A.R.T.'s "Island of Anyplace" entertaining and educational
If you're interested in children's theater and Traveling Treasure Trunk isn't performing, head down to Harvard Square instead!
The American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.) in Cambridge presents the 15th anniversary of a production of a children's theater show called "The Island of Anyplace," closing this weekend on Saturday, Oct. 14. The show, written by Charles Marz and directed and choreographed by Thomas Derrah, features seven second-year A.R.T. and MXAT Institute for Advanced Theatre Training students. The show is written for young children and teaches them about theater, all while still appealing to their imagination. The main character, Jennifer, is a little girl whose father has forced her to go to the theater. There, she ends up enjoying herself, especially due to the fact that she finds herself in the role of playwright and director.
Through the adventure of a boy shipwrecked on a beautiful but lonely island, Jennifer teaches the audience about different aspects of theater, such as acting, directing, lighting, sound and costumes.
Several of the area's elementary and middle schools are bringing groups to watch the performances. This year, the show takes place at the Zero Arrow Theatre instead of the Loeb Drama Center. Weekend performances are Friday, Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available online.
Opening night at the BSO for college students
The Boston Symphony Orchestra opens its Custom Repartee series tonight at Symphony Hall, with special programming and discounts available to high school and college students for the Symphony's 2006-2007 season.
The Repartee series offers music enthusiasts ages 21 to 38 an opportunity to gather for pre-concert drinks, hors d'oeuvres and a preview of the evening's concert with a guest speaker specially selected by the BSO.
Tonight's opening event features BSO conductor Ludovic Morlot and acclaimed cellist Lynn Harrell, who will play Shostakovich's "Cello Concerto No. 1" in the evening's performance. Repartee series events taking place later this season feature guest artists such as violinist Joshua Bell and BSO conductor James Levine.
In addition to the Repartee series, the BSO is again offering its popular College Card Club program, which offers Boston-area college students the opportunity to hear up to a dozen concerts and three open rehearsals for a fee of $25.
College Card Club holders can hear performances of works by a variety of composers, including Beethoven, Mozart, Schoenberg and Tchaikovsky. Students can also gain insight into the artistic process by attending open rehearsals with internationally renowned artists including Dawn Upshaw, Deborah Voigt, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Andr? Previn. Tickets for BSO performances are available on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the performance, and the BSO guarantees at least 100 tickets for College Card Club holders for each concert.
The Repartee series runs through May 2007, and the College Card Club offers concerts up through next April.
Tufts grad 'never swims alone'
Recent Tufts graduate Daniel Balkin (LA '05) directs the Imaginary Beasts theater company's production of Daniel MacIvor's play, "Never Swim Alone," which opened last night and runs through next weekend in Lynn, Mass. Balkin fills the inaugural post under the company's Emerging Artists Project, whose aim is to foster promising young artists, while encouraging them to work locally.
Imaginary Beasts, formerly known as Iron-Rail Stage Co., was established two years ago under the auspices of LynnArts, and the company is currently part of an effort to vitalize Lynn's downtown arts district.
"Never Swim Alone," set over the period of one fateful summer, recounts the story of two childhood friends, Frank and Bill, who fall into deadly conflict over "the woman in the blue bathing suit."
The play runs from Thursday, Oct. 12 through Sunday, Oct. 15, and Thursday, Oct. 19 through Sunday, Oct. 22, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $12, with discounts for students. For more information call 978-500-5553.
- compiled by Julie Schindall and Leticia Frazao
