[NEohioPAL] Official Release - Free Tickets for International Showcase of Performing Arts for Youth

[Cindi Szymanski]

FREE TICKETS FOR SHOWCASE 2009 PERFORMANCES
AT PLAYHOUSESQUARE

Cleveland, OH - PlayhouseSquare is the conference host for the 2009 International Showcase of Performing Arts for Youth (Showcase).  Held annually in major cities throughout North America, Showcase is the only conference in the country that is dedicated entirely to live arts programming for youth.

The PlayhouseSquare Arts Education Department is pleased to make complimentary tickets available to the general public for Showcase 2009 performances. Tickets are required for admission and may be requested online at playhousesquare.org/artseducation or picked up in-person at the PlayhouseSquare Ticket Office (1519 Euclid Ave.). Tickets are available while supplies last.

"We hope many families will take advantage of this opportunity to see performances from all over the world - Australia, Canada, Denmark, Israel, Switzerland - that they might otherwise not have the chance to see," explained Colleen Porter, director of arts education at PlayhouseSquare.  "There will also be performances by artists from across the United States, including Northeast Ohio's own Inlet Dance Theatre."

Showcase 2009 Schedule

Event                                         Ages             Date                       Time
The Arrival                                  6 & up           Weds. Jan 21           4:30 p.m.
Spare Parts Puppet Theatre's adaptation of Shaun Tan's internationally acclaimed book The Arrival is a truly warm and magical experience for all. Shaun Tan's fantastical world comes to life in a strange and wonderful metropolis full of floating ships, mysterious lights, alien symbols and weird animals. The Arrival is a universal tale of the challenges, humor and adventures of arriving in a new country.

Repertory                                    8 & up           Weds. Jan 21           8:00 p.m.

Rennie Harris Puremovement has emerged as the international hip-hop dance ambassador and surviving senior member in the world of organized hip-hop dance theater. The "Repertory" showcase performance truly expresses the pure joy of hip-hop dance, and is perfect for all audiences. The work is a vibrant affirmation of Afro-American heritage through movement, handed down through spirit and instinct.

Rough House                               5 & up          Thurs. Jan. 22                   9:45 a.m. & 12:15 p.m.
Performed by Nightswimming, Andy Massingham's Rough House is a roller coaster of dance, slapstick and beautiful images, a comic yet wordless duet for performer and lighting designer in which light is an active character, both friend and foe of Andy's persona. As Andy becomes more challenged by the objects and images that surround him, surprising gestures and exacting physical movement tell the story of one man struggling with his imagination.

Looking for My Father                   10 & up        Thurs. Jan. 22                   9:45 a.m. & 12:15 p.m.
Nick has not seen his father since he was small and can hardly remember him. Nevertheless, he still misses him a great deal and searches incessantly for answers to why his father chose to leave him. Though a fictional play, the framework of Looking For My Father is based on real statements by different boys about their fathers.  Performed by the Danish National Ensemble for Children's Theatre.

Creole for Kidz                            4 & up           Thurs. Jan. 22                   11:00 a.m.

Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience presents a dynamic multicultural performing arts music experience centered on the multiracial French-speaking Creoles of South Louisiana and their indigenous Zydeco that is known and celebrated worldwide.

History of the Word                       11 to 17       Thurs. Jan. 22                   8:00 p.m.

History of the Word follows six high school students over a single day at Future High where they navigate a world filled with hope, fear and uncertainty. This fresh, captivating theatrical performance by Literacy Takes a Bow captures the voices of today's youth through hip-hop, spoken word poetry, music and movement.  It celebrates diversity with a cast of actors from all different ethnic backgrounds and authentically features current social and political topics that affect our society today.

The Man Who Planted Trees           7 & up           Fri. Jan. 23             9:45 a.m. & 12:15 p.m.

Theater goes "green" with this captivating puppetry adaptation of Jean Giono's environmental cult classic by the Puppet State Theatre Company. A French shepherd sets out with his dog to plant a forest and transform a barren wasteland. Hear the wind, feel the rain and smell the lavender in this multi-sensory theatrical delight.


The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy       4 & up           Fri. Jan. 23             9:45 a.m. & 12:15 p.m.
Cheeseboy's home planet has been reduced to a bubbling fondue. He is marooned on earth. Gypsies have given him a home, of sorts, but Cheeseboy is tugged this way and that by tides of strange longings and stranger powers. Imagine Oedipus meeting Edward Scissorhands, over a dish of exotic curds.  Performed by Slingsby.

Ugly Duckling's Dancing Cabaret    4 & up           Fri. Jan. 23             11:00 a.m.

Cas Public performs The Ugly Ducklings' Dancing Cabaret, inspired by the German cabarets of the 1920s and the fairy-tale world. In this series of short numbers, reality and artifice intersect in a sunny mix of song, music, dance, theater and video.

African Sunshine                          6 & up          Fri. Jan. 23             3:15 p.m.

Scintillating rhythm, music, dance and song blend together to create a breath-taking ensemble of choreography. Pulsating rhythms and visually vibrant performances sweep up and captivate the most diverse range of spectators. Compagnie Punta Negra, made up of dancers and percussionists from the Congo, offers its audience a performance brimming with energy and intensity.

Dream Jam Band                         2-10             Fri. Jan. 23             8:30 p.m.

A vibrant and diverse musical performance of original songs for the whole family. The Dream Jam Band's debut album was named to the National Public Radio Top 10 list of the Year's Best Family and Children's Albums. The Dream Jam Band is featured on PBS Sprout.



It Sounds Better in Amharic           14-17           Sat. Jan. 24            10:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.

It Sounds Better in Amharic is a moving personal account of a 400 mile journey by foot from Ethiopia to a refugee camp in Sudan, and then finally flying to the Holy Land. Nostalgic memories of Ethiopia are mixed with hilarious perspectives towards the adjustments that must be made when moving to modern day Israel. Performed by Nephesh Theatre.



Darwin                                       7 & up          Sat. Jan. 24            11:15 a.m.

Glow-in-the-dark crayon-like creatures light up the stage for a journey with Darwin, a dinosaur built by the hands of a great artist, Henslow. The audience follows Darwin from his origination as he stumbles over joy, creativity, fear, danger, victory and most importantly... love.   Performed by Corbian Visual Dance.



Inlet Dance Theatre Selections       5-18             Sat. Jan. 24            7:00 p.m.
Inlet Dance Theatre is one of the Midwest's most exciting professional contemporary dance companies, performing for sold out audiences, receiving standing ovations and garnering rave reviews.  The company has an international reputation for excellence and is known for its strong and nurturing education programming, including narrated concert performances, master classes and residencies.

Playhouse Square places incredibly strong emphasis on arts education and believes that it is essential to improving the quality of life in our community. Through a variety of workshops and classes designed for people of all ages, the Playhouse Square Arts Education Department offers avenues to discovery, appreciation and development in and through the performing arts, connecting participants with national and international artists in unique and meaningful ways.  Playhouse Square initiates collaboration among educators, artists and other community organizations, and actively forms mutually beneficial partnerships with local arts organizations to create and present arts education experiences of the highest quality.  Always striving to fulfill its role as an asset to the Northeast Ohio community, Playhouse Square is an active leader in advocating arts education both locally and within the performing arts industry.

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PlayhouseSquare is a not-for-profit performing arts center whose mission is presenting and producing a wide variety of quality performing arts, advancing arts education and creating a destination that is a superior location for entertainment, business and housing, thereby strengthening the economic vitality of the region.


Cindi Szymanski
Communications Manager, Educational Programs
tel   216-348-5258
fax  216-771-7136

1501 Euclid Ave., Suite 200
Cleveland, OH 44115
playhousesquare.org<http://www.playhousesquare.org/ArtsEducation>

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