Harris Center ClassActs! presents World-Class Shows to Area Schoolchildren

There's a program at the Harris Center that unites area schoolchildren with the performing arts, providing real, shared experiences for students and educators here in the capital region. It is called ClassACTS!, and classy it is.

Nothing excites the young imagination - or creates lasting memories - quite like the arts, and the Harris Center is busy getting the word out about the ClassACTS! Matinee Program to area educators.

The program is made possible thanks to support from the County of Sacramento.

Beginning on January 19, 2018 with a world-class jazz player who performed with Benny Goodman, and continuing with a New York dance company that can seemingly float on air, ClassACTS! will also bring performers from the islands of Hawaii, Ireland and even Treasure Islanditself, plus a company that weds contemporary performance to the technology of today - and more. By presenting performances of all stripes, each selected to excite the imagination of the young, ClassACTS! is an opportunity for children K-12 to encounter great shows up close as an extension of school curriculum.

"Through the ClassACTS! Matinee Program, the Harris Center is proud to present a range of live theatrical experiences to school children in the region - performances that can have deep, lasting value," notes Harris Center Executive Director Dave Pier. "Whether a live performance of the legendary story of Treasure Island, or a sharing of the legend of Benny Goodman and his history-making jazz concert at Carnegie Hall, the arts can powerfully and positively contribute to the educational process. The Harris Center is a unique regional resource available to help in this area - to bridge cultural understanding, ignite the imagination and inspire creativity in each student."

While each of these artists perform in the evening at a standard ticket cost, the Harris Center has worked with the County of Sacramento and the Harris Center's donors to keep ClassACTS! tickets more affordable than a movie ticket - by about half.

A school-time matinee program that features a wide variety of performances, each ClassACTS! performance is selected with a focus on curriculum areas such as world languages, social studies, and language arts. Perfect for public, private and home-schooled students, select performances (like those listed below), will include a study guide for teachers based on California Content Standards. Plus, a guide to theatre-going etiquette is available online to orient first-time attendees.

The Harris Center for the Arts has grants available to help offset the cost of tickets and transportation to the ClassACTS! Matinee Program performances. To see if your school qualifies, please go to http://bit.ly/2yYM2no

"Thanks to the County of Sacramento, we're happy to have some options to help cover the expenses of bringing a classroom of young people to see the arts on stage, which creates lasting memories for kids in a way a computer or movie screen cannot," said Pier. "Our goal is to make the Harris Center a different kind of classroom - one devoted to the arts, one accessible to students of all ages."

"Arts and culture are critical to enriching and integrating our wonderfully diverse communities and the Harris Center is, without a doubt, one of the finest entertainment venues in Northern California," said Sue Frost, Supervisor, District Four, County of Sacramento. "I am pleased that our support will sponsor some students who may not otherwise have been exposed to such an opportunity. This is so important... To be exposed to theatre and the arts can be life-changing - it can create the leaders of the future, unlocking imagination and breaking down personal barriers that limit potential."

For more information on the ClassACTS! artists go to http://bit.ly/2EWOfnV

The ClassACTS! Matinee Program includes the following shows:

THE KING OF SWING: Benny Goodman

Clarinetist Ken Peplowski & His Jazz Quartet
Friday, January 19, 2018; 10:00 am
Length: 1 hour (approximate)
Recommended Grades: 4-12
Price: $5 per student
Presented in partnership with Capital Public Radio.

LEGENDS OF HAWAIIAN MUSIC

Keola Beamer and Henry Kapono
Friday, January 26, 2018; 10:00 am
Recommended Grades: 3-12
Price: $5 per student

ELEVENPLAY from Tokyo, Japan

Art at the Intersection of Technology & Dance
As Seen on America's Got Talent
Wednesday, January 31, 2018; 10:00 am
Recommended Grades: 3-12
Price: $5 per student

PARSONS DANCE

From New York City
Tuesday, March 6, 2018; 10 am
Recommended Grades: 3-12
Price: $5 per student

ST. PATRICK'S DAY IN IRELAND

Friday, March 16, 2018; 9:30 am
Recommended Grades: K-6
Price: $5 per student

TREASURE ISLAND

Panto Company USA
Friday, March 23, 2018; 9:30 am
Recommended Grades: 3-7
Price: $5 per student

COME DANCE WITH US!

Folsom Lake College Dance Department + Area Dance Schools
Friday, May 4, 2018; 10:00 am
Recommended Grades: K-6
Price: $5 per student

This Year Marks Seven Seasons of Great Shows. Up Close. In Folsom!

The Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College brings the community together to share in cultural experiences featuring the work of artists from throughout the region and around the world. Built and operated by the Los Rios Community College District, the $50 million, state-of-the-art regional performing arts center boasts three intimate venues with outstanding acoustics, an art gallery, a recording studio, elegant teaching spaces, plenty of safe parking and all the other amenities of a world-class performing arts venue. Each year the Center hosts approximately 400 events attracting upwards of 150,000 annually.

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