Theatre IV of Cincinnati will stage the shows for school students and families at Shawnee State University's Vern Riffe Center for the Arts.
Fifty-five minutes in length, the play and its Classroom Connections Study Guide are produced in support of state standards, as well as those set by the National Council of Teachers of English. The production offers curriculum connections in subjects such as family ties, music, self-esteem, language, history, biography and women's studies. Extensive study guides and reservation forms are available on PAAC's Web site, www.portsmouthareaartscouncil.org.
Born in 1868, Laura Ingalls Wilder traveled across America's rolling plains while creating patchwork quilts that related the same adventures that would later inspire her time-honored books. Laura's quilts still exist today, and their patterns recall her beloved family -her strong, caring Pa, her heroic sister Mary and her warm-hearted Ma.
Audiences will join the Ingalls as they face the hardships, the triumphs, the wonder and the faith that sustained their journey across the American frontier.
“The Rocky Road to Kansas” recalls the family's journey west to stake a land claim under the Homestead Act of 1862.
Their hope for a better life and sense of adventure sustain them on their long and dangerous trip, whether slipping and sliding in their covered wagon across the frozen Mississippi or almost overturning in the turbulent waters of a roaring creek.
“The Log Cabin” pattern reminds them of how Ma and Pa, with the help of Mr. Edwards, build their log cabin by hand, their own “Little House on the Prairie.”
Their courageous pioneer spirit, faith and love of family sustain them as hardships and disappointments force them to return to Minnesota where, as the “Dugout” pattern reminds them, they move to their most unusual house - a dugout in the bank of Plum Creek - where Laura meets a most unusual girl, Nellie Oleson.
Theatre IV is the second largest theatre company for young audiences in the United States. Its performances in Portsmouth are presented by the Portsmouth Area Arts Council with partial support from the Ohio Arts Council.
Admission to each performance is $3 per person. The noon show is open to the public.
Reservations for school classes should be made at least two weeks in advance for the pioneer adventure, intended for audiences from kindergarten through fifth grade. Teachers or administrators are requested to contact PAAC Executive Director DeLynn Coppoletti at (740) 351-3642 or dcoppoletti@shawnee.edu to make arrangements to bring their students.
Post a Comment
