The Bluest Skies You've Ever Seen Are In Seattle...

Part One 

 

The Seattle Children's Theatre

A trip back home to Seattle...a place of infinite beauty to me, filled with a hustle and bustle that is so magical.  The air, the earth, the GREEN of the place energizes everyone who lives there, and many who go to visit opt to stay.  It is this incredible energy and life that feeds the artistic environment that is the heart of this city, and I can honestly say that Seattle is the most kid-friendly place I have ever been.  The amount of programming for children and families in Seattle is incredible.  Everywhere you turn, there are signs for children's theatres, organizations, programs, activities.  Family festivals are everywhere.  And so, going to Seattle for my Fellowship was a no-brainer.  Yes, I was going home, but not actually to spend time with my genetic family---to spend time with my artistic family.

Scheduling with theatres in Seattle was easier than in any other city I've visited, or talked to.  All four of the organizations that I reached out to not only welcomed me with open arms, but planned whole days for me to spend with them.  The Seattle Children's Theatre even sent me several excited emails as the time of my visit grew ever-closer, each one saying how glad they were I was coming.  Once I arrived, there was so much to see, so much to hear, so much to say, so much to do. I will break the experience down into two posts, to avoid confusion (and because each of these stories is involved.)

Teatro Zinzanni

Director of Education at Teatro Zinzanni, Nadia Tarnawsky, greeted me and immediately presented to me all of the different types of programming for kids that they provide, then walked me through a tour of the building (which is filled with a dazzling cacophany of sights and sounds and VERY busy costume and crafts artisans, among other things), and introduced me to much of the staff, and several of the artists who work there.  Zinzanni (whose tag is "Love, Chaos & Dinner") is a circus.  Literally.  They perform under a century old spiegeltent called The Moulin Rouge.  It is one of only two still existing, and it is STUNNING.  The history of the tent alone is long and colorful, and best saved for another time. Being what they are, it is not surprising that their educational program is called Circus Camp (and I believe that the play on words is probably intended, ahem.) 

Their program is innovative, and reaches out to parts of the community that have never seen anything like what they have to offer.  Their performers are their teachers, and the children get intensives on how to clown, juggle, stilt-walk, do basic aerial silks, etc.  But they are also taught how to be a part of something wonderful--as a team--and how to be comfortable with who they are.  And in one program, they are taught Shakespeare.  In the first program, what they learn to do is quiet, physical, but then they are given another program that teaches them to combine these skills to express themselves through language, and even present shortened versions of entire, circus-filled Shakespeare plays at the end of the camp season. This amazing programming brings kids from every walk of life together, and teaches them to care--for themselves, and for others, in a way that only circus people can. I am in love.

Zinzanni's main fare is actually adult-oriented--part circus, part vaudeville, part cabaret, and all five-star dinner (yes, dinner--which gets written into the story of every show.)  They feature world-class international circus artists, who do insanely daring and slightly dangerous things in a surprisingly small (and crowded) space.  This is combined with music, outrageous comedy, and audience participation. In a lot of ways, it is a grown-up Talespinner Children's Theatre.  Nadia guested me into one of their shows, and it was top-notch, jaw-dropping...dinner (which was exquisite) was included DURING the show, so the whole affair is over three hours long, but it passes in the blink of an eye.  Colors, music, shapes, movement, laughter--so much laughter.  And I, all unaware, was gifted with a most unexpected treat (on top of the clap-your-hands-giddiness provided by every other aspect of this visit):  I have followed a clowning-trapeze act called the Die Meiers for years.  They are, to me, the perfect example of the silent, slow-take, effortlessly timed comedy act.  Perfection.  They are my go-to when I try to explain how that timing works to people I am working with.  And suddenly, they were at my table.  No warning, no fanfare, just shaking my hand, and then wowing the entire crowd.  Yup.  I turned into a puddle of fan-girl goo.  It was the perfect icing on the perfect cake.  Oh, and I got to chat with Sabine, the female half of the duo, for quite some time after the show.  She and her husband (the other half of the act) have children--and that is one of the things that fuels their comedy, making them laugh.  It doesn't get much better than that.

Alison is the recipient of a 2016 Creative Workforce Fellowship. This Fellowship is a program of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture. Funding for the Fellowship program is made possible by the generous support of Cuyahoga County residents through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

 

Children's Theatre and Nature Conservancy in the Painted Desert...

And here, tardy, is my report on the trip to GORGEOUS Phoenix, Arizona, where I was welcomed with open arms by Nancy Smith, and an ARMY of beautiful puppets.

Phoenix is stunning.  Pure and simple. At the time that I went there, in March, the orange blossoms and bougainvillea were in riotous bloom; so much so, in fact, that the entire city was under one of the most beautiful clouds of natural perfume I have ever smelled.  Upon arrival at my hotel--which was simple, but clean, comfortable, and affording a priceless view of the Superstition Mountains, I was informed that there had been "a few scorpions sighted in the area," but that I should be fine.  Happily, I received no creepy-crawly visitors in my room, or anywhere else.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that my hotel was only a mile from the airport, and in an almost straight line only three miles from Great Arizona Puppet Theater.  After about a seven minute journey from my "suite," I arrived at a most beautiful site (spelling intended): GAPT is housed in an old (read: historical landmark) Mormon church building.  The building, reminiscent of an old Spanish Mission, is HUGE, made with infinite care, and thick, thick walls.  It is a beauty, and unlike many theatres, situated in the middle of a residential neighborhood of some means.

 

Stepping inside, I am greeted by dozens, upon dozens of puppets, of all kinds on display--all created by Nancy and her husband over many years of making theatre arts for children.

Soon, the theatre is packed to over-flowing--children in the front, parents off to the sides and in the back.  I begin to fear that the place will burst, there are so many children, babies, students, and parents in this place, but finally, all settles down to nothing but a murmur of anticipation.

GATP does puppet theatre from its heart.  The fare is a well-known story, The Three Little Pigs, and the PUPPETS...oh, the puppets.  Unfortunately, the sound system that they used to body-mic the actors left a great deal to be desired, so I, at least, sitting in the back, had a hard time understanding what was being said and sung, but the children in the audience simply ate it up.  And the puppets...

The show was darling, the students and families happy and bubbling...and once they had all departed, what I consider the REAL magic started. Nancy happily took me on a tour of the entire building--workshops, scene shops, backstage, offices, EVERYWHERE.  She is proud of what they have achieved and maintained for decades.  And she should be.  To not only continue in their given community, but to SERVE it, and to make it a better place, they have partnered with such agencies as the Nature Conservancy and the Desert & Water Conservancy in their area, creating puppet programs to travel to ANYWHERE they are needed in their community to teach about preservation, conservation, and green living.  They have also developed programming with a local dentist, to help educate very young children about how and why you go to the dentist--and to teach about health and nutrition in a way that children and families can hear.  Nancy is such a firm believer that this is the right way to reach out to children and to schools and families to make them aware, that these have become their biggest educational outreach programs.  She showed me the puppets created for these shows, and they are stunning.  And highly accessible to small eyes, ears, and hands.

GAPT showed me the art of Making a Difference in your community in action and practice.  I left there, wheels turning on ways to make more of an artistic difference in my own community.  As beautiful as it is, I am not moved to relocate to Phoenix, but I definitely brought some of it, and some of its artistic ideals and ideas home with me...hopefully to help make my own community an even richer place through the arts...

Very special thanks to Nancy Smith for taking a BIG chunk out of her day to host me...

                                                            Live long, and PUPPET ON!!

Alison is the recipient of a 2016 Creative Workforce Fellowship. This Fellowship is a program of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture. Funding for the Fellowship program is made possible by the generous support of Cuyahoga County residents through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.