PRESCHOOL – GRADE 12 EDUCATION EVENTS
On-campus matinees: These performances are great choices for a class field trip. We will provide bus parking close to the theatre and study guides are available for most performances.
In-school residencies: Many artists are available to bring the performing arts right to your school. Show times and lengths can be adjusted to fit your school’s schedule as the artists’ schedules allow. Teachers or chaperones must be present at all activities.
Scholarship program: Purdue Convocations wants to ensure that every student has access to performing arts events. Our scholarship program helps remove the economic barriers that prevent students from attending Convocations events by providing scholarships for matinee tickets, transportation, and in-school residencies to schools with demonstrated economic need.
Kennedy Center Partners in Education: Purdue Convocations and Lafayette School Corporation are partnering with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as one of 92 national teams of arts organizations paired with a local school system to develop arts education program for teachers. Each team will create professional development workshops for teachers by using the expertise of the Kennedy Center’s staff. Click here for more information.
Educators Advisory Committee: These teachers, administrators, and principals serve as volunteer advisors, helping us to develop and expand our preschool through grade 12 outreach. We especially thank these volunteers who are serving for the 2008-2009 season. Click here for a complete list of committee members.
CALENDAR OF P-12 EVENTS
Kevin Locke -- National Living Treasure
In-school residency
(all residencies have been reserved)
Wednesday, September 10 and
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Recommended grades: K-5
Length: 50-60 minutes / Recommended setting: Large multi-purpose room or gym with performance space at least 30 ft. x 40 ft.; best for all-school assemblies / Cost: $300
Named a National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellow in 1990, Kevin's performances are always a learning experience because he draws on the teaching traditions of his Lakota Sioux heritage, including the use of dance, indigenous northern plains flute, vocal songs, storytelling, and Indian Sign Language. The in-school assembly breaks down these elements and offers students a chance to participate in the process. By teaching students the basic elements of these traditions, Kevin allows students to understand and take with them the universality of his culture and teachings. Curricular Connections: U.S. history, Native American culture and traditions, relationships, music, storytelling
Mary Louise Defender Wilson, Storyteller --
National Living Treasure
In-school residency
Thursday, September 11, 2008 / One am and one pm performance available
Recommended grades: 4-12 / Length: 45 minutes
Recommended setting: Smaller multi-purpose room or classroom / Cost $200
Named a National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellow in 1999, Mary Louise Defender Wilson brings traditional stories from her Dakotah-Hidatsa heritage. The black dog often found at Mary Louise Defender Wilson's side is her Hokshina. That's her dog's name, and also the word for dog in Defender's Dakotah language, the language of the Standing Rock Sioux. Hokshina chases cows in the gumbo hills--the term for the rugged low hills of southwestern North Dakota--and makes Defender laugh. Students will see how the use of language helps the geography of Defender's life and culture, and that of her tribe for as far back as anyone remembers, come alive in the stories she tells. Curricular Connections: U.S. history, Native American history and culture, communication & language arts, storytelling
Birdhouse Factory by Cirque Mechanics
On-campus matinee
Monday, September 29, 2008 / noon / Elliott Hall of Music
Recommended grades: 6-12 / Performance length: 1 hour / Cost per student: $5
When world-renowned circus stars dream up a factory, it is no ordinary industrial plant. It’s a wild and wonderful workshop where the machines are circus props and the workers are acrobats, dancers, contortionists, and clowns. It’s Birdhouse Factory by Cirque Mechanics, an extraordinary troupe of Cirque du Soleil, Pickle Family Circus, and Moscow Circus veterans who transform the mundane into the magnificent. Inspired by Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry murals, the whimsical illustrations of Rube Goldberg, and the comedic hijinks of Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times, the show tells the story of assembly line workers producing humdrum widgets at the H. Rosebud Factory until a disoriented bird creates mayhem and forever alters their lives and the factory’s future. A seamless blend of dance, acrobatics, and theatre, Birdhouse Factory thrills audiences with a moving story, amazing sets, and of course, jaw-dropping circus stunts. Curricular Connections: theatre, circus, physical fitness, science (simple machines), mathematics, social studies, history, art
Brasil Guitar Duo
In-school residency
Thursday, October 16, 2008 / One late am (available), one early pm residency (reserved)
Recommended grades: 5-12 / Performance length: 50-60 minutes.
Recommended setting: Small theater or multi-purpose room / Cost $300
Classical Guitar Magazine exclaims, "The maturity of musicianship and technical virtuosity displayed...is simply outstanding," in describing the Brasil Guitar Duo, winner of the 2006 Concert Artists Guild International Competition. With full touring schedules on two continents and critically acclaimed recordings, the Duo is quickly solidifying its status as one of the preeminent guitar duos of its generation. JoĂŁo Luiz and Douglas Lora offer a broad range of guitar duos in their repertoire, featuring works in the Western classical tradition as well as the more percussive and rhythmic samba, choro, and baiĂŁo of their native land. Through musical examples and performance, they will provide an introduction to the medium of classical guitar and the large body of work associated with the art form. Curricular connections: world & Western classical music, social studies, South America, Brazil
Madeline and the Bad Hat performed by ArtsPower
On-campus matinee
Monday, November 24, 2008 / 9:30 am and 1:00 pm (limited seats available)/ Loeb Playhouse
Recommended grades: K-2 / Performance length: 1 hour / Cost per student: $3
When the Spanish Ambassador moves into the house next door, Madeline, Miss Clavel, and the other girls quickly discover that his son Pepito is a "bad hat"--rude, conceited, and nothing but trouble. But when Pepito unexpectedly finds himself in real danger, it's up to the resourceful Madeline to help him. This gently amusing tale of enemies-become-friends will charm and entertain children and adults alike. This original musical, based upon the much-loved book, captures the carefree yet tender spirit of Ludwig Bemelmans's Madeline series, following the adventures of a young Parisian girl who--despite starting off on the wrong foot with a mischievous new neighbor--eventually learns that first impressions aren't everything. Curricular Connections: reading and literacy, language/communication skills, music, interpersonal relationships
Mad Science® presents: CSI: Live!
On-campus matinee
Friday, January 30, 2009 / 9:30 am and 1:00 pm (limited seats available for both shows)
Loeb Playhouse
Recommended grades: 4-8 / Performance length: 1 hour / Cost per student: $5
When a crime is committed at the premiere of a Las Vegas magic show, two crime scene investigators spring into action. With the help of the latest crime-fighting technology and an audience full of witnesses, the CSI investigators work together to solve the mystery. Audience members get the chance to jump up on stage to help recreate the crime scene, uncover the hidden details, analyze the results, select evidence, and solve the case. Whether it's smashing a watermelon with a baseball bat, launching paint onto a pristine white wall, firing a laser beam across a room, or examining a sample of DNA, the audience members will have to be on their toes to solve the mystery! Curricular Connections: science, analytical thinking, logic, forensics, technology
King Henry V by William Shakespeare
Presented by The Guthrie Theater and The Acting Company
On-campus matinee
Friday, February 6, 2009 / noon / Loeb Playhouse
Recommended grades: 9Â-12 / Performance length: 1 hour / Cost per student: $4
Note: Convocations would like to make this performance available due to previous requests for a Shakespearean school matinée; however, an attendance minimum must be met to stage the production. Please indicate your interest in attending no later than October 1, 2008.
Combining the artistry and passion of two of America's greatest theatre companies, The Acting Company and The Guthrie Theater come together to present King Henry V, a rousing Shakespearean epic about the power of courage and the price of glory. When the young, ambitious Henry V inherits a troubled crown, he seeks to unite his kingdom and inspire patriotism by launching a hasty invasion of France. Following this charismatic warrior king and his ragtag band as they confront heavy opposition, the play balances the thrilling heroics of battle with the complex reactions of men who are sometimes unsure of the justice of their cause. This adaptation of the play is significantly shortened for school performances. Curricular Connections: Shakespeare, literature, history
Seussical performed by Theatreworks USA
On-campus matinee
Thursday, February 12, 2009 / 9:30 am (limited seats available)/ Loeb Playhouse
Thursday, February 12, 2009 / 1:00 pm (sold out)/ Loeb Playhouse
Friday, February 13, 2009 / 9:30 am (limited seats available)/ Loeb Playhouse
Recommended grades: PreK-grade 4 / Performance length: 1 hour /
Cost per student: $5
“Oh, the thinks you can think” when Dr. Seuss’s best-loved stories collide and cavort in this unforgettable musical caper! Horton the Elephant discovers a magical world on a speck of dust and a wild ride begins. The Cat in the Hat is the host and emcee (and all-around mischief maker) of this romp through the Seuss classics adapted from the Broadway version. Join an all-star cast of Seuss characters including Horton, Miss Gertrude McFuzz, and Mayzie La Bird in a crazy-quilt adventure where the power of imagination and the most miraculous “think” ever save the day! Curricular Connections: literature and literacy, communication & language arts, relationships & family, music
My Childhood Friend: Abe Lincoln
Performed by Doyne Carson, storyteller
On-campus matinee
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 / 9:30 am (SOLD OUT)/ Fowler Hall
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 / 1:00 pm (NEW performance added)/ Fowler Hall
Recommended grades: 4-5 / Performance length: 1 hour / Cost per student: $2.50
Students meet Abigail Gollaher, one of Abraham Lincoln's childhood friends, who tells them the story of the childhood adventures of young Abe Lincoln and her little brother Austin. Abigail's stories describe Lincoln's great strength of body and character, the tragic loss of his mother, and what life was like in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois in the early 1800s. This is a chance for your students to learn about the boy behind the man who led the United States away from slavery. This presentation is in celebration of the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Curricular connections: U.S. history, Indiana history, social studies
Local artist Doyne Carson has been a storyteller for 22 years. A co-founder of the Tippecanoe Storytellers Guild, she performs for audiences of all ages in schools and at festivals, meetings, and other social occasions. She has received training from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and offers workshops for students in the art of storytelling. This matinée is offered as part of our ongoing participation in the Kennedy Center Partners in Education Program. Arts presenters in the program work closely with local artists participating in Kennedy Center programs for teaching artists.
With support from:
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