KION 5/46 News visited ARIEL Theatrical for a feature on how ARIEL is navigating the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Elisha Machado, who is no stranger to musical theatre, did a fabulous job sharing our story with the community. If you missed it live on February 10, you can catch it HERE.
Thank you to KION 5/46, Elisha Machado, and all those (individuals, foundations, businesses) who have contributed in a variety of ways to keep us going through the pandemic. And we are grateful to all of the young people who have been pioneers in our Pandemic Proof Performance Preparation Programs, a.k.a. our virtual theatre programs. We think you are “ZOOMTASTIC!!”
One score, two decades, 240 months, 1040 weeks or 7,300 days…..however you look at it, 20 years on Main Street is quite an accomplishment. ARIEL has become part of the landscape of Oldtown Salinas and has impacted thousands of lives, both on stage and off, by remaining committed to helping young people learn to lead principle-centered lives. Even though programs have been compromised for nearly a year, ARIEL is doing everything possible to stay positive, look for new opportunities, and most importantly, maintain an attitude of gratitude.
In November and December we celebrated a couple of interesting “firsts” – the first ever totally online musical (Super Happy Awesome News) and the first radio drama broadcast (A Christmas Carol). Both productions were presented at no charge to the public – gifts from ARIEL. It was our hope that these shows would bring joy and inspiration during very challenging times.
Despite our current inability to throw a proper celebration, you can help us mark this 20 year milestone with a gift that recognizes the important role ARIEL has played in the community. Your $20 contribution will applaud our incredible history on Main Street in the Karen Wilson Children’s Theatre. If you are in a position to share more, your $40 donation will help build a bridge from our past to our future. Thank you for making the last 20 years – and the next 20 years – possible.
CALLING ALL SEWING ENTHUSIASTS, CRAFTERS AND FABRIC FANATICS!
ARIEL Theatrical has THOUSANDS of yards of overstock fabric to share with the community! Bring your own bags and “shop” in our theatre! COVID-19 safety regulations will be observed at all times.
Take a little or a lot…..share if you can.
Donations are encouraged and gratefully accepted. Every donation makes a difference as we overcome the many challenges caused by COVID-19.
Call 831.775.0976 to make an appointment to find fabric for your next project! And we’d love to see the beautiful things you create! Send photos to ariel@arieltheatrical.org.
And…..don’t forget to tell a friend!
ARIEL Theatrical is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit – EIN#77-0237961
VIRTUAL PLAYHOUSE AND ZOOMTASTIC HAVE REACHED CAPACITY – WAITING LIST ONLY FOR NEW REGISTRATIONS.
Get ready! 2021 is here and the ARIEL Theatrical Virtual Playhouse production of Could You Hug A Cactus? begins on January 12! Based on the book, this laugh-out-loud musical follows a group of young people as they create their own original production. Robots, pillow forts, and ice cream-eating monsters are just the beginning! Rehearsals (for young people ages 10 & up) will be on Zoom Tuesdays through Thursdays from 6-7:30 pm beginning January 12 and running through March 4. The online performance will be captured digitally, edited and will be available to watch online with family and friends. This prickly production is possibly the most perfect way to point yourself in a positive direction! Space is limited so register early and start the new year with ARIEL!
In addition to Virtual Playhouse, we are also offering the following programs:
Theatre Fun with Kylee (ages 5-7) – Theatre fun and games with friends!
Zoomtastic 5 (ages 8-12) – It’s back and better than ever! We can’t wait to see what our cast will come up with!
If you haven’t seen it, this is your last chance!! An encore broadcast of A Christmas Carol Radio Drama will be streamed on Saturday, December 26, 2020 @ 7 pm PST.
Tickets are free but MUST be reserved by the deadline: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26 @ 12 NOON PST. LATE SUBMISSIONS MAY NOT RECEIVE PRIVATE YOUTUBE LINK.
And lastly, help ARIEL finish 2020 on a positive note. Donate through MC Gives! and your gift will be amplified by matching funds! Plus, there are no fees for online credit card donations and and contributions are tax deductible! Thank you in advance for sharing your light with ARIEL.
As a gift to the community we are delighted to present A Christmas Carol Radio Drama this December!
We will be streaming the production on the following dates/times. Submitting the ticket reservation form will grant access to all three broadcasts – THREE for the price of FREE!
Saturday, December 5 @ 7 pm PST
Saturday, December 12 @ 2 pm
Friday, December 18 @ 7 pm
Tickets to this production are free but must be reserved in advance to receive the private viewing link which will be emailed approximately 24 hours before showtime. You will receive a new link for each broadcast.
Performers and production staff observed all COVID-19 physical distancing protocol during filming. Only family members from the same household were together in the same recording “pod.”
Questions? Email us at ariel@arieltheatrical.org or call the theatre at 831-775-0976.
ARIEL Theatrical is thrilled to present…drumroll please….our first-ever-in-the-history-of-the-world virtual musical, Super Happy Awesome News! All rehearsals took place online through Zoom and cast members got creative with costumes, props and sets. Videos were filmed on location in or near their homes. The results are – well – super, happy and awesome!! There is no charge to watch the show and you can catch it anytime, online of course. And please, feel free to share Super Happy Awesome News with family and friends everywhere! The world could use some Super Happy Awesome News now more than ever! Here is the Youtube link:
MC Gives! is an annual fundraising campaign made possible by the Community Foundation for Monterey County and the Monterey County Weekly newspaper. Every dollar that is donated, up to $75,000, will be eligible for matching funds and there are no fees for credit card donations. ARIEL will receive every penny and then some! Look for ARIEL under the Education & Youth category. Visit our website at www.arieltheatrical.org for more information.
These last eight months have been, shall we say, less than optimal. However, we are determined to not let 2020, or COVID-19, or even murder hornets, get the best of us!
We are thrilled to be part of MC Gives!, a county-wide campaign that offers an easy and secure online donation experience, matching funds, and charges ZERO fees! This means that every penny donated to ARIEL will come straight to us, along with a bit extra in matching dollars! Look for ARIEL under the “Education & Youth” category. We are grateful to our Challenge Gift Donors who gave early and gave BIG to get us a running start:
ARIEL Theatrical Board of Trustees
Anderson Family
Kamani Designs & the Harty Family
Mindy & Rick Keppeler
Topher Fischer
Your support will launch us into the future with a little extra “umph” when we need it the most. Until things are “back to normal” we will keep our online workshops fun and engaging, make some outdoor theatre classes happen, and even try our hand at streaming performances and other original content, all while reinforcing the principles of Accountability, Respect, Integrity, Excellence and Leadership. In other words, we are on a mission to deliver our mission to young people everywhere.
Remember, it’s always darkest before the dawn. With your help, we can all watch the sun rise together.
If you are in a position to share, we will be honored to have your support. We send our best wishes for health and happiness to all, near and far.
We are headed into the eighth month of the COVID-19 pandemic. What does your world look like? Hopefully you have experienced at least a few silver linings – more time with family, more time to slow down and show gratitude, more time to organize and plan, and more time to enjoy the beauty of nature. However, with the shelter-in-place orders and other restrictions that limit travel and social/recreational events, it’s inevitable that many of us are now seeing much of the world in a very two-dimensional way. With computers, tablets, phones, and TV at our fingertips, screen time is up, WAY up, for most people. Distance learning, working from home and learning to “Zoom” are realities that we are learning to live with, for now.
Online theatre at ARIEL was not a “thing” before March 2020. Well, it has definitely become a “thing” that inspires creativity, encourages interaction, and is just plain fun! One parent wrote, “We miss you. We miss how things were. Yet, to see how you pivot, recreate and renew your program to meet the needs of your community is a beautiful thing.” It hasn’t been an easy road, but with support from our amazing community and a bit of inspiration, we’ll make it to the light at the end of the tunnel.
While we wait for a return to normal, ARIEL will be here, and we’ll be busy!
Stay tuned for:
A Christmas Carol Radio Drama – Since we can’t present the musical this year, we are going old school with a 1940’s radio show play – our holiday gift to the community! Dates for this free virtual event will be announced in the coming weeks.
Super Happy Awesome News – We could all use some good news, and the young performers from ARIEL Theatrical will be making news with this super, happy, awesome, online production!
Online Workshops and more… – If your child is interested in musical theatre games (Musical Theatre Fun with Kylee), creating and performing a one-of-a-kind online show (Zoomtastic), or even participating in an outdoor theatre day camp (The Play’s the Thing), details for our next sessions will be coming soon!
One more piece of exciting news – ARIEL was selected to participate in MC Gives!, a unique partnership between the Community Foundation for Monterey County and the Monterey County Weekly newspaper. This annual fundraising campaign encourages giving with a matching fund, real-time donation updates, and no fees of any kind, including credit card processing or other administrative costs. Plus, every donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. MC Gives! officially launches on November 12 and runs through December 31, 2020. Giving instructions and links for online donations will be live on the ARIEL website next month.
2020 has been unforgettable to say the least. With your support, ARIEL will sail on into the future and will be ready to face 2021 with resilience, resolve and remarkable commitment.
THE ARIEL PANDEMIC-PROOF PERFORMANCE PREPARATION PROGRAM (also known as ARIEL Online Workshops) is our response to COVID-19.
Don’t let a pandemic keep your child from sharpening their stage skills! All workshops will utilize the Zoom Online Meeting platform and will keep young people connected to ARIEL and each other. Enrollment is limited so early registration is recommended. See you on Zoom!
Mondays & Wednesdays, August 31-September 23, 3:30-4:15 pm, PST (no workshop on Labor Day, September 7)
Sing, dance and play with friends and ARIEL’s Beginning Show director, Kylee Sullivan!
Dance Time with Diane! – $89
Tuesdays & Thursdays, September 1-24, 3:30-4:15 pm, PST
Join ARIEL’s resident choreographer and beloved dance teacher, Diane Chatwin, for a workshop that will get kids moving from head to toe! Get up and get moving with Diane!
AGES 8-12
Zoomtastic 2: The ARIEL Online Theatre Extravaganza – $99
Mondays & Wednesdays, August 31-September 23, 5:45-6:45 pm, PST (no workshop on Labor Day, September 7)
Zoomtastic is back! Participants will join forces to create a one-of-kind story and bring it to life on screen. Beginning Show Director Kylee Sullivan will lead the way on this virtual adventure. Will Zoomtastic 2 be as awesome as the original? Join us and find out!
AGES 13-18
ACTING: From the Ground Up – $99
Mondays & Wednesdays, August 31-September 23, 7:00-8:00 pm, PST (no workshop on Labor Day, September 7)
Discover how to “portray a convincing life” on stage in a way that profoundly affects the telling of a story and audience experience. Workshop will be led by ARIEL Theatrical Founder and Artistic Director, Gail Higginbotham.
