A Letter From The Artistic Director:
Dear Fellow Audience Members,It is impossible for us to create real theatre without the help of the community. After all, theatre doesn't really happen until the audience arrives. In that respect, every single performance is unique. It happens only once between the imagination of the people in an audience and the actors and story on the stage. We work hard every day to create the best stories we can, but we need the community to bring their imaginative power to the experience in order for real theatre to happen. So we ask that you meet us half way. Come see one of our new plays while we are in a theatre space or bring us to your school where we can share theatre in your space.
The 2008-2009 school year and theatre season was very busy for Pollyanna. Our audience grew to record numbers through our very popular and successful tour of MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. This was largely possible because of a special gift given to Pollyanna from Texas Women for the Arts. With their support, Pollyanna went to six different rural communities in Central Texas and brought many children their very first live theatre experience. We loved taking Shakespeare to these very special children.
Pollyanna continued work with Austin’s Solid Waste Services Department taking recycling education programs into over 100 schools! We are thrilled to report that just over 29,000 children were in a Pollyanna audience this season. And new play development remains at the heart of our work through our successful production of Emily Cicchini’s PATTERN NATION and Lou Clark’s WONDERDOG. So don’t miss what Pollyanna is cooking up for 2009-2010!
I'm very excited about what is ahead of Pollyanna and the community in the next year. And coming to our web site regularly is the best way to see what is up next. This season all of our public performances will be held in the beautiful Long Center for the Performing Arts Rollins Studio Theatre. Click here for directions and more information about this great space. You can also sign up for our regular electronic newsletter that will send Pollyanna event information.
Currently, Pollyanna is touring PATTERN NATION to area elementary schools. This production for children in grades k – 2 is a theatrical exploration of the patterns found in the world around us and supports important pre-literacy skills through a colorful, action-filled performance. We are currently booking our tour, so just contact our office for dates that Pollyanna still has available.
Our first production of 2010 will be GREEKS ALIVE: A COLLECTION OF GREEK MYTHS FOR CHILDREN. Humans have always used stories to better understand the world around them and Pollyanna will present three myths for children in January that include three classic myths including the story of King Midas and the story of Psyche. Everyone will enjoy GREEKS ALIVE, but especially our audience members in grades 3 - 5. More information about this production and how to make reservations can be found here.
Summer is a very important time for Arts Education! And Pollyanna has two great productions to offer young people in the summer of 2010. First, Pollyanna will produce CINDERELLA AND THE BEANSTALK, a new play by Lou Clark. Pollyanna produced Clark’s WONDERDOG in January of 2009 and has commissioned this new play especially for our audience. In this new play, Cinderella and Jack are a set of unlikely best friends who rewrite both of their stories through their friendship. Lou Clark, one of the country’s finest up-and-coming writers for young audiences, promises to deliver a witty yet heartwarming new play. If you enjoyed WONDERDOG, you will love CINDERELLA AND THE BEANSTALK. Click here for more information.
We will close our summer of theatre in August with Pollyanna’s production of A NEW PLAY BY RESIDENT PLAYWRIGHT EMILY CICCHINI. Stay tuned for more details coming to the website soon about this new play. Pollyanna’s patrons are very familiar with Cicchini’s fine work as she has served us very well as our Resident Playwright since our company was founded in 2000. We are sure she is cooking up another thoughtful yet fun script for all of us.
Now, you might wonder why I addressed this letter to “Fellow Audience Members.” It is because once our plays open, I’m just like you, sitting in the audience and watching our group of talented and dedicated artists do what they do best. My work of directing the play is over for that hour that the audience is with us. I am one of you in that hour and I love watching with you as my partner.
As the Director of this company, it is my greatest hope that in this season more and more children and families will discover the fun and true value of attending theatre. It is also my hope that more and more teachers will begin to use us as a resource. My greatest desire is to make real theatre with this community. Real theatre can’t happen until you join us. Be it in a seat in one of Austin’s theatre buildings or in your school where we tour, Pollyanna is incomplete without an audience. And our audience is growing! Won’t you join us?
Please sign up for our electronic newsletter so you can see what is coming. Please call us with your questions or comments. And above all, please bring the gift of your child’s imagination to one of our productions SOON. We can’t have theatre without it.
With Hope for Today,
Judy Matetzschk-Campbell, Ph.D.
Producing Artistic Director
Pollyanna Theatre Company