) $20

Information: 503-231-1232 or www.DoJump.org

“For 30 years, Do Jump! Has neglected to pay its gravity bill - and audiences can be ever grateful. Saints of both the sublime and the ridiculous, Robin Lane's troupe embraces the aerial arts, circus frenzy, multimedia sorcery and scintillating propulsive live music to mesmerizing effect." The Willamette Week

Robin Lane & Do Jump! Extremely Physical Theatre: For over one-third of a century, Founder and Artistic Director Robin Lane has led the Do Jump! "actorbats" in creating a unique blend of theatre, dance, aerial work, acrobatics, dynamic visuals and live music that defies categorization. Celebrating both individual creativity and community spirit, Do Jump! has thrilled audiences throughout North America.

In June of 2010: Robin Lane was the recipient of the RACC Individual Artist Fellowship in Performing Arts. “Robin Lane is a legend in Portland,” said Eloise Damrosch, Executive Director of RACC. “It is our honor to recognize the contributions of this extraordinary artist, and to support her in the year ahead.” Lane’s work is accessible to audiences of all ages -- playful, poetic and profoundly humorous. Lane’s works have toured the United States and Canada for nearly three decades, and she has taught generations of children and teachers acro-aerial and ensemble performance through the Do Jump school and youth company. The RACC Artists Fellowship Award, established in 1999, is one of the largest and most prestigious grants to individual artists in the Pacific Northwest, supporting exceptional artists who enrich the communities in our region.

Klezmocracy: The freewheeling musical combo Klezmocracy leaves few musical stones unturned. This eclectic group of professionals has pooled their many years of musical experience and are cooking up an Afro-Hebrew musical stew seasoned with Latin, Jazz, Cabaret, Rock and Klezmer. For Do Jump! Klezmocracy performs as a trio version of the full quintet and features Ralph Huntley (piano), Joseph Janiga (drums), Courtney Von Drehle (saxophones).

Promotional Materials: http://dojump.org/promo.shtml

This project is supported in part by a grant from the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, the Regional Arts and Culture Council, and the Collins Foundation.

I've had a lot going on in recent weeks.  I'm finally getting up to speed in making some announcements:

Sebastienne Mundheim/White Box Theatre

I've known Sebastienne since my days at PennPAT.  I will never forget sitting in on a panel review of artists' work and being positively mesmerized by both her craft and the raw beauty of the productions she creates.  At the time Piccadilly Arts was still on the back burner.  Fast forward a few years and I have the amazing opportunity to work with this talented interdisciplinary artist.  Moreover, Sebastienne creates with all audiences in mind --- all of her productions delight young and old.  I feel like we are a good match and I'm super excited to be providing marketing consulting for her newest piece (it debuted in April at PIFA) being remounted for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

Here's a blurb about it with a link to the full release (also on here).

I'm excited to announce that Philadelphia interdisciplinary artist Sebastienne Mundheim of White Box Theatre remounts her production of Paris Wheels and the Ready Maids present: Not the Henri Rousseau that Some of You Know for the 2011 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. This production was originally commissioned by the Kimmel Center for the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts in April 2011. The positive audience responses suggest it will be a winner at this year's Fringe Festival. Highlights include it being one of just a few family friendly performances at the otherwise avant-garde festival, targeting the youngest of audiences members. Additionally, the Fringe performances feature a new cast of professional dancers. Finally, Sebastienne's artistry cannot be matched -- her attention to detail, simplicity and beauty shines in the eloquently handcrafted puppetry. Told through movement, music, storytelling and puppetry, Paris Wheels and the Ready Maids can not be missed.

Full release here.

  
Photos: Top to Bottom: White Box Theatre performs at the Kimmel during PIFA 2011; Bike shot; Henri Rousseau

M I S Captial

I met the fellas of M I S Captial at IPAY back in January.  They are a Philadelphia based real estate consulting and development firm specializing in helping nonprofits (typically schools) navigate the capital campaign process. They are working with other colleagues of mine on aquiring an old space in Center City that will be used as a venue for performing arts for young audiences.  We've been diligently working since mid-late Spring on marketing messages and a new website for them.  My design partner Beth has been awesome and the guys have been such great to work with.  The project is winding down and I will spotlighting the website soon.
 

Press contact:
Sebastienne Mundheim/White Box Theatre
215.668.2718
smundheim@gmail.com
www.whiteboxtheatre.com

PDF version of press release here

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 10, 2011

Sebastienne Mundheim/White Box Theatre remount “Paris Wheels and the Ready Maids … Not the Henri Rousseau That Some of You Know…”

A family friendly performance for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

PHILADELPHIA – Sebastienne Mundheim/White Box Theatre announce the remounting of “Paris Wheels and the Ready Maids … Not the Henri Rousseau That Some of You Know…” for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Originally commissioned by the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts for the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) in April 2011, it was performed nine times to sold-out audiences. Fringe Festival performances will take place at The Crane Arts Center: Old School: White Space at various times September 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18.

“Paris Wheels and the Ready Maids” provides a glimpse into 1910 Paris through the eyes of Henri Rousseau as ready-maids parade the Champs Elysees, zoo animals float out of their cages and into a garden of pink leaves, a bicyclist climbs the Eiffel Tower in a journey that discovers the joy and responsibility of invention. Using handcrafted puppets, dance, and lyrical storytelling, Sebastienne Mundheim along with collaborating visual and performing artists celebrate turn of the century Paris and the avant-garde. It is one the Fringe Festival’s few performances created and produced for family audiences. The Fringe Festival performances also feature a new cast that includes dancers Lesya Popil, Eun Jung Choi, Kate Carr, and Lindsay Browning.

Mundheim, a veteran of Live Arts and Philly Fringe (“Sea of Birds” 2008, “Currently Franklin: The Story of a Paper Boy” 2006, and “A Potable Joyce: The Story of James Joyce and His Manuscript” 2003,) has consistently presented visually stunning, thoughtful, inventive performances to enthusiastic audiences of all ages.

“Paris Wheels and The Ready Maids” runs thirty-five minutes and follows with a forty minute hands-on workshop. The performance and workshop are appropriate for all ages and languages.

Dates and Times:
September 10, 11, 17, 18 at 11am, 1:30pm, and 4pm
September 13, 14 at 7pm
(Continued)
Location:
Crane Arts Center: Old School: White Space
1417 North Second Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122

Tickets:
$10-$15 and may be purchased through the Fringe Festival box office at http://livearts-fringe.org or by calling 215-413-1318.

Comments from the PIFA performances:

“... One of the most inventive, memorable events of the 135 we presented … engaging children and adults equally in a magical world … its singular joy, delight, and insight must be experienced …” – Barbara Silverstein, Artistic Producer, Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, 2011

“… An enchanting theatrical experience… Delicate, poignant, and whimsical… It reminds us of the importance of dreaming, as big as we can… The puppets are extraordinary… At once childlike and sophisticated…” – Kate Britton, NYC, NY

“How did you make things that are pretend seem so real” – A three-year old

About Sebastienne Mundheim/White Box Theatre
Sebastienne Mundheim is an interdisciplinary storyteller, installation artist, and educator. She uses puppetry, dance, sculpture, theatre, and lyrical writing to create immersive environments engaging audiences of all ages. She has been creating arts-based interdisciplinary performance and community events for 20 years. Mundheim began her arts career as a painter and writer, earning her BA and BFA at the University of Pennsylvania in Painting and English (1990). Wanting to get away from the solitary practice of studio and get out into the world to make work with more clear social impact, Mundheim began creating interdisciplinary community arts program and events in Philadelphia and New Orleans, designing and implementing parades, installations, and arts-based learning experiences through museums, cultural organizations, schools, and community centers. In 1994, Mundheim began to include performance into her practice. Since then, she has created 21 interdisciplinary performances, commissioned by organizations including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, University of Pennsylvania, and Kimmel Center for Performing Arts, Rosenbach Museum and Library, and Franklin and Marshall College. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally.

Selected presenters include: The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and The Kimmel Center for Performing Arts. Mundheim has participated as a dramaturg, designer, and/or performer in the works of: Kate Watson Wallace, Whit McLaughlin, Thaddeus Phillips, Hua-Hua Zhang, and other Philadelphia-based artists. In 2010 she received a Philadelphia Theatre Initiative Fellowship to study with the HandSpring Puppet Company in South Africa. In 2011, Mundheim was finalist for the Pew Fellowship in the Arts. She received her EdM from Harvard in 2000.

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The following is a guest post from my colleague Jonathan Shmidt. Jonathan works in the field of theater for young audiences and earlier this summer I highlighted his new company Trusty Sidekick Theater Company.  I am super excited to have his perscpective both a a teaching artist and as an artistic director and producer.  He shares my dream and mission of creating quality programs for young audiences - and does a terrific job of describing the platform from which outstanding work can be created. 

A Refocus on Artistry

“Oh…so you work in ‘children’s theater’?” (insert tone of judgement). As an artist interested in creating sophisticated and innovative theater for young audiences, I feel like I’m constantly fighting against the negative stereotype of the experience conjured by the phrase, “Children’s Theater”. You know…bright colors, big voices with saccharine delivery, amateur production value, and paper-thin plot. Sadly, that stereotype is somewhat based in truth. We’ve all seen it. Across the country, except for a few rare pockets of quality, young people are served up mediocre or insincere performance presenting watered-down two-dimensional plots and amateur artistic value. As we witness the outstanding work for young audiences emanating from the UK, Australia, and everywhere in between, why is it that the majority of American theater for young people has so much catching up to do? In my opinion, the problem lies in the “Why."

Why do we make theater? What is our goal in bringing stories to life in front of our collective audiences? If we were to review some mission statements of exciting theaters creating work for adults, we would find statements such as:

“Our mission is to engage audiences in an exchange of ideas that makes us think harder, laugh longer, feel more.”

“…to produce works that force us to reexamine the world we live in through the unique perspectives of extraordinary writers.”

While the theaters we admire as leaders in the form talk about engaging us in a dialogue, awakening our senses and causing us as audience members to re-examine ourselves and the world around us, many children’s theaters articulate goals that are not focused first and foremost on artistry. Their offerings often seem designed to “teach” the audience a positive and clear message, be it through a historical retelling, a literary adaptation, and in the rare case, an original play. It seems as though these theaters feel a moral responsibility to their young audiences using live performance as a vehicle for academic or social education.

Let me be clear- I am in no way taking a stand against arts education. I am a huge advocate for the transformative power of the arts and its importance in the lives of young people. However, I feel that when it comes to theater for young people in America, we’ve steered a bit too close to the “education” and a bit too far away from the “art”. In an effort to justify the worth of an artistic experience in the life of a child, we’ve created a reality in which theater needs to fill an educational gap and/or meet a moral benchmark, or check off a curricular standard box. The problem is that when theater-makers start creating from a place of “What do we need to teach?” rather than “What inspires us?”, the product suffers. The young audience is able to see right through it is as insincere and pedantic. They deserve better.

Why can’t theater for young audiences challenge the audience to imagine a different reality? Why can’t it be messy, or be sad, or have complicated characters? Why can’t it be presented solely for the purpose of offering a view into another world, with no pecific educational or moral agenda? Children have incredible depth, and deserve theater that isn’t shallow. By offering true works of art, created by artists who believe in their work and have something honest to say, we can provide the most powerful experience possible for the future generation of artists and audiences.

About Jonathan Shmidt

Jonathan Shmidt is a director, producer and educator in the field of Theater for Young Audiences. He is the Artistic Director of Trusty Sidekick Theater Company. He currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at NYU Steinhardt Program in Educational Theatre, where he teaches a course on Theater for Young Audiences. He has collaborated on TYA and Arts Education initiatives with the New Victory Theater, Boston Lyric Opera, Wheelock Family Theater, Immediate Medium, the National Theatre’s Connections Festival and NYU's New Plays for Young Audiences Series. He is also the co-founder of YEA: Young Educators in the Arts, a networking group for emerging professionals in Arts Education. He holds a Masters Degree from the NYU Steinhardt Program in Educational Theatre.
http://trustysidekick.org

This is a repost from roster artist Treehouse Shakers' blog, written by AD and co-founder Mara McEwin.

This month Treehouse Shakers begins making its 12th original piece, Hatched. Its a piece for our youngest audience members 0 to 4. Welcome to the genre of Baby Drama. These Baby Dramas were first introduced to me at the International Performing Arts for Young People. A few years later I began bringing my own daughter to see them. The ones I have seen have been European, spell binding, moving, and incredibly artistic.

It just so happens that for the past couple of years I have seriously been contemplating the direction of the company. I also have been wanting to write something new to perform, and wanting to work with new collaborators. I wrote the final version of Let's Talk About IT! shortly after my daughter was born, three years ago. I desperately needed a creative jumpstart. This happens to me a lot. I make something, send it off, and then get bored. Usually when this happens, I emerge myself in other mediums; visit museums, see a play, go to a reading. During my contemplative gestation period last fall, I went to see the new Albee play at Playwrights Horizons with a friend. Albee, one of my favorite playwrights, was my teenage obsession. I used to skip school just to watch Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf, I quoted him for any hardships that emerged, and would have kissed the pavement he walked on. So after seeing him interviewed one night, was ecstatic when I was given tickets to see his new work Me, Myself & I. The show was a huge disappointment and it didn't help that I was going through my own artistic turmoil. The piece was stale, the spontaneity sorely gone. The piece simply withered on the vine with each new scene. We left during the second act.

The next week though Chrissie (Piccadilly Arts), our kids, and my despondent self, experienced a gem of a Baby Drama at the New Victory. It was such a sweet, beautiful piece, and made the whole theater burst alive with magic. It was my much needed inspiration. For weeks after I couldn't stop thinking and talking about the piece. I began saying that perhaps Treehouse should make a Baby Drama. Suddenly, I had to make this piece. Then January rolled around with another IPAY. I started talking about making an American Baby Drama at the conference. I wasn't sure yet what I was making, but I had a few ideas brewing. Jim Packard of Long Island Children's Museum asked if I was serious about making the Baby Drama and if so he wanted to help the piece through development.

I came home and thought.

[Initial Calf Sketch for Treehouse Shakers' Hatched. Puppet Design and Concept by Patti Gilstrap,
Sketch by Florence McEwin]

And thought.

And thought.

And then it came to me. The new piece came as an image, a vision, and then a title, and then we began writing grants for the piece. I called Jim again to see if he was serious. He was. Excited, I put together a proposal and brought it to him. His theater is the perfect place for this piece to be "hatched." Hatched is the story of a baby chick who discovers his world and meets many new baby animal friends onstage. It is in part a please touch museum, theatrical experience, and a petting zoo all rolled into one. The vision is to meld puppets, live music, and some movement. For the first time Emily is not choreographing the piece. Her own baby is arriving in September, and she is also branching out to start an acupuncture practice. I immediately knew who I wanted to choreograph, Roderick Jackson.

[Roderick onstage during Coyote's Dance at Ailey Citigroup Theater 2011]

Roderick has been collaborating musically with Treehouse Shakers since 2001. He has worked as a teaching artist for us both in music and dance, and I can honestly say he is one of my favorite people. He is hard working, artistically inspired while being open to suggestions, but his work ethic is as strong as steel. When he agreed I knew this piece could be something amazing.

Patti Gilstrap our longtime costume designer and the owner of Flirt boutiques stepped on board as the puppet designer, and we are currently in talks with a wonderful musician. Our performance company is already in place; Josh Tag, Amber Ford, Sarah Young and Myself (yes, I will always be an actor at heart).

This Friday began the first of our development rehearsals. My plan is to play with the vision during the summer and have something concrete by fall that we can then rehearse. We will present Hatched first at LICM in April and then in NYC in May. The show is already being shopped around for its touring season 2012-2013 by Piccadilly Arts.

Last fall I wanted to try something new, I wanted to try working with new collaborators (not that I don't love the collaboration process with Emily.) I was making plans to keep the company alive and thriving. It is thrilling to think that this idea is finally coming to fruition.

I will keep everyone updated as we begin this inspired artistic journey.

Trusty Sidekick is my new baby.  And with a bad ass name like that, how does one not conjure up images of cool side kicks of yesteryear?  Batman and his trusty sidekick Robin.  Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Scooby and Shaggy.  It's a repectable nod to carefree days of our (Gen X) days of youth. And youth is what this theater company is all about.

When an imaginative name is my first introduction to a company, I'm already intrigued...and trustful.  Turns out this NYC based theater company with its fun logo and identity is the brain child of AD Jonathan Shmidt, a director, producer and educator in the field of Theater for Young Audiences.  Jeremy Dewey is the other sidekick.  He's the ED and as a nonprofit arts management specialist, has worked with numerous institutions in a fundraising and management consulting role.  As the background suggests, it targets young audiences and families.

Trusty Sidekick's mission is "to create bold, sophisticated and high-quality artistic performance for young people and their families. We strive to combine immersive staging and inventive theatricality to tell old and new stories, challenge preconceptions of live performance, and introduce theater to a new generation."

For being the new kid on the block, they are already fulfilling their mission well.  This past weekend, they produced and premiered BEAST at the FIGMENT Festival on New York's Governor's Island.  Inspired by the writings of William Golding (Lord of the Flies), this outdoor emersive performance installation follows the adventure and struggle of a group of young castaways marooned on an island while exploring the deconstruction of order into chaos as the castaways fight the beast within.

This physical theater piece is created around and through the viewing spectators. Audience members enable the full immersive experience by listening to a sound installation (by cell phone or iPod) as they watch, designed to accompany the visual performance. BEAST is based on an original concept by Blake McCarty and Jonathan Shmidt. Project directed by Adrienne Kapstein and Jonathan Shmidt, Sound Installation by Chris Gabriel.

BEAST seems most appropriate for a middle-high school audience.  Frankly I'm wondering where such performance was in 1990 when I was 13 and reading Animal Farm (which I loved - I mean, how often does it describe our own social systems like school and work, right?).  This would be a killer match up for an educator too. 

And how about the sound installation?  What a smart and relevant way to engage tweens and teens.  The web site has a link to a downloadable MP3 that the youth are asked to bring.  And play.  During the performance.  Brilliant.

Another piece in the company's rep is the work-in-progress,The Little One and the Sea of Letters.  Hidden within the Henry Street Settlement, a group of eccentric storytellers invite the audience on a forgotten journey as they tell the story of the bravest child the world has ever known, who leaves her village to make one big voyage. Through imaginative storytelling, puppetry, object theater and physical theater, the storytellers bring a new folktale of immigration to life, inventively and abstractly re-imagined through the eyes of a child.  The Little One and the Sea of Letters was created as part of a residency at Henry Street Settlement /Abrons Arts Center. 

Let's consider the above from a high level: 

Branding -- a clear vision, set of values, a fun and quirky personality and image
Marketing -- intelligent programming, targeting distinct age groups, promotion that includes relevant and age appropriate ways of engaging youth
Management -- two directors with a background in directing, producing, and teaching
Funding -- a Kickstarter campaign to start things

This company has a wonderful mix of all the things that go into making a theater a destination, experience, and leader.  I'm looking forward to seeing what more comes out of Trusty Sidekick and providing any marketing guidance they might need in their rise to stardom.  In the meantime, you can join me and make a pledge on Kickstarter to support this wonderful theater company ~ http://kck.st/kiZxUM

About the co-founders:

Jonathan Shmidt, Artistic Director:  jshmidt@trustysidekick.org

Jonathan Shmidt is a director, producer and educator in the field of Theater for Young Audiences. He has collaborated on TYA and Arts Education initiatives withthe New Victory Theater, Boston Lyric Opera, Wheelock Family Theater, Immediate Medium, Youth on Target, the National Theatre’s Connections Festival and NYU's New Plays for Young Audiences Series. He currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at NYU Steinhardt Program in Educational Theatre, where he teaches a course on Theater for Young Audiences. He is also the co-founder of YEA: Young Educators in the Arts, a networking group for emerging professionals in Arts Education. He holds a Masters Degree from the NYU Steinhardt Program in Educational Theatre.

Jeremy Dewey, Executive Director:  jdewey@trustysidekick.org

Jeremy Dewey is a nonprofit arts management specialist and has worked with numerous nonprofit institutions, including New York City Ballet and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, primarily in areas of fundraising, executive recruiting, and management consulting. He holds a Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Arts Administration from Southern Methodist University and Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Kansas.

The New Plays for Young Audiences Series at New York University present the reading and staging of new plays this month at Provincetown Playhouse, 133 MacDougal Street, NYC.  This reading series of new works allows children and youth to not only see staged readings of brand new scripts, but also participate in the feedback process of playwriting, providing their thoughts and questions to develop the play. This series happens every summer.

Based in the Program in Educational Theatre at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New Plays for Young Audiences is an annual summer play development series located in the historic Provincetown Playhouse. Founded in 1998 by Lowell and Nancy Swortzell, NYU’s prize-winning New Plays for Young Audiences has developed 40 new plays written by leading playwrights for young audiences and families. These plays go on to receive national recognition, publication and production throughout the world.

Upcoming performances include Echo and Dorian and The Three Little Wolves.

Echo and Dorian by Diane Samuels is inspired by the Greek myth Narcissus in which a gorgeous young man falls so in love with his own reflection that he pines to nothing more than the yellow flower that still bears his name. It is the unrequited longing of the nymph Echo, as she too wastes away due to unfulfilled (and deluded) love of this self-besotted youth that forms the heart of this new play. Drawing some elements from Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey, Echo and Dorian is set amongst a group of style-conscious and media-savvy 21st century teenagers, as myth and modern life collide playfully to
reveal what it’s like to fall head over heels, have your heart broken, discover what’s false, and what’s truly true. The play is appropriate for ages 13 and up.

The Three Little Wolves by Larry Brenner tells the story of the Three Little Wolves who need to find a friend, but no one trusts them because of the stories of their uncle, The Big Bad Wolf. Through learning life lessons about being patient, honest, and brave, each of the wolves finds their own friend. The play is appropriate for ages 5 and up.

Echo and Dorian runs on Saturday, June 18th, at 3pm and 7:30pm, and Sunday, June 19th, at 3pm. The Three Little Wolves runs on Saturday, June 25th, at 3pm and 5:00pm, and Sunday, June 26th, at 3pm. All performances are in the Provincetown Playhouse. An audience discussion with the playwright, director, and actors will follow each Sunday performance. Tickets are $5 for adults and FREE for children, high school students, or with a valid NYU ID.

For reservations, please contact NYU Ticket Central online at www.nyu.edu/ticketcentral/calendar, by phone at 212-352-3101, or in person at 566 LaGuardia Place (at Washington Square South) beginning in May. Reporters interested in attending should contact the Office of Public Affairs at 212.998.6797. For more information on the series, contact Dr. David Montgomery at dm635@nyu.edu or 212-998-5869.

Provincetown Playhouse, 133 MacDougal. [Subway: A, C, D, E, F, M (West 4th St.)]