This
page (Page #9) has stories and helpful info from behind the scenes
of ArtReach productions! Push back the curtain and check out
all these great ArtReach titles: Winnie-the-Pooh,
Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Wizard of Oz, Emperor's
New Clothes. Don’t
forget, a Teachers Guide will come with your School Play Package and
contain lots more background articles and info about your play!
BEAT
Children’s Theatre Celebrates Winnie-the-Pooh’s
100th Birthday!
Proud
to Present
ArtReach's A. A. Milne Classic for Kids
Cascade
A & E, Central Oregon
This
Summer, BEAT Children’s Theatre is proud to celebrate the 100th
Anniversary of the publishing of the original Winnie-the-Pooh stories
with their production, Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne, adapted by
Kathryn Schultz Miller. Starring all your favorite Pooh characters
– Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo and, of course, the lovable
Pooh Bear – the play offers a clever retelling of the original
tales, including appearances by the characters of A.A. Milne and Mr.
Shephard, the author and illustrator. A family favorite for 100
years, BEAT could not be prouder to be part of this very special celebration!
"Filled
with friendship, adventure and plenty of honey-filled fun!"
ArtReach's
Winnie-the-Pooh -
BEAT Children’s Theatre, Bend OR
BEAT
is equally proud of the director, Addy Johnson, who at the age of 17
is a veteran of the stage, both on stage and backstage. Addy began
performing with BEAT at the age of seven and has since performed in
many productions, worked as stage crew, stage managed, been an
assistant director, a co-director, and now takes the directing chair
herself. “Addy is such a hard worker and has a beautiful vision
for this show that comes from her years of experience,” says
Bree Beal, executive director of BEAT.
With
this classic, heartwarming production, BEAT joins audiences around
the world in celebrating 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh, Christopher
Robin, and all their beloved friends from the Hundred Acre Wood.
Filled with friendship, adventure, imagination, and plenty of
honey-filled fun, this charming youth production brings A.A.
Milne’s timeless characters to life through the creativity,
energy, and talent of young performers. Join us as Pooh, Piglet,
Eeyore, and friends embark on whimsical adventures that remind
audiences of all ages about the joy of friendship, kindness, and the
magic of childhood. This delightful production is sure to entertain
longtime fans and introduce a new generation to the stories that have
captured hearts for a century.
"Stories
that have captured hearts for a century."
ArtReach's
Winnie-the-Pooh -
BEAT Children’s Theatre, Bend OR
BEAT’s
production of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne opens August 7 at Open
Space Event Studios and runs through August 16 – including one
very special performance at Drake Park on August 15 in partnership
with Lay-It-Out Events. For more information, or to buy tickets, go
to beatchildrenstheatre.org. Come and join BEAT for a Grand
Adventure, and perhaps to have a little smakerel of something honey inspired.
Colorful
Production of ArtReach's Musical Sleeping
Beauty
Tea Tree
Players, Surrey Downs, AU
This
TTP Youth production of “Sleeping Beauty”, adapted by
Kathryn Schultz Miller is certainly colourful. With a stunning array
of fairy-tale costuming by Merici Thompson and the Monday Club
together with some telling lighting tricks per courtesy of Mike
Phillips a large cast of junior and youthful performers strut their
stuff across the Tea Tree Players’ stage. Co-directors Georgina
Giessauf and Penny Phillips guided the large cast (I counted over
30!) onto, across and around the stage for a significant part of the
performance time. The stage is, by any reckoning, of modest size; so
to succeed in wrangling that number of youngsters without any
discernible mishap is an admirable feat!
"Youthful
performers strut their stuff."
ArtReach's Musical Sleeping
Beauty - Palo Alto Children's Theatre, CA
As
MD Annika Barry had an interesting choice of songs to play with and
some worked very well. The Zombie number ” Graveyard Cha!
Cha!” (If that is the song’s title!), “I put a Spell
on You” and “That’s Amore” were all handled and
delivered quite well. On the other hand the low register and romantic
quietness of a number like “Can’t Take my Eyes Off of
You” is a challenging ask for young voices. However its
delivery was managed quite well but more of that later.
In
the opening scenes the narrative was well laid out with Maggie
Phillips as King Alfred and Jasmine Filmer as Queen Beatrice.
Together they evoked suitable royalty and a believable parental
chemistry. The “Flower” quartet comprising Aimee Jordan
(Lilac), Elsie Hasler (Iris), Hala Giangregorio (Rose) and Maggie
Moerman (Daisy) all commanded the stage with grace and assurance. The
delivered their lines with quiet authority and purpose with Aimee in
particular speaking up and out to the audience with good diction and
clear articulation. All too often young actors turn upstage or turn
to the right or left to deliver lines to another character and in so
doing we, the audience, often miss what is being said!
"I
counted over 30 - kids in the cast!"
ArtReach's
Musical Sleeping
Beauty
- Tea Tree Players - Palace
Theatre, Manchester NH
Sophie
Warnecke created an appealing Princess Aurora. She moves well on
stage and her persona captured the approval of the young audience.
Her good nature allowed her to easily fall under the spell of the
wicked Morgana on her 16th birthday as predicted. Aurora’s
saviour (and Prince Charming, Ferdinand), a most regal Vale Follett,
arrived on stage like the veritable Knight in Shining Armour! He too
made the stage his own and together they made an agreeable Princess
and Prince managing a pretty fair job of their song “Can’t
Take my Eyes Off of You!” Joel Strauss gave a voice strong and
true to his noble King Edward, and, along with Aurora’s father
King Alfred (Maggie Phillips) combined in a hearty delivery of
“That’s Amore”. Their attack on that number certainly
matched the power and vigour of Mel Filmer’s nicely portrayed
evil Morgana. Filmer stamped herself as the “baddie” of the
piece from the moment she stepped up to the stage. She was loud,
nicely abrasive and gave strong voice to her aptly chosen number
“I Put a Spell on You”.
"Well
done you! All of you!"
ArtReach's
Musical Sleeping
Beauty - Harvey Elementary School, NB
Canada -
Morgana’s
personal troupe of Ghouls supported her character very well indeed
because they all stayed within their own characters! And so too did
all the other creatures of the forest, various courtiers in
attendance and cast members who chipped in with brief cameo
contributions. There are too many of you to mention but you are very
much the important backbone of this fairy-tale fantasy. If
enthusiastic participation counts for anything (and it always does)
everybody onstage contributed to entertaining your audience. Well
done you. All of you!
Calling
all children: ArtReach's “Aladdin”
like you have never seen it
The
Paly Voice, Maddy Jones, Author, Palo Alto CA
Children
and parents alike will be able to watch and enjoy Palo Alto High
School Theater Department’s adaptation of Aladdin
retold from a whimsical and quirky perspective.
“It’s
about 45 minutes in length, very lively and creative with minimal
sets, fun costumes, multimedia, live and recorded sound effects and
even some audience participation,” director Nancy Sauder said.
Showtimes
are at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Sept. 29, and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Oct.
1, in the Haymarket Theater. The performances on Saturday are open to
the public and the performances on Tuesday are only for visiting
students. Tickets are $5 and will be available at the door, while the
student matinees on Tuesday will be free.
“It’s
a very creative and lively adaptation."
ArtReach's Aladdin
- Ilkley Playhouse, Ilkley UK
“We
wanted to offer elementary schools in the district the opportunity
to bring their students to Paly for student matinees at no
charge,” Sauder said. “These types of performances are many
times a child’s first experience of live theatre so it’s
significant for all involved.”
According
to Sauder, the play is aimed at a younger audience and will
hopefully attract kids from the local elementary schools to come get
a taste of what theater is like. While the play is aimed towards
children, Sauder said that there will still be something in it for
the parents viewing it too.
"A
child’s first experience of live theatre so it’s significant."
ArtReach's Aladdin
- Ilkley Playhouse, Ilkley UK
“Our
goal was to give our high school actors the opportunity to play to
young audiences, which is a highly rewarding experiences, and very
different than playing primarily to adults,” Sauder said.
Aladdin
has been adapted by Kathryn Schultz Miller for Paly’s Theater
Department and will differ from the Disney version. The play features
new “wacky characters” and some of the names of main
characters are different, according to Sauder.
“It’s
not a musical, but we have added some musical touches of our
own,” Sauder said. “It’s a very creative and lively
adaptation written by Kathryn Schultz Miller.”
“The
play itself is very whimsical and quirky.”
ArtReach's Aladdin
- Ilkley Playhouse, Ilkley UK
The
play features characters that are silly and is humorous, according
to freshman cast member Claire Eberhart.
“The
play itself is very whimsical and quirky,” Eberhart said.
“And hopefully, we can interest some of the children watching to
join theatre and maybe do [theater] at Paly down the line.”
AAJHS
Drama Club to present ‘Sleepy
Hollow’
The
Altoona Area Junior High School Drama Club will present “The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
The
Altoona Mirror, PA
"Sleepy
Hollow for Middle School Performers"
ArtReach's "The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow" - Altoona
Area Junior High School
Courtesy
photo Playing the parts of Brom Bones and Ichabod Crane in the
Altoona Area Junior High School’s upcoming production of
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’’ are Ethan Franks and
Ayden Boyles.
The
Altoona Area Junior High School Drama Clubwill present “The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
A
senior citizen preview will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2.
Public
performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, and Friday,
Nov. 4, with a matinee show at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5.
All
performances will take place in the Altoona Area Junior High School auditorium.
The
show is being directed and produced by drama club faculty advisers
Stacy Palilla and Jordan Giordano, along with assistant Lindsay Smith.
General
admission tickets will only be on sale at the door and will cost $8
for adults and $5 for students. Doors open approximately 30
minutes before each show.
Grant
brings first-ever musical to Painesville School News Herald
PTA
funds ArtReach's
Wizard of Oz
When
it comes to the arts, members of the Parent Teacher Association of
Chestnut Elementary School in Painesville agree on one thing - there
should be more for students at their school.
That's
why the association applied in 2007 for the $1,000 National Mary Lou
Anderson Reflections Arts Enhancement grant. Chestnut was one of 230
schools across the country that applied for the matching grant - and
one of just three schools that received it.
"The
school has 579 students kindergarten through fifth grade."
ArtReach's The
Wizard of Oz - Sayfol International
School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
With
the money, the PTA will hire an artist in residence to direct a
bilingual production of "The Wizard of Oz." It will be the
first-ever musical put on by the school, which has 579 students in
kindergarten through fifth grade.
"We
wanted to do something to bring our communities together," said
Karen Wivell, Chestnut PTA vice president. "We have a large
Hispanic community and wanted to build a bridge between the English
and Spanish speaking students."
The
production will offer many of the students the chance to not only
act for the first time, but also be involved in the other aspects
that go into putting on a musical, said Anissa Preston, past
president of the PTA.
The
bilingual production was written by award-winning playwright Kathryn
Schultz Miller of Cincinnati. Parent, school and community volunteers
will head teams of students for set design, costuming, music and acting.
"Give
the kids a chance to blossom and build self-esteem."
ArtReach's The
Wizard of Oz - Sayfol International
School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
"I
believe more than one student will be able to play each
character," said Preston, who assisted Wivell with the grant
application. "One of our focuses was to get all the parents in
the school involved and most parents will come to a play their
children are in."
Wivell
said recipients were chosen based on creativity of their proposed
productions and the number of at-risk students that would be reached.
The other grant recipients were schools in California and Maryland.
While
the PTA is in the process of interviewing potential artists in
residence, students at Chestnut Elementary are doing their part by
selling products to raise the matching $1,000 needed for the grant.
"The
production will be very exciting and give the kids a chance to
blossom and build self-esteem," Preston said. "We hope it
will encourage them to reach past their boundaries."
Westgate
Children’s Theatre Presents ArtReach's “The Emperor’s
New Clothes”
By
Jessica Morrow, Messenger Reporter
Families
can look forward to laughter and creativity when Westgate Children's
Theatre presents The Emperor's New Clothes on November 7 at 7 p.m.
and November 8 at 2 p.m. at the Westgate Community Center. Tickets
will be available for $5 at the door.
Westgate
Assistant Manager and Children's Theatre Director Stefanie
Schirtzinger, who has been directing children's theatre at Westgate
since 2014, said this production marks a new approach for the growing
program. "Typically, we have children ages 6-17, but this year
we decided to try something different," she explained. "This
fall's show features performers ages 6-11, and the spring musical
will be for ages 12-17."
The
play offers a lighthearted, family-friendly retelling of the
well-known tale. "The tone is lighthearted and humorous,"
Schirtzinger said. "We wanted something fun and silly, and The
Emperor's New Clothes was the perfect fit."
Rehearsals
have shown the younger cast's energy and commitment. "The most
rewarding part is how hard the kids have been working,"
Schirtzinger said. "We didn't have very long to rehearse for
this show, and they have all done such an amazing job. They show up
for rehearsals prepared and ready to work."
"Lighthearted
and family-friendly."
Westgate
Children's Theatre - Ensworth
School, Nashville, TN
Schirtzinger
said she enjoys seeing the cast form friendships. "We were on a
break during a rehearsal and the stage manager and I noticed how much
fun the kids were having chatting and being silly," she said.
"It made us happy to see them enjoying each other's company and
just being kids."
The
production is set in medieval times, complete with period-style
costumes and some added touches. "We decided to set the show in
medieval times, so the costumes are really fun," Schirtzinger
said. "We have a few surprises with music and dance that I can't
wait for the audience to see."
Schirtzinger
hopes the audience will recognize the dedication of the young cast.
"I hope they take away that community theatre is for all ages,
and just because they are young performers it doesn't take away from
the hard work and dedication it takes to put on a show," she said.
Performances
of The Emperor's New Clothes will take place on November 7 at 7 p.m.
and November 8 at 2 p.m. at the Westgate Community Center. Tickets
are $5 at the door.
Weathervane
Theatre's Patchwork Players Open Season with ArtReach's Beauty and
the Beast
WHITEFIELD,
NH - Weathervane Theatre's Patchwork Players are back and open
their 36th season with Kathryn Schultz Miller's adaptation of Beauty
and the Beast and Snow White and the Magic Go Go Boots by Anne
Fliotsos and Bob Johnson. Sponsored by Crosstown Motors, Little
Village Toy & Book Shop, New England Wire Technologies and
Passumpsic Bank, this familiar fairy tales will be performed
throughout the North Country from July 1 to July 24.
Playing
through July 10 is a tale as old as time about inner beauty. In this
fresh and lively adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, a brave young
woman meets a fearsome Beast-and discovers the heart beneath the
fur. Beauty and the Beast is directed and choreographed by
Guest Director Dani Barrett.
"A
fresh and lively adaptation of Beauty and the Beast."
ArtReach's
Beauty and the Beast
- Weathervane Theatre's Patchwork, Whitefield NH
"This
year's Patchwork Players are filled with so much joy, heart,
kindness, silliness, and professionalism," said Barrett.
"They are stellar performers, and just wonderful people to
collaborate with!"
In
addition to performances at the Weathervane (July 10), Beauty and
the Beast will also play on the road at Colebrook's Great North Woods
Center for the Arts (Wednesday, July 8), and the GDK Memorial Field
in Groveton (Thursday, July 9). All performances are at 11 AM.
Opening
July 15 is Snow White and the Magic Go Go Boots. When a duck-billed
stork delivers Snow White, chaos ensues. A bossy magic mirror, a
reluctant prince, Girl Scout adventures, and go-go boots and a
pop-infused score fuel this fairy-tale spoof, proving happily ever
after rarely goes according to plan.
"I
am a huge advocate for performing arts education and accessibility
to the arts for young people," said Livingston Kramer.
"Being able to bring my knowledge and training to the North
Country fills me with pride. The work that the Weathervane has put
into Patchwork and the touring shows is huge. For many students who
see a Patchwork show, it's their first time seeing live theater. For
the actors, I think it can help remind us all of the magic we can
bring to the stage as well."
"A
fantastic show that's fun for the whole family."
ArtReach's
Beauty and the Beast
- Steins Pillar Elementary School, Pineville OR
The
design team for both productions includes Susan Gibbs (props
design), Ashley Harkey (sound design), Christa LeBlanc (set design),
and Hannah Showalter (costume design). Additional creative team:
Aasrith Veerapaneni (production stage manager), Noah Huseman (music
consultant), Jeremy Baldauf (production manager), and Samuel Molho
(technical director).
Composing
the cast of both productions are the 2026 Patchwork Players, four
early-career artists selected from a highly competitive nationwide
search. The 2026 Patchwork Players are Tyne Dougherty (Waco, Texas),
Margaux Marak (Little Rock, Arkansas), Chloe Mendoza Smith (New
Canaan, Connecticut), and Shai Vaknine (New York, New York). Also
known as the Weathervane BridgeCO Program, the program is run by
Weathervane BridgeCO Director Marisa Kirby.
For
the seventh consecutive season, performances at the Weathervane will
be held outside as part of the popular Picnic with Patchwork series.
Picnic with Patchwork performances are every Friday. Bring a blanket,
pack a snack, and enjoy a fantastic, pet-friendly show that's fun for
the whole family - even your dog! In the event of rain, alternate
arrangements will be made (check facebook.com/weathervanetheatre for
the latest updates).
