Come to the Hundred Acre Woods this Christmas season at ARIEL Theatrical for the heart-warming holiday adventure, A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail. Eeyore has lost his tail which casts gloom on the Christmas festivities. All of your favorite characters in A.A. Milne’s beloved children’s book must pitch in to help their friend on his quest to retrieve his lost treasurer.
Performances are Friday and Saturday, December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19 at 7 pm; and Saturday Matinee, December 5, 12 and 19 at 2pm. Tickets are $13 Adults; $11 Military, Seniors and Students; $9 Children 3 to 12; under 3 are FREE. All performances take place at The Karen Wilson Children’s Theatre, 320 Main Street, Salinas. Tickets can be purchased online at www.arieltheatrical.org, at the Box Office in Oldtown Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm or by calling 831-775-0976.
For close to 30 years, ARIEL Theatrical has provided opportunities for children, adolescents and adults to come together on stage in an environment that demands hard work while at the same time inspiring participants to bring the best of themselves to the experience.
Traditions, traditions. Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as … as … as a fiddler on the roof!
–Tevye, from Fiddler on the Roof
It’s an ARIEL Tradition not to be missed! Come join us and the people of Anatevka at The Karen Wilson Theatre for our Annual Benefit! It will be a great time! Purchase tickets in person, by phone, or here.
For information on the rest of the run of Fiddler on the Roof, click here.
ARIEL Theatrical’s ‘Tom Sawyer’ a fun, inspiring production
By JUDY HIGGERSON
Critics Circlemontereyherald.com
Posted: 08/15/2012 04:02:02 PM PDT
August 16, 2012 3:42 PM
GMTUpdated: 08/16/2012 08:42:11 AM PDT
Tom Sawyer (Andrew Liddle),
left, and Huck Finn (Alex Gomez) make big plans while fishing on the Mississippi
River in ARIEL Theatrical’s production of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,”
playing through Aug. 25 in Salinas.
I read once where Mark Twain wrote that travelwas “fatal to prejudice,
bigotry and narrow-mindness.” After seeing my first Ariel production, “The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” directed by Gail Higginbotham, I believe that the
word “theater” should be substituted in that Twainism.
Higginbotham has shown the community with this production how the entire cast and community comes together to join forces in a production that reflects the mission statement of the ARIEL Theatrical — seeking to use the art and
discipline of the theater to inspire young people.
The production helps young audience members to understand that personal
integrity, respect for others and an acceptance of responsibility for choices
made are the keys to building a principled and productive life.
The examples are displayed by the adventures of Tom (Andrew Liddle): playing
hooky from school, the consequences set forth by Aunt Polly, his punishment by
whitewashing the fence.
Or the extreme example of standing up in court to testify in front of the
town stating that he had indeed observed a murder in the graveyard, knowing that he had no business being in the graveyard at night, and accepting the unknown consequences that might arise from his testimony.
Like all young people, the temptation to “go off track, not follow the rules”
was displayed when Tom and Becky (played by Naomi Oppenheim) deviated from the outing to visit the caves and become lost from the group for several days, leaving the town to search and worry about their survival.
What a wonderful choice of theater to reflect all of the ARIEL mission
statement: integrity, respect, acceptance of responsibility for choices.
The use of the stage and the props were creative and fun. Having the cast run
offstage toward the audience gave it the opportunity to see all the smiling
faces of the cast.
This reinforced the commitment of not just the young people, but the adults
who have committed themselves to such a positive experience working with these dedicated young people, both on stage or those behind the scenes.
The song “Ain’t Life Good” wasn’t justa song in which the audience joined the
actors on stage, but a resonating theme throughout the production.
It was a beautiful day for all 44 cast members (14 of whom had never been on
stage before, captivating the audience with their insightful interpretation of
the adventures of a hooky-playing, easy-going Tom Sawyer and his sidekick Huck Finn (Alex Gomez).
This production earns a thumbs- up from this reviewer. GO!
Kayti Ramirez, an 18-year-old
freshman at Santa Clara University, started attending Ariel Theatrical’s camps
the summer after her sophomore year at Santa Catalina High School. She was cast
as the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio and then went on to become a camp counselor
to the younger kids.
“At the beginning of each day we’d
get together and Miss Gail would say, ‘Remember, whether you’re cleaning
toilets or wiping a 4-year-old’s nose or helping on stage, it’s about something
much bigger. It’s about character and building community, having
self-discipline and integrity.’ That translated to my life, schoolwork,
relationships with my friends and family.”
Miss Gail is Gail Higginbotham,
Ariel’s founder and artistic director who started the nonprofit more than 25
years ago when she moved her young family to Salinas. “What really lurks in the
bottom of most children’s hearts is the desire to stand on a stage with a
costume and lights on them and have people clap for them,” she says.
Ariel offers three, one-week summer
theater camps where kids and teens take classes every day, separated into age
and skill groups, focusing on singing, acting, movement and other performance
skills. Each camper signs a code of conduct, in which she pledges to be
courteous and respectful, own her mistakes and not make excuses. Toward the end
of the week they start putting together a recital, which they perform for
family and friends.
“The theater part of Ariel is the
modality by which we have them here, but the reason for Ariel is to help give
them their best shot at creating a principled and productive life, the skills
they need to make choices that are positive [in order] to succeed,”
Higginbotham says.
If you drive along Highway 68 on a regular
basis, you’ve probably noticed there’s seldom, if ever, a roadside trash
problem. That’s because a dedicated group of individuals has volunteered to
keep the well-traveled corridor clean.
Decked out in their protective helmets and
yellow vests, these people regularly scour their assigned stretch of the
roadway, filling bright orange plastic bags with roadside rubbish.
Diane Chatwin is one of these unsung heroes. Along with friends and family,
Chatwin has been cleaning a two-mile stretch of Highway 68 from the Toro Creek
Bridge east to the Toro Regional Park turnoff. As part of the Adopt-A-Highway
Program, Chatwin and her late husband, Marshall, volunteered to collect trash
18 years ago on behalf of ARIEL Theatrical.
For her unrelenting efforts over nearly two decades, Chatwin, who lives in the Robley
Road area, recently was honored as the Adopt-A-Highway Volunteer of the Decade.
When she heard that she was receiving the award, Chatwin said she wondered,
“Why me? There are so many people who have been doing this a long time.”
A choreographer with ARIEL Theatrical since the children’s theater was
launched, Chatwin decided to volunteer for Adopt-A-Highway in the group’s name.
“I felt it would be good publicity for the group, since a lot of the children
in the program lived along Highway 68,” she explained. A sign along the highway
names ARIEL Theatrical as the clean-up agent for Chatwin’s stretch.
When she started, Chatwin did one side of the road and her husband did the
other. They both enjoyed the drivers who often would show their appreciation by
either honking or waving as they drove past.
“It also was nice when bike riders and joggers passing by would acknowledge
what we were doing with a thank you,” she said.
After her husband’s death three years ago, Chatwin’s adult son, Michael, and
some friends, Lee and Alison Hinkle, stepped up to assist her in the monthly
cleanup. Even after a bout with cancer sidelined her for three months last
year, the 78-year-old woman still refuses to give up her Saturday morning
trash-collecting chores.
Over the years she’s collected litter along the roadside, Chatwin and her
helpers have found some interesting things. By far the most bizarre discovery
was a large plastic bag containing a cow’s head and hooves. Marshall discovered
the macabre remains and Chatwin thought this might be tied into some cattle
rustling.
Another time the couple found a bag with old credit-card receipts. “We knew the
person whose name was on the receipts so we contacted her,” Chatwin said. “She
told us her son was taking a load to the dump and didn’t realize the bag had
fallen off his truck.”
In 18 years one would think that Chatwin would have found some money along the
roadside. With a laugh, she said that years ago one of her helpers found a $20
bill and once she did stumble upon a pile of pennies, but that was it.
By far the funniest thing that ever happened while on trash duty involved
Chatwin’s husband.
“A lady came up to him and asked what his offense was,” she said, explaining
the event. “Marshall told her he wasn’t part of a prison detail but the woman’s
response was, ‘Oh, that’s OK, you don’t have to be embarrassed or ashamed.’ ”
Over the years she has been an Adopt-A-Highway volunteer, Chatwin has noticed
that the amount of roadside refuse has diminished. Where she usually collected
six to eight bags of junk on her side, today she averages about three to four.
Although she does a formal cleanup usually about every four weeks, Chatwin said
she can’t stand to see a lot of junk along the roadway. Because she travels the
road so often, she’ll pull over and collect a tire, piece of wood or box that’s
fallen off a vehicle and toss it in her trunk.
With a smile, Chatwin also noted that, thanks to her Highway 68 duty, she can’t
go anywhere now without picking up trash. “I think it is a disease,” she said
with a laugh. “I can’t stand to see trash anywhere now, so I’m always reaching
down to pick it up and dispose of it.”
Jeanette Green, the Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator for the North Region, said that
the
Volunteer of the Decade award was started last year and given to a Santa Cruz
County resident.
“We will only give this special award when we feel there is someone who really
deserves it,” she said. “Diane is certainly one of those individuals. She does
everything right!”
Green noted there are numerous highway sections available on Highway 101 from
Salinas to King City if anyone is interested in volunteering for the
Adopt-A-Highway program.
The run for our live production of the musical Wonderland! was Monday, February 28th through Saturday, March 5th, 2011, and has now concluded. However, the show was filmed and will air in its entirety on MCAET, Comcast 26, four times in April. So, tune in or set the VCR for ARIEL Theatrical’s Wonderland on MCAET, Comcast 26, for any of the four showings (Saturday April 2nd at 1 PM and 7 PM and Saturday, April 16th at 1 PM and 7 PM). Note: The show runs approximately 80 minutes.
In the past several weeks I’ve had the opportunity to see miracles take place at the Wilson Children’s Theatre in Oldtown, Salinas. During that time about 75 very young children participated in the presentation of JACK AND THE BEANSTALK. No, the miracle was not that those youngsters performed their hearts out in song and enthusiastic movement. That kind of production is expected when we talk about ARIEL Theatrical. The miracle was in the courage and dedication witnessed when a few of those children, essentially shy and timid, took the stage wholeheartedly, rising above their fear and, with great enthusiasm, firmly presented the pieces that they had rehearsed for weeks.
One child, who had demonstrated full confidence and vitality when rehearsing with his group, froze completely when presented with the prospect of being one of those with the responsibility of wearing a microphone. His fright was evident the minute he was asked to sing alone during “mic check” at the technical rehearsal. Through quiet minutes with the director and the strong feeling of acceptance by his peers, this child took deep breaths, sang the lines, pulled it together and with a timid smile performed perfectly. For three additional microphone checks the process could be seen – first panic, then thinking through the things he had been taught, and finally steadying for performance. It was one of many miracles the staff at ARIEL witnesses every day.
Children, when they desire to participate at ARIEL, must sign a Code of Conduct Contract. In that contract we read, “I have chosen to be a part of an ARIEL program. I realize that I will need to bring positive energy and enthusiasm with me and be ready to learn.” On the first day of rehearsal some participants may be unsure of what that contract means, but as involvement increases, the team effect and ensemble goals create an environment where the success of each individual is tied to the success of the show as a whole.
The contract continues, “I respect myself for having made this commitment. I respect the others for doing the same. I respect the adults who are working so that I may have this experience. I will respect the building in which we meet and the property and beliefs of others.” Commitment to this code is another of the miracles to be witnessed at the Wilson Theatre. Short lessons and examples of this “caring and sharing” philosophy are interjected into the curriculum on a daily basis in order that the desired outcome becomes more than a contract to be signed when a show begins. It becomes a way to think about personal responsibility and influence. We often see students on their own initiative, picking up papers, straightening chairs, or replacing materials that are incorrectly put away.
Watching rehearsals another day, an older participant began to offer reasons why his performance was not as polished as he thought it should be. With a smile, the director reminded him that focusing on the character and performance is not always easy, but that learning to block out distractions is a skill needed both on stage and off. The miracle of that moment was that the excuses stopped and the young man said, “Thank you. I know.” Then he went on to work with more dedication and implemented the life lesson.
Watching a show at the Wilson Children’s Theatre is a lot of fun. The lobby is sparkling thanks to the dedication of student and parent volunteers. The sets are amazing in their detail and imaginative design. The costumes dazzle, well constructed. The seats are comfortable and the stage fully visible with no obstructions. The children are a delight with bright faces that glow with joy and the pleasure of performance. There is never a worry that material inappropriate for even the youngest child will be presented, and yet there are life lessons and real emotion to be felt as the play rushes to its climax.
However, the real miracles at ARIEL Theatrical take place in quiet moments when a costume is torn or when someone makes an innocent mistake or misses a stage cue. In those moments one can almost hear the words jumping from the written paragraph contained in the Code of Conduct, “I can do this (respect others) by conducting myself with courtesy and self-discipline. If a conflict should arise, I will try to be part of the solution rather than the problem.” In every crisis there are peers and volunteers solving problems with great attention and affection.
ARIEL Theatrical was created to be a “haven” where the highest standards of honor, integrity, morality and consideration of others may integrate with self-discipline and industry in order to prepare young people for a principled and productive life. At every turn, the miracle of that “haven” is in evidence. There is an atmosphere created and preserved throughout an ARIEL experience that reflects these ideals and principles.
The summer season is under way with several hundred students signed up to participate in workshops, recitals, and full musical productions. Although on vacation from school, these folks will be working hard to support each other in performance related life experiences. You have the opportunity to see miracles in progress. Don’t miss performances of PETER PAN July 30 through August 7. And put JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT on your calendar for August 20 through 28. Take part in the miracles that take place in your community. They will create a warm spot in your heart and fill you with joy.
All over the country schools are in their final push to ensure students have met standards and learned important life lessons. The summer season will soon be upon us! At ARIEL Theatrical Miss Nelson, Principal Blandsworth, Viola Swamp and the kids of Room 309 are pushing forward to learn their own life lessons. Tonight at 7:00 and tomorrow at 2:00 and at 7:00 the colorful and comic characters of MISS NELSON HAS A FIELD DAY will demonstrate that hard work, practice and dedication can make a world of difference!
One of ARIEL’s guiding principles is “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” As part of the Miss Nelson Experience and with the support of Mbaykids, students in Monterey County were invited to nominate their teachers for an “Important to Be Nice” Award. From the many teachers nominated Jacqueline Bartlett, 6th Grade Teacher at Buena Vista Middle School (nominated by Mariah O’Grady) and Sharon Nelson, Counselor at Laurel Wood Elementary School (nominated by Evan Liddle) were selected and honored on May 1 and May 8. Lisa Parker, 3rd Grade Teacher at Toro Park Elementary School (nominated by Hailey Sjoblom & Cole Burk) will be honored during the evening performance on May 15. The “Important to Be Nice” award includes a gift basket provided by The Chocolate Dipper and a commemorative plaque.
While many young people are dreaming of beaches and theme parks, 250 eager participants will be preparing for a summer of concentrated effort and growth at the Wilson Children’s Theatre. They will be picking up scripts, paint brushes, dancing shoes, and colorful costumes in order to assist behind the scenes or perform for audiences as part of the workshops and conservatory programs at ARIEL Theatrical.
Meanwhile the Spring Conservatory production of JACK AND THE BEANSTALK is coming in a new and exciting way! After an overwhelming response of children hoping to participate, ARIEL staff began brainstorming ideas that would enable as many of these enthusiastic youngsters to be part of the production as possible. Carefully examining the existing program commitments, the possibility of offering two distinct productions of this exciting and lively fairytale musical came up as a delightful solution.
As a result, the Fairy Tale cast of JACK AND THE BEANSTALK began rehearsals on April 26 and will continue through their performance dates of June 4 and June 5. The Story Time cast began rehearsals a week later and will continue rehearsing through their performance dates of June 11 and June 12. Participants will share sets, director, and production values; but each cast will have its own distinctive costumes, parent volunteers, and character interpretations. By sharing the logistical resources available ARIEL Theatrical will be able to provide this learning opportunity to over seventy performers where once our program was limited to thirty-five!
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK is a new ARIEL production and part of the “show in a box” program that allows us to conserve our resources and maximize their potential. As new productions are included in the performance catalog of shows, meticulous notes are created for future reference. Costume choices are noted and put away for the future. Sets are constructed that store easily and can be reassembled when the show is brought “out of the box” to support a new cast of children.
A rotating catalog of shows that promote thoughtful consideration of values and encourages commitment to community participation is the foundation of ARIEL’s mission. The organization is committed “to use the art and discipline of theatre to help young people develop the skills and confidence they need to positively direct their own lives.”
Summer programs are filling quickly, but still taking reservations. One-week summer workshops with unique experiences in drama, dance and music begin June 14. A production of the musical PETER PAN in a three-week conservatory setting commences July 12. And the exciting Andrew Lloyd Weber Musical, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT with a large cast and chorus is in pre-production mode and accepting registration. To reserve a place for your child or to volunteer call the Wilson Children’s Theatre at 831-775-0976.
