FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ryan Jimenez
310.208.6500 x126
323.204.8800 mobile (DO NOT PUBLISH)
323.662.5050 after hours (DO NOT
PUBLISH)
ryan@geffenplayhouse.com
GEFFEN
PLAYHOUSE Engages Families, Schools, Students and the
Community at Large with THE 2005-2006 SEASON
EDUCATION
AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS
Geffen
Playhouse Offers Free Matinee Performances for Students, Educator Workshops,
and the Ever Popular Saturday Scene Performance Series for
Families
GeffenÕs
School Tours Program Takes Theater into Los Angeles Area Schools
LOS ANGELES—The Geffen Playhouse announces its
Education and Outreach programs for the 2005-2006 season, the 10th
anniversary year of the celebrated theater company and the inaugural year of
the GeffenÕs newly renovated playhouse, culminating an 18 month, $17 million
renovation to the historic theater. Designed to engage families, schools,
students and the community at large, the GeffenÕs Community and Education
programs make theater in Los Angeles accessible for the diverse communities
comprising the City of Los Angeles.
ÒOur expansive community and educational outreach
programs are one of the ways the Geffen strives to give back to the village of
Los Angeles,Ó says Debra Pasquerette, Director of Education for the Geffen
Playhouse. ÒWhile we work hard at bringing the community to the theater, we are
also literally brining theater into the community.Ó
This yearÕs programs include the Geffen School
Tours Program,
bringing theater into Los Angeles area schools, serving students that would not
otherwise have the opportunity to experience live theater; The Geffen
Matinee Program,
offering students the chance to experience the thrill of live theater by
attending free matinee performances at the new Geffen Playhouse; the popular The
Saturday Scene
family series, where Saturday mornings come alive with updated classics and
world-class music for families; the CREATE Program (Community
Representatives Engaged in Active Theater Education), a season-long,
interactive exploration and analysis of live theater for community and social
service groups, deemed a model program by the City of Los
(more)
Angeles; Educator Workshops, bringing teachers from
all over the Southland to the theater, learning how to
best utilize the GeffenÕs resources to integrate
the theater experience into their curriculum; and the Teacher
Subscription Program, offering a special reduced subscription rate for full time
secondary school teachers in California.
About
the GeffenÕs Community and Education Programs
Geffen
School Tour (Featuring
ParsonÕs Nose Productions)
The
Geffen Playhouse takes theater into Los Angeles area schools, serving student
populations that would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend live
theater. Tours of the following productions are provided free of charge to
qualified elementary and junior high schools:
The Pied Piper of Hamlin (Grades K- 6) Oct. 18- Nov.4, 2005
The Family Mi$er (Grades 3- 8) Feb. 7-24, 2006
The Rose of the Rancho (Grades 1- 7) April 18- May 5, 2006
Call 310.208.6500 x 156 for reservations or email
education@geffenplayhouse.com.
Geffen
Matinee Program
The Geffen Matinee Program offers students the opportunity to attend free
matinee performances at the new Geffen Playhouse. Schools receive study guides
with information pertaining to the play and educator workshops are held to
inform teachers how to make the play more accessible to their students and
curriculum.
Tickets and transportation are available for qualifying schools. Student
Matinee productions for 2005-2006 will be for the production of Arthur Miller's
All My Sons
in the spring. Dates for the Student Matinee performances of All My Sons include the following
Thursday mornings: April 27, May 4, May 11, and May 18, 2006. Space is limited; contact the Geffen Education Department
at
310.208.6500 x 156 or email education@geffenplayhouse.com.
The
Saturday Scene –
The
Geffen PlayhouseÕs Music and Theater series for family and friends
The
Saturday Scene is the GeffenÕs hit family series. Kids enjoy the magic of live theater and musical
entertainment from childrenÕs theater classics to world-class music. Content is generally appropriate for
kindergarten through adult (age appropriateness varies with specific show –call the Geffen Education department for assistance
in making selections). To purchase a subscription call 310.208.6500 x
156, or go log on to
www.geffenplayhouse.com/saturday_scene.html. For single tickets contact the Geffen Playhouse Box Office
at 310.208.5454.
THE PIED PIPER OF HAMLIN with music! (December 3,
10 and 17, 2005)
Adapted from a folk tale by Lance Davis
Parson's Nose Productions world premiere of "The Pied Piper of
Hamlin", a play with music, adapted from the famous, 12th Century German
folk tale by Lance Davis. Two families of Hamlin, the Klutzes
(more)
and the Butzes, only care about one thing - their
precious cheese. Of course cheese brings rats, and the only thing more
bothersome than rats - is children! Come see this hilarious, fifty-minute,
comic story, perfect for the whole family.
(Ages 5 and up)
JOANIE BARTELS (January 7, 2006)
Put on your dancing shoes and get ready for an
upbeat, get-on-the-dance-floor, party-down fun-fest! Joanie Bartels has
recorded twelve CDs and two full-length videos/DVDs and has received an RIAA
Gold Record for her contribution to childrenÕs entertainment. (Ages 3 and up)
BEETHOVEN'S WIG (January 14, 2006)
Back by popular demand! The Grammy-nominated classical sensation
Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Symphonies features
Richard Perlmutter and his invisible orchestra performing zany
stick-in-your-head lyrics set to the greatest hits of classical music. Beethoven's Wig, filled with fact and
fancy about the world's most notable classical composers, has garnered an
amazing 30 national awards and has been featured on The Today Show and NPR's Morning
Edition
and All Things Considered. (Ages 3 and up)
THE FAMILY MI$ER (February 11, 18 and 25,
2006)
Adapted from Moliere by Lance Davis
A comedy about a mean old man who loves money
more than his family. (Ages 6 and up)
THE CRAYON COURT (March 4, 11 and 18,
2006)
The Crayon Court is a large-scale puppet
extravaganza where audiences will discover and participate in the exciting
world of color, art, and music.
This musical theatrical production captivates children and parents alike
by incorporating the entire audience as it progresses from one fantastical
creative number to the next. (Ages 4 and up)
BARNEY SALTZBERG (March 25, 2006)
Barney Saltzberg is an award-winning child book
author, illustrator, and singer/songwriter. His songs have been recorded by Shari Lewis for Charlie
Horse Music Pizza and have been featured on the PBS hit show, Arthur. Participants can rock out and sing
along to BarneyÕs fantastic tunes. (Ages 4 and up)
THE ROSE OF THE RANCHO (April 22, 29 and May 6,
2006)
Adapted from David Belasco by Lance Davis
A 19th century melodrama of California in the
Gold Rush days. Will the vigilantes take over Juanita's rancho? (ages 6 and up)
Educator Workshops
The Geffen Playhouse invites teachers from throughout the area to workshops
prior to each show in order to learn more about the production. Teachers meet
with staff and theater artists to find ways to best utilize the Geffen
Playhouse's resources and integrate the theater experience into their
curriculum.
(more)
Teacher Subscription Program
The Geffen Playhouse offers a special reduced subscription rate for full time
secondary teachers in California. Teachers may call the Geffen Playhouse
Telemarketing Department at 310. 208.6500 x 159 for more information.
CREATE Program (Community Representatives Engaged in Active
Theater Education)
Deemed a model program by the City of Los Angeles, CREATE is a season-long,
interactive exploration and analysis of live theater for community and social
service groups. The program consists of interactive workshops, seminars and
complimentary tickets to all Geffen main stage productions. The company
actively seeks organizations that, by the nature of their missions, focus their
efforts on underserved segments of the Los Angeles community. Diverse community
groups embrace CREATE as a way to experience theater as an art form, a personal
resource and an educational asset.
Participants include: Advance Living; Alternative Living for the
Aging; Anti-Defamation League; Assistance League of Southern California; Aviva
Family Services; California Lawyers for the Arts; Chinatown Service Center;
Communities in Schools; Create NOW!; Crestwood Hills Recreation Center;
Florence Crittenton Center; Hispanic Seniors Club; Holman United Methodist
Church Arts Council; Inside Out Community Arts; Islands of Tolerance; Israel
Levin Service Center; Jewish Big Brothers of LA; Kol Ami LA Mentor Partnership;
LA Shanti; STAHR!; Program; National Council of Jewish Women LA; New
Possibilities; Oasis West LA; Reading is Fundamental of Southern California;
Russian American Choir; Santa Monica Emeritus College; Sehmi-KyoSunset Hall;
Trinity Family Services; VA Greater LA Healthcare System; West Hollywood
Children's Roundtable; West Valley Occupational Alternative Education Work
Center; West Valley Occupational Alternative Education Work Center; and WISE /
Santa Monica – Dial-A-Ride.
The
Geffen Playhouse is located at 10886 Le Conte Avenue in Westwood. Subscriptions
to the 2005-2006 season may be purchased online at GeffenPlayhouse.com , in
person at the Geffen Playhouse Box Office, or by phone at 310.208.5454. Single
tickets for productions in the 2005-2006 season go on sale October 7, and may
be purchased at the Geffen Playhouse Box Office, by calling Ticketmaster at
213.365.3500, at all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons May, Tower Records, and
Ritmo Latino locations), or online at GeffenPlayhouse.com. For general
information or to request a brochure, call (310) 208-5454. For information
regarding Geffen Playhouse Education and Community programs and performances,
please call the Education Department at 310.208.6500 x156, or email education@geffenplayhouse.com.
About The Geffen Playhouse
Launched in
1994 at the Westwood Playhouse, the Geffen Playhouse was named in 1995 in honor
of entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who donated $5 million
to the organization, one of the largest gifts ever made to an
already-constructed theater. Headed by Producing Director Gilbert (Gil) Cates,
Artistic Director Randall Arney and Managing Director Stephen Eich, the Geffen
has produced eight world premieres and four Tony, four Pulitzer, and seven
Obie-award winning shows in the companyÕs celebrated 10 seasons and maintains
an extensive educational outreach program, designed to engage young people in
the arts. Enjoying its stature as a vital performing arts institution in Los
Angeles with an annual attendance of more than 130,000 patrons, the Geffen
Playhouse prepares for the grand opening of its newly-renovated playhouse,
making its debut in November, 2005, celebrating the companyÕs 10th
anniversary season. For more information, please visit GeffenPlayhouse.com.
310.208.6500
x126
323.204.8800
mobile (DO NOT PUBLISH)
323.662.5050
after hours (DO NOT PUBLISH)
ryan@geffenplayhouse.com