Blog from the Road: July 21, 2009

Letter of the Week: August 13, 2009

Theatreworks USA launches ONE MILLION VOICES fundraising campaign

Free Summer Theatre 2008: The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Obituary of Jay Harnick, Theatreworks USA Co-Founder

Blog from the Road

Follow Theatreworks USA's touring companies as they travel across the country!

July 21, 2009: Storytelling in Newark, NJ

Just because our tours are on hiatus for the summer doesn't mean we get a vacation!  Even when school is out, we are constantly trying to find ways to bring the unique experience of theatre to as many kids as we can.  This summer, we've teamed up with The Prudential Foundation to bring two outstanding artists-in-residence to three different camps in Newark, New Jersey.  Queen Nur, an African-American storyteller, and Felix Pitre, a Latin American storyteller, musician, and author, are working with over 130 kids ranging from 4 to 13 years old in a series of workshops that encourage the exploration of storytelling, singing, music, dance, language, and culture.  We were excited to see all of the kids jump right in from Day 1 and can't wait to see how far they will have come by the end!

Check out some pictures from the very first workshop with Felix Pitre at La Casa De Don Pedro!  And to see more pictures, you can view the entire album on Facebook.

June 30, 2009: Van Breakdown in Texas...

A picture is worth a thousand words...so here we go.

Acid Rocket, our van, got cancer... so it had to spend some time at the hospital in Houston.

Unfortunately our spare car also needed a spare tire.

A week later, we finally got Acid Rocket back. The dealer said we were going to need some new tires soon... we didn't think he mean in the next 24 hours.

Why would we be anywhere but here when our tire decided to do this:

Luckily we have REAL MEN on this tour...

David and Gary changed the tire to our spare...

Which was flat as the earth circa 1487

So, Kristin decided to keep an eye out for help.

We snagged this lovely couple that hooked us up with some fix-a-flat and brought us to the booming metropolis of Roosevelt.

This is the Booming Metropolis of Roosevelt... where we got some air and traded in Acid Rocket for our new vehicle, the Toodeler.

June 24, 2009: The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe cast goes to Disneyland!

So this is what happens when the boys go away, and the girls get to play...

I'm celebrating VACATION!!!

The ladies doing the Muppet Dance!

Mouse Butt Ears

Minnie Mouse Brown

Who you callin' Goofy?

LWW et Leur Petit Castle

Birthday Ears!

The most sparkly wonderful fireworks EVER!!!

June 16, 2009: The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe cast takes on the Grand Canyon!

So, after last week's craziness, I will only send good news and fun from this week. We had lots of good shows, and took ourselves on a ride up to the Grand Canyon. We spent the night in Flagstaff and bought groceries for a cook-out at the Canyon... much to our chagrin, there are NOT any grills at the Grand Canyon... so we bought Hamburgers and Hot Dogs just before low blood sugar gave rise to mutiny. Here are pics from the day. :-)

                  - Nellie Beavers

Gary taking photos of Sunset Crater and Mt. Humphrey - AZ's highest point, 12,000 + feet

Jennifer and Kristin at the Painted Desert

Jennifer and David peeping out of the Pueblo Ruins

TJ taking in the beginnings of the Grand Canyon

Our picnic-remix with Aramark Burgers

and El-Dub-Dub (LWW) Fixins

Kristin certainly did NOT feed this raven a baked Cheetoh

Nellie at Watchtower - Desert View, Grand Canyon

Desert View, Grand Canyon - See the                              The South Rim at Sunset

Colorado River winding its way through?

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Letter of the Week

Here you'll find featured letters from the fan mail we receive each week from students and teachers across the country who have enjoyed our performances.

August 13, 2009: This week's letter is from Rachel.

August 5, 2009: This week's letter is from Cierra.

July 21, 2009: This week's letter is from Kaitlyn.

July 15, 2009: This week's letter is from Cynthia.

July 7, 2009: This week's letter is from Ryan.

June 30, 2009: This week's letter is from Gabrielle Compton, a Kindergarten teacher at PS 108Q in Queens.

June 24, 2009: This week's letter is from Maranda.

June 16, 2009: This week's letter is from Sarah.

June 11, 2009: This week's letter is from Lanisha.

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Theatreworks USA launches ONE MILLION VOICES fundraising campaign.

Theatreworks USA, America’s leading not-for-profit professional theatre for family audiences (Barbara Pasternack, Artistic Director; Ken Arthur, Producing Director), is launching its first annual Million Voices Campaign, a grass-roots fundraising effort that will harness the power of 1 million voices to produce $1 million to benefit Theatreworks USA’s MANY programs.   The campaign launches in March 2009 and will last through June 2009.

Theatreworks USA is asking ONE million people who believe in the importance of creative and innovative theatre for our nation’s children to give just $1 each.

The state of our nation’s economy is having an especially crippling effect on our nation’s arts groups and Theatreworks USA is no exception. Due to these difficult times, Theatreworks was forced to cancel its New York City resident season.  Ultimately, because of Theatreworks program cuts, actors were not hired, tickets sales suffered, and thousands of New York City’s children and families were denied access to quality theatre. 

If we cannot find a means to raise these necessary funds, more Theatreworks programs and employees may be in jeopardy of cuts or even termination.   Through the combined efforts of one million voices, Theatreworks can continue to thrive and serve our national community.

Theatreworks USA affects over three million young people each year, making it one of the largest-reaching non-profit arts organizations of any genre in the country. Theatreworks USA’s dedication to accessibility has ensured that ticket prices never exceed $10 for touring performances. It is in the spirit of accessibility and the millions of young people Theatreworks have impacted that the Million Voices Campaign was instated.

Even with Theatreworks’ affordable ticket levels, certain young people can not attend the theatre on any level. Theatreworks USA has two free ticket programs, Early Stages (national audiences) and Free Summer Theatre (NYC-area audiences) that reach a combined total of 80,000 free tickets. With support of the Million Voices Campaign, Theatreworks hopes to continue to provide opportunities to up-and-coming Theatre Artists as we distribute even more free tickets.  The opportunity to distribute free tickets is even more vital now due to drastic cuts in school funding for both the arts and school trips. 

Donations can be made online by going to www.TWUSA.org or mailing a check to:     

          Theatreworks USA

          Attn: Million Voices Campaign     

          151 West 26th Street, 7th Floor      

          New York, NY 10001.

In addition to making individual donations, companies can sign-up and compete against one another through the Corporate Friends wing of the Campaign. Interested companies may contact Liz Alsina, Director of Development, at LAlsina@twusa.org.

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The reviews are in!  Critics and audiences alike are celebrating the new Off-Broadway musical THE PLANT THAT ATE DIRTY SOCKS, presented as Theatreworks USA's 20th Annual Free Summer Theatre Program. 

Written by Joe Iconis and based on the children's book The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks by Nancy McArthur, the production is directed by John Simpkins and choreographed by Jennifer Werner.

Now playing, THE PLANT THAT ATE DIRTY SOCKS continues performances at Off-Broadway's Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher St.) through Friday, August 22.

For ten-year-old neatnik Norman, sharing a room with his messy older brother Michael is a nightmare - with heaps of crumpled paper, clothes strewn about and piles of smelly, dirty socks everywhere!

One day, Michael sends away for some "Amazing Beans," and before long, the boys are the proud owners of two giant plants.  But as the plants grow taller and taller, the boys realize that their socks are mysteriously disappearing!

As the plants' hunger for socks continue to grow, Norman and Michael must try to conceal their botanical secret from the rest of the kids on Levitt Lane, especially the frighteningly nosey cheerleader, Patty Jenkins.

THE PLANT THAT ATE DIRTY SOCKS stars Jason Williams as Michael and Lance Rubin as Norman, and features Lorinda Lisitza as Mom, Lauren Marcus as Patty Jenkins, Jeffrey Omura as Jason / Mackenzie, Kilty Reidy as Dad and Michael Schupbach as Fluffy / Stanley.

Joe Iconis is a graduate of the NYU / Tisch Graduate Musical Theater Writing program.  He is the recipient of an Ed Kleban Award and a Jonathan Larson Award, and is the composer-in-residence at Ars Nova.  He is the writer of the notorious garage-rock musical The Black Suits which will be seen this summer at SPF at the Public Theater.  

THE PLANT THAT ATE DIRTY SOCKS features scenic design by Michael Schweikardt, costume design by Tracy Christensen, lighting design by Chris Dallos, sound design by Eric Shim, puppet design by Eric Wright and music direction by Jana Zielonka.

Launched in 1989, the mission of Theatreworks USA's Free Summer Theatre Program is to provide New York City youth with their own free theatre tradition that not only entertains, but also educates and fosters positive values and an appreciation for theatre.   More than 20,000 FREE tickets will be distributed to THE PLANT THAT ATE DIRTY SOCKS this summer. 

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TICKETING AND PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

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Tickets for THE PLANT THAT ATE DIRTY SOCKS are FREE and available on a first come, first served basis in-person at the Lucille Lortel Theatre Box Office (121 Christopher St.) on the day of the performance, one hour prior to curtain time.  Individual reservations cannot be made in advance.

THE PLANT THAT ATE DIRTY SOCKS is a 60-minute, one-act musical, recommended for children ages four and up. The performance schedule is as follows:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday - 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Thursday - 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Sunday - 2 p.m.

Summer camps, youth programs and social service organizations can make reservations for groups of ten (10) or more by calling 212-627-7373.  

Each day, a limited number of free tickets will be made available to individuals at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on a first-come, first-served basis.   Distribution will begin one hour prior to each performance, with a limit of four (4) tickets per person.  

Because Theatreworks USA accepts reservations from summer camps, public distribution tickets are extremely limited for the weekday daytime performances. Availability is usually better for evening and weekend performances. Once all tickets are distributed, any remaining patrons will be admitted at curtain time on a space-available basis. 

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OBITUARY: Jay Harnick, 78, Advocate of Better Theater for Children

The New York Times: March 2, 2007

By Campbell Robertson

Jay Harnick, the founder of Theaterworks/USA, the nation’s largest touring children’s theater company, died on Tuesday in Manhattan. He was 78.

He died at the Isabella House nursing home after a long illness, said his daughter, Jane Harnick.

Since Mr. Harnick helped start Theaterworks/USA in 1961, the company has toured shows in 49 states and Canada, playing to millions of children every year, and assembled a repertory of 117 musicals and plays.

Mr. Harnick, who was artistic director from the company’s founding until he retired in 2000, attracted top talent, bringing in directors like Jerry Zaks, songwriters like Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, and writers like Marta Kauffman and David Crane. The company also helped start the careers of many actors, including F. Murray Abraham and Henry Winkler.

The idea for Theaterworks came about as Mr. Harnick was directing a musical for children called “The Young Abe Lincoln.” The show, which had been well received Off Broadway, quickly transferred to Broadway, where, straining under the costs of a Broadway production, it ran for only 27 performances.

About a year later, Mr. Harnick and a producing partner began taking the show around to schools, and when that succeeded, they decided to form a company to produce historical plays for children.

The plan was to expand children’s theater beyond shows with “dancing vegetables,” Mr. Harnick said in a 1988 interview in The New York Times. “We realize that it’s a very weighty responsibility to influence young minds,” he said. “I believe that no show is more important than the first one you see.”

The company later began presenting shows in theaters rather than in schools and sending multiple shows on tour simultaneously. The repertory also expanded to include original issue-oriented plays and adaptations of children’s classics like “The Velveteen Rabbit.”

Mr. Harnick continued working as a manager and a director for projects outside children’s theater, staging a 1966 production of Mozart’s “Abduction From the Seraglio” for the New York City Opera and a tour of “Fiddler on the Roof,” for which his brother Sheldon had written the lyrics.

Jay Malcolm Harnick was born on June 8, 1928, in Chicago, to a dentist and a homemaker. After graduating from the University of Illinois, he moved to New York and performed in the chorus and in small roles in revues and several Broadway shows.

Besides his daughter, Jane, and his brother, Sheldon, Mr. Harnick’s survivors include his wife, the actress Barbara Barrie; his son, Aaron; a sister, Gloria; and a granddaughter.

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Theatreworks/USA is a 501 (C) (3) not-for-profit charitable and educational organization.

All gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.