UNDER THE CANOPY & More Set for Arts on the Horizon's 2013-14 Season

Arts on the Horizon, the first dedicated theatre for very young children in the United States, announces its 2013-2014 programming which will reach over 2,000 children under six years old across the metropolitan D.C. region. Inspired by theater for ages 0-6 that she had seen internationally, founder and producing artistic director, Michelle Kozlak, started Arts on the Horizon to provide Northern Virginia families with high-quality participatory theater created specifically for this young age group. Arts on the Horizon's shows are interactive, inclusive, and intimate; adhering to a completely nonverbal performance style making each piece accessible to children whose first language is not English, children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and children at any stage of language development. The season features two Arts on the Horizon original, commissioned productions including Sunny and Licorice by Miriam Gonzales, and Under the Canopy, a ground breaking theatrical piece and sensory experience for children under 2 years old, created by Matt Bassett and Tia Shearer Bassett. Additionally, audiences will be able to see two returning shows, originally commissioned and produced by Arts on the Horizon: The Young Spectaculars and the Front Yard Adventure and Drumming with Dishes: Holiday Edition, both by David Kilpatrick.

ARTS ON THE HORIZON 2013-2014 SEASON

The Young Spectaculars and the Front Yard Adventure
Conceived by David Kilpatrick
Directed by Michael John Casey
Featuring Melissa A. Caffrey and Stanley Andrew Jackson, III
The Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage: August 31, 2013
Alexandria Story Festival, Alexandria, VA: September 28, 2013
Local Tour: October 2013
The Atlas Performing Arts Center, Washington, DC: Nov. 6 - 11, 2013

Meet the brother and sister Andrew and Emma - aka The Young Spectaculars! Energized by their super-powered imaginations, but stuck creating their own adventures near the front porch, they save a cat and a picnic lunch before stumbling upon more than they bargained for. Join the Young Spectaculars for this show intended for the little hero inside all of us. Best for children ages 2-5.

Drumming with Dishes: Holiday Edition
Back by popular demand!
By David Kilpatrick
Original Direction by Jennifer Furlong
Featuring Shea-MikAl Green, Danielle Leneé and guitar accompaniment by Matt Bassett
Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA: December 3 - 8, 2013
Atlas Performing Arts Center, Washington, DC: December 11 - 18, 2013

Arts on the Horizon's inaugural production is back again, just in time for the holiday season! This gentle, playful adventure takes place in a special kitchen, where two friends cook up joyful music together. From a pasta-box Christmas tree to dreidels spinning on pots and pans, these friends (and their live guitar accompanist) bring many of your favorite holiday songs to life like you've never seen before! Best for children ages 2-6.

Under the Canopy
A World-Premiere Arts on the Horizon Commission
Created and Directed by Matt Bassett and Tia Shearer Bassett
The Athenaeum, Alexandria, VA: February 12 - 23, 2014
The Atlas Performing Arts Center's INTERSECTIONS Festival, Washington, DC:
February 28 - March 8, 2014

Imagine a theatrical world designed especially for babies and young toddlers to explore - a world inspired by the wonders of the rainforest! That's what's in store for our very youngest audiences and their caregivers when the innovative, nonverbal style of Arts on the Horizon targets our very youngest fans. Best for children ages 2 and under (and their 3-4 year old pals).

Sunny and Licorice
A World-Premiere Arts on the Horizon Commission
By Miriam Gonzales
Directed by Kate Debelack
The Lab at Convergence, Alexandria, VA: May 30 - June 14, 2014

Sunny, the zoo's sole orangutan is delighted to get a new roommate, but things don't go smoothly when Licorice first arrives. Sunny likes to be loud, but Licorice prefers to read the newspaper. And Licorice likes to keep things tidy, but Sunny keeps making a mess! When the zookeeper leaves behind a radio with their lunch, a curious thing happens - toes start tapping and arms start swinging. Could music bring this "odd couple" together? Best for children ages 2-5.

Arts on the Horizon, founded in 2010, is a non-profit theatre with a specific focus of providing performances and education programs for the very young. Our performances are designed to take place in an intimate setting where children not only feel comfortable to learn and explore, but are also an integral part of the performance. We have the utmost respect for children and want what may be their first theatrical performance to entertain them, challenge them, spark creativity and enhance the imaginative play in which many children this age engage. Since 2011, our non-verbal productions have been performed on the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Workhouse Arts Center and other venues and schools in the Northern Virginia area. In May 2013, the company performed at Cleveland's PlayhouseSquare as part of the national One Theatre World Festival. In addition to our performances, we also offer education programs, which provide targeted exploration of themes and ideas in order to help children enhance their language development, socialization, and fine and gross motor skills; all within a meaningful, nurturing environment where children can develop their sense of self and increase their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

Tickets start at $5.00 for children and adults. Beginning September 30, 2013, tickets can be purchased online at www.artsonthehorizon.org or at the door on the day of the performance. Children under 12 months old are admitted free of charge, except to Under the Canopy, a groundbreaking performance geared specifically for children age 2 and under.

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