Act!vated on Stage and Off

Hat Changing Men stop to smell the roses

Kimberly — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:43:17 +0000

This morning after rehearsing the story “Iron Dragon” for the new show which will be touring to libraries this summer and schools the rest of the year, we found the three dimensional stick figures took off. After looking around we finally found them in the rose garden.

And who can blame them? The roses are beautiful in the garden in front of the Longview Library.

So, we joined them.

Bear and Fox and Cows

Kimberly — Sun, 19 May 2013 05:36:57 +0000

The adventures of Bear and Fox continued today in Chehalis, Washington.

Boy is Bear really milking it.

There is no telling what these two will do next. Better keep an eye out for a cow riding Fox.

Tops and Bottoms – podcast

Kimberly — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:27:05 +0000

Bear and Fox explore Tumwater Falls

Kimberly — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:29:00 +0000

The Bear and Fox are on an excursion today. They decided to stop and see the sights. Today they are in Tumwater exploring the falls. Who knows? Tomorrow they may go back to for growing crops and fighting over who gets the tops and who gets the bottoms.

Tops and Bottoms excerpts

Kimberly — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:06:30 +0000

“Tops and Bottoms”, from Scandinavia, is about a sly Fox who faces down and out-wits a bullying Bear. Presented in the style of a cartoon, this classic trickster tale features pantomime to music in addition to dialogue, slapstick, comical props and masks.

Off stage

Kimberly — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:02:23 +0000

What we do between shows when our feet are not on a stage:

London Bridge

Kimberly — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:45:27 +0000

Postcard from Lake Havasu, AZ en route to California.

The Tale of Two Frogs

Kimberly — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 01:41:23 +0000

Show notes

Sewing my way to New Mexico

Kimberly — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:17:02 +0000

“Digging Diversity” our new show for library summer reading programs will open June 5th but we are already getting ready for it. Rehearsals began in January, Dennis is finishing up the scripts and will start writing the music soon. And as he drives across country Kimberly is running her sewing machine off of the motorhome battery (hurrah for solar panels!). When she says she is “sewing her way to New Mexico”, she might get an odd look from people who aren’t familiar with our lifestyle. But by the time we get there (driving from Arkansas) she hopes to have several items completed. Here is a sneak peak of what is being pieced together. All of these items will be in the story “The Bridge and the Dream” , a story from the Arabian Nights, set in Turkey and Egypt.

Funding from Target for free School Programs

Kimberly — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:20:28 +0000

Applications are NOW being accepted for funding for school programs and early childhood reading programs. We invite schools (and libraries) nationwide to partner with us if there is a Target store in your neighborhood. The grants ($2,000) can be applied to the following Act!vated programs:

A two day Artist-in-Residency program with shows for one or two schools, workshops and a family night. Fully funded by Target if approved.
A portion of a week-long Artist-in-Residency program “Script to Stage” with shows, workshops for the entire student body and a family night Balance to be paid by school: $1,098 for 5 days or $1,435 for 6 days split between two weeks.
5 shows at up to 5 locations (libraries, community centers and/or schools) scheduled over 3 consecutive days (or combination of shows and free books for Early Childhood Reading Grant). Fully funded by Target if approved.

We can handle the paperwork for you, all we will need to get started is demographic information and to pencil in dates sometime between September 2013 and May 2014. Email us immediately for more information activatedstorytheatre@gmail.com

We did a residency program last month at a school in Jacksonville, Florida where, with the help of the staff and students, we somehow worked some theatre magic and managed to turn a 2 person show into a 452 person extravaganza, thanks in part to a grant from Target. We worked with the students (K-8) all week on theatre technique and writing skills. The Kindergarteners and 1^st graders learned new stories, American Sign Language and played small parts in the show. The 2^nd grades focused on Aesop’s Fables and mask making, culminating in a parade during the performance. 3^rd and 4^th grade learned to dance the Charleston, tableaux theatre and commedia del arte. 5^th and 6^th dived into history and culture, learning about the 1904 world’s fair and the different countries represented there. Each of the four 5^th/6^th grades learned a different dance to perform in the show. They did the square dance, the Russian Troika, the Halay from Turkey and the traditional Bon Odori from Japan. 7^th and 8^th grade classes were each given an integral part of the play to write and perform. At the end of the week the parents were invited to the show. When it was all over we were exhausted and ready to do it all over again!

View excerpts of the students dancing during the all school assembly
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We are now making our way across the country to California where we are anxious to do two more residency programs (also sponsored in part by Target), each tailored to the school and their specific needs and a number of shows at various schools and libraries. On the way we will be stopping in New Mexico to perform at the library in Farmington on March 14th. Hope to see you there!