Archives

Shadow Ball

Shadow Ball pays homage to the men who played in Negro League baseball and paints a picture of America’s suffering during the Great Depression. Rochel Garner Coleman plays Cool Papa Bell, one of the League’s most famous players. A sterling fielder and an outstanding batter (regularly averaging over .400), Bell was legendary for his uncanny […]

I, Nat Love

Rochel Garner Coleman plays the Black cowboy Nat Love. The performance chronicles the journey of a former slave who joined thousands of others to explore and settle the West. This performance explores an uncommon narrative of the Old West while recreating a period in American history that has captivated generations ever since. The performance starts […]

The Ways of the Lenape

Who were the Lenape Native Americans of New Jersey and Pennsylvania? Following years of conversation and relationships with Native people, Rob Aptaker gives students the opportunity to explore the tools, clothing, toys, games medicine and music that have historically been a part of their daily lives, building a picture of pre-colonial life. Program options: In-person […]

East Meets West

Experience astounding puppets that come alive through stories of China and America with Hua Hua Zhang. With stunning visuals and graceful movements, this program presents the ancient art form of Chinese Puppet Theater. Fusing movement and music found in Chinese Opera with Western technology, this exploration brings the complex role of the puppeteer as storyteller, […]

Theatresports: Improv Your Mind

Four lively performers from Freestyle Repertory Theatre show that using language creatively, building upon the ideas of others, and working as a team is fun! Through demonstration and participation, students engage in a series of ever-changing improvised theatre games created from student suggestions and played with student volunteers. The collaborative skills learned in improv are […]

Willow Girl

This moving tale dramatizes the story of a young Chinese girl whose family immigrates to California during the Gold Rush. The play uses fantasy and drama to highlight some of the problems an immigrant child faces while experiencing discrimination in a small community. Students have an opportunity to discuss many important historical and social issues […]

The Town that Fought Hate

When a hate group harasses young Isaac for having a menorah in his window, the townspeople band together to fight the bullies and bigotry threatening their community. Using music and an exceptional array of puppetry techniques, this play teaches students about tolerance and acceptance by re-counting the real-life events of a 1993 Billings, Montana, bias […]

The Lion’s Whiskers

This story is based on an Ethiopian folktale in which a stepmother, desperate to win the heart of her husband’s little boy, consults a wise man. The wise man tells her that she will gain her stepson’s affection only by plucking a wild lion’s whiskers. The show—about courage, love, and patience—features masks, puppets, and original […]

Hiawatha

Hiawatha, a curious young boy, decides to disobey his grandmother and seek a vision alone in the forest. There he finds a sacred cave and enters a magical world full of talking animals and fantastic spirits! He meets a wise Mohawk, called The Peacemaker, who teaches him a wonderful lesson. At last, with the help […]

Japanese Festival Drums

The music of Taikoza personifies power, grace, pulse, and driving rhythm. After decades of training in Japan, Marco Lienhard leads this electrifying aural and visual performance which captures the vitality and culture of life in Japan. Highlighted by the thunderous rhythms of ancestral Japanese Taiko drums and the sounds of bamboo flutes, this festive experience draws from […]