PlayhouseSquare Announces 2011-12 Children's Theater Series

Beloved children's books coming to life on stage and an unique circus performance for the whole family make up the 2011-12 Children's Theater Series, presented by the Community Engagement & Education Department at PlayhouseSquare. The Children's Theater Series, with a subscription price of $40 for four shows, provides an affordable, entertaining way for parents and grandparents to introduce children to quality live theater and the arts.

"We are thrilled by the response to the ‘4 for 40' subscription price for the third year in a row," said Colleen Porter, director of community engagement and education at PlayhouseSquare. "We've had subscribers tell us that the subscription price has enabled them to do something that they feel is important for their children and grandchildren, and that is introducing them to live theater."

Subscriptions to the Children's Theater Series at PlayhouseSquare are now available by calling 216-664-6044 or online at playhousesquare.org/childrenstheater. The four-show Children's Theater Series subscription package is $40 per seat.

Families that subscribe to the series can choose to participate in workshops held on the same days as Children's Theater Series performances. These fun, interactive workshops are led by professional teaching artists and feature opportunities to learn songs and dance steps, create performances and music and much more. Admission to each workshop is $5 per child.

The 2011-12 Children's Theater Series:

Cummins' and Scoullar's The Little Prince
By Rick Cummins and John Scoullar
Bristol Riverside Theatre
Saturday, October 22, 2011
All grown-ups were children once, although few of us remember the wonderment of childhood. This astonishing and beautiful tale will remind you! A pilot crashes in the Sahara desert and while frantically trying to repair his wrecked plane, he is interrupted by the apparition of a little boy who asks him to draw a sheep. As absurd as it seems, a thousand miles from all inhabited regions and in danger of death, he takes out a scrap of paper and a pen. And so begins their adventure.

In association with Emmy award-winning puppet builders Monkey Boys (Avenue Q and Little Shop of Horrors), this new production uses life-sized puppets along with actors and magnificent sets to bring the story to life. This presentation is supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Ohio Arts Council, General Mills Foundation, and Land O'Lakes Foundation.

Treasured Stories by Eric Carle
Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Mermaid's much-anticipated new production, Treasured Stories By Eric Carle, brings together old favorites and new friends. Featuring evocative music, stunning visual effects and innovative puppetry, the triple-bill highlights three of Eric Carle's most beloved tales. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is joined by a whimsical cast of adventurous animals drawn from the pages oF Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; the poignant story of a young girl's unusual quest, Papa Please Get the Moon for Me, completes an hour-long performance that both entertains and educates.

The Ugly Duckling & The Tortoise and The Hare
Light Wire Theater
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Light Wire Theater marries theater and dance with technology for a truly unique and visually dazzling theatrical experience. Wearing electroluminescent wire, the actors bring the classic underdog stories of The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise and The Hare to life as characters light up the stage.

Squirm Burpee
Handsome Little Devils
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Squirm Burpee Circus is even more fun to see than it is to say. A dazzling display of first-class circus skills, dapper dance moves and outrageous comedy, it's a pastiche of pandemonium full of gadgets and gizmos. Mike the Handsome, Dashing Dave and the Lovely Little Lolo make up the beloved circus trio who must outwit the dastardly Baron Vegan Von Hamburger - a mustachioed villain decidedly dedicated to their demise. Will Dave ever find his true love? Will Lolo unlock Mike's heart? Or will the Baron destroy them all?

The Children's Theater Series is made possible in part by support from the Ohio Arts Council and is generously supported by the public through a grant from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. Additional funding for special literacy activities and the series in general is provided by The Children's Theatre Endowment established by the Junior League of Cleveland and the Laub Foundation.

PlayhouseSquare understands its vital role as an educator in our community, and is committed to providing arts learning opportunities of the highest quality to enrich the lives of students, families, teachers and adults. PlayhouseSquare's Community Engagement & Education Department is unique in the performing arts industry for the variety of programs it offers, the partnerships it initiates and the access it provides students, educators and aspiring artists to performing arts professionals. Since its inception in 1998, the Community Engagement & Education Department has offered thousands of events, workshops, classes and more, most with minimal or no fees, to people of all ages from all areas of Northeast Ohio. The generous support of individual and corporate donors and foundations makes it all possible.

1501 Euclid Ave., Suite 200
Cleveland, OH 44115
playhousesquare.org

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