BACT Receives National Endowment for the Arts Grant

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has selected the Bay Area Children's Theatre as one of 919 organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant.

The NEA has recommended that BACT receive a grant of $10,000 to help develop and produce an original musical inspired by stories created by children with special needs.

“We are thrilled to have been honored with this NEA grant, which recognizes our commitment to creating new work and to representing the stories of all children on our stages,” said BACT Executive Director Nina Meehan.

Playwright and composer Min Kahng

BACT will work with playwright and composer Min Kahng to create the new musical.  Kahng most recently wrote and composed BACT’s award-winning musical adaptation of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. 

The creation process will begin with a series of workshops in partnership with schools and organizations that serve children with special needs. BACT will lead dramatic workshops with the children to help them find and express their creative voice and storytelling skills.  Kahng will use selected stories from the children as inspiration for a musical, which will be performed by professional actors during BACT’s 2016-2017 season. 

“It has been a dream of mine to offer sensory-friendly performances to children with special needs,” Meehan said.  “This NEA grant helps us take that dream even further, by representing the voices of children with special needs on our stages.  We will be working hard in the months ahead to secure the additional funding required to bring this exciting project to fruition.”

Announcing the NEA grants, NEA Chairman Jane Chu said, “I’m pleased to be able to share the news of our support through Art Works, including the award to the Bay Area Children’s Theatre. The arts foster value, connection, creativity and innovation for the American people, and these recommended grants demonstrate those attributes and affirm that the arts are part of our everyday lives.” 

Art Works grants support the creation of art, public engagement with art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancement of the livability of communities through the arts.  The NEA received 1,474 eligible applications under the Art Works category, requesting more than $75 million in funding. Of those applications, 919 are recommended for grants, for a total of $26.6 million.

Becca's Notes: Learning through Live Theatre

The cast of James and the Giant Peach

During a particularly lively number at James and the Giant Peach, I took my son’s hand to move it in time with the music.  “Mommy,” he objected, “I’m watching!” 

Eli is four. I was thrilled that he was so engaged in the performance! If, at the age of four, he can devote such attention to the action onstage, I chuckled to myself, we were in good shape for the college lectures he would have down the road.

Going to the theatre is not only great entertainment for our kids, it is a learning experience on many different levels.  At the Bay Area Children’s Theatre, it’s an opportunity to see a favorite story come alive onstage or to be introduced to a story that a child will enjoy reading later on.  It’s the chance to share and discuss an artistic experience with family members, and the discipline of watching, wondering, absorbing, analyzing, and then responding—as life often demands.

As BACT’s education director, I focus on the experiences children have as participants in making theatre, but I’m equally delighted when I see youngsters become involved with live theatre as audience members.  Both artistic experiences are enriching, and both are invaluable preparation for the future.

See you at the theatre!
Becca

---

Becca Posamentier is a founding company member of Bay Area Children's Theatre and currently serves as the Director of BACT's Education Program.

BACT Blogger Julietta Meets Actor Betsy Picart

Julietta writes her first blog for BACT! She recently watched our production of James and the Giant Peach in Berkeley, and met and interviewed actor Betsy Picart. Julietta is a Bay Area native.  She enjoys art, crafting, theater, nature, and outdoors. In 8 years of soaking up creative talents, she has found many outlets for her creative energy. Activities such as Rainbow Loom, 4-H classes, Lego building and cartwheels take up most of her time.

---

The James and the giant peach is one of my favorite plays ive seen. I read the book and the play is so much like it. The costumes make them look so much like their character, and when you see the play, it'll feel like the book has come to life! They use puppets, images, and other props to make you feel more like your in the book. It was really cool how they used imagery to make the peach grow into a giant peach. I also liked it when they put fake seagulls on stands and put them on the peach for the part when the peach flies. My favorite part was when the peach went rolling into the water. At the start of the play the actors who played the bugs held puppets when they were tiny bugs, and dressed up as the bugs at the part when they were bigger. The peach even rolled over a famous chocolate factory, but thats another story.

When the play was over, Betsy, who played the ladybug, showed me around the backstage area. Her performing was amazing and she was really good at being a ladybug for the play.  Backstage I saw an alley from one entrance of the stage to another and there was two dressing rooms. The boys dressing room was further away from the stage then the girls. There was also another room called the green room. Inside there was a piano and a couch. I sat down and did an interview.

Actor Betsy Picart as Ladybug

I asked what her history in theatre is, and she has done theatre since she was 13 and is a teacher.  Betsy has been in educational theatre for 6 years.

She likes some insects and if she could be one she would be a ladybug with 12 spots.If she could be inside any giant fruit she would be in a Blueberry.

Her favorite part of performing onstage for this play is the "plump and juicy" song.

Betsy's favorite Roald Dahl Book is The BFG. We donated to the theatre and its great to support them, since their plays are always amazing.

From seeing BACT plays i really want to start acting so im thinking about doing the childrens program.

I really look forward to seeing the next BACT play.

Special Rehearsal Pulls Out All the Stops

By Vivian Auslander

Our James team with composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

At the beginning of James and the Giant Peach—BACT’s ebullient holiday musical—the mysterious narrator, Ladahlord, invites the audience to “Come with me to see something strange unfold. Hear the weirdest tale that was ever told.”

I got a peek into how our BACT artists were creating this tale at a rehearsal where the cast had the rare chance to work with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the Tony Award-nominated songwriters who wrote the music for the show. That’s like having a young Rodgers and Hammerstein walk in the door to give a master class!

Based on the story by Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach recounts how James, who is orphaned when his parents are eaten by an angry rhino, escapes from his mean aunts with a bevy of charming if wacky insects inside an enormous, enchanted peach.

The cast had met three times to prepare a few of the songs from the show before Benj and Justin flew in from New York. Everyone was nervous but very eager to hear the composers’ thoughts.

When I arrived at the studio, Benj and Justin were watching the antics of Michelle Navarrete and Caroline Schneider, who play Spiker and Sponge, James’s awful (but funny) aunts. Justin moved to the keyboard to accompany the song the aunts sing when they discover that James is about to become their “property.”  As his fingers flew and his foot pounded out the beat, the air began to pulse with a passionate energy that became the hallmark of the evening.

For each song the cast had prepared, Benj and Justin explained what ideas and emotions they wanted to convey with the music and the lyrics, and then focused in like laser beams as the actors sang.

“Use a hushed intensity,” Justin suggested to Sean Fenton, as Sean tackled Lahdahlord’s opening song.

For Derek Collard, who plays Green Grasshopper, Justin jumped up to demonstrate how to use the rhythms of the tune, “Floating Along,” to give his friends courage as the Giant Peach takes them out to sea.

Introducing the tender melody the insects sing to comfort James, Justin asked Betsy Picart (Ladybug) and Derek to treat the song as a quiet conversation. To help everyone understand the poignancy of having such a conversation with a little boy, Director Nina Meehan stood up, put her arm around 7-year-old Grady Walsh, and led him to the center of the floor, where they sat down together.  We all held our breath as Betsy and Derek sang to Grady.  (Grady’s mom is Dialect Coach Heather Robison.)

Benj Pasek (far left) and Justin Paul (far right) observe as Nina Meehan and 7-year-old Grady enjoy the song of Ladybug (Picart) and Grasshopper (Collard).

At the break, I asked Michelle how it felt to be working directly with the show’s creators. “It’s an amazing experience,” she said. “I feel so lucky. You can develop the layers in your character so much more with this coaching.”

Music Director Kevin Roland added, “Their music is phenomenal.  It pays homage to the great musical theatre teams that have come before them, yet it blends styles and rhythms—everything from Caribbean to American standards--in a way that is fresh and unique. Their versatility tells the story brilliantly and keeps you interested throughout the show.”

For three hours, the cast sent harmonies soaring, while Benj and Justin pulled out all the stops, pouring their hearts into helping BACT prepare their show. Then, suddenly, the musical fireworks were over. It was time for hugs all around, and good-byes.

Nina ushered the songwriters off to catch their flights home, then turned to the cast members, beaming.  “You rocked it!” she shouted.  “Those two guys brought such a level of energy to this room! Justin was stomping the floor so hard I was sure there’d be a hole!  Now what we have to do is trust their words, trust their rhythms, and bring that energy to the show!”

And, when you see the show, I think you’ll agree that they have!

---

Vivian Auslander is a BACT Board Member.

Nina's Notes: Thoughts on the Theatre Bay Area Awards

What’s in an award?

Confirmation of a job well done, and hope for future excellence.

L to R: Christina Larson (Stage Manager), Will Dao (Actor),
Mina Morita (Director), Min Kahng (Writer/Composer),
Yusuke Soi (Props Artisan), Nina Meehan (Executive Director)

Monday’s gala award ceremony sponsored by Theatre Bay Area (TBA)—the largest regional theatre service organization in North America—accomplished that and much more for the San Francisco Bay Area’s vast community of theatre-makers, and, in so doing, energized everyone in the community to work even harder to entertain and engage the thousands of theatre-goers who come through our doors each season to see and discuss the fruits of our efforts.

When we think about the Bay Area, we easily think about our sports teams, but not everyone knows that the Bay Area is the third largest theatre center in the country, with more than 400 companies in nine counties, according to TBA.

So an awards ceremony akin to those in other theatre towns, like New York and Chicago, highlighting “the outstanding quality of theatre-making in our region,” is a dream come true—a way to call attention to an innovative industry that makes the Bay Area a cultural oasis for all to enjoy.

I was thrilled to attend the ceremony with other members of the BACT family. We were finalists for ten awards in our theatre category (Tier II, based on our budget and not having any union contracts) for our original musical adaptation of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, and we were excited to learn what the judges had decided.

I couldn’t be more proud that Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was a winner in three categories:

• Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Mina Morita
• Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: Sean Fenton (aka Old Man of the Moon)
• Outstanding Performance by the Acting Ensemble of a Musical 

In addition, we were honored to be finalists for:

• Overall Production of a Musical
• Lead Actor: Will Dao
• Music Direction: Tania Johnson
• Costume Design: Maggi Yule
• Scenic Design: Martin Flynn
• Lighting Design: Sean McStravick
• Sound Design: Colin Trevor 

Members of our BACT Family at the Awards After Party!

It was a glorious night for BACT!  And a night of promise for the entire theatre community. My thanks and congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to create Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and to our friends and sponsors who make it possible for us to introduce new work.

---

Nina Meehan is the Executive Director of Bay Area Children's Theatre.

Genevieve Blogs: Ivy + Bean as a Book AND a Musical

BACT Blogger Genevieve is back! This time, she considers the differences between a book and a stage version of Ivy + Bean. Genevieve is 11 years old and in sixth grade at Kensington Hilltop School. She loves theater and has been going to productions since she was three years old. Genevieve enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and playing piano. She lives in Kensington with her parents and two younger siblings. Genevieve just played Hamlet in her school play. She thinks BACT is awesome and everybody who works there really inspires her!

---

Ivy + Bean as a Book AND a Musical

Bay Area Children’s Theatre’s (BACT) latest production, Ivy + Bean, was so fun, friendly, and cheerful! I noticed that it stayed very true to the books. There are many Ivy + Bean stories and this play combined several of them into one great musical. The cheerful characters, the exciting adventures, and the amazing friendships were all shown in this production.

     I think that adapting a musical out of a book must be really difficult. First of all, you have to take all of the books and kind of mash them together. I imagine the writers would have to read all of the Ivy + Bean stories and really get to know the characters, their relationships, and adventures in order to decide which stories would best capture the ideas in the books. It is probably important to choose scenes that many children will recognize and enjoy. This would be challenging because it is necessary to make sure everything fits together and that the biggest details are included.
     Another difficulty of turning a book into a musical is the songs. The book doesn’t have songs, of course, so the creators must make up their own music and find a way to fit it into the production. They also must choose a style of songs that match the mood of the play. For example, Ivy + Bean is really cheerful, so the songs must be very upbeat and fun. Even if the songs are mostly the same moods, they need to stand out and be different from one another. I think that making up the songs in a musical seems like a very challenging, yet rewarding, job.

Actor Katie McGee as Nancy using amazing facial expression

     There are important things in plays that you can’t do in books. For example, showing facial expressions is a great way for an actor to express how her character feels. In a book, you have to use your imagination, which is fun, but very different. I enjoy the ability to see how the characters look and sound. The Ivy + Bean creators did a great job with the costumes and the child-like behaviors; everyone seemed exactly like how I pictured them while reading the books!
     The scenery also was the same style of art as is in the Ivy + Bean books. The props, such as large worms in buckets, and Bean’s colorful backyard fence, really brought the scenes to life. The actors’ casual and colorful outfits were playful and showed the personalities of each character very well.

     Obviously, every scene from the books cannot be included in the musical. Not all of the characters can be developed either. An important part of the Ivy + Bean books that was not included in this play was the importance of having all kinds of friends. This is a theme that runs through the books, but was only represented on stage by having a variety of kids. It would be hard to have added more dialogue or songs about the minor characters.
     These are ways that live productions are entertaining and even though reading is my very favorite thing, I enjoy seeing a good book brought to life on stage. Sometimes, seeing a book played out on stage makes me realize something new about the book or sparks my imagination in another way. I think that by choosing productions based on popular books, BACT is able to attract new audiences to the theater. 

     I was really happy that BACT chose to do Ivy + Bean again. The books are so friendly and fun and so is the play! I think everybody did a great job keeping the production close to the book, but still keeping the play different and exciting. Thanks to all the actors and the creative team for such a great play!

Meet Julietta - Our Newest BACT Blogger!

We are excited to introduce you to Julietta, who is joining our BACT Blogging cohort!

Julietta is a Bay Area native.  She enjoys art, crafting, theater, nature, and outdoors. In 8 years of soaking up creative talents, she has found many outlets for her creative energy. Activities such as Rainbow Loom, 4-H classes, Lego building and cartwheels take up most of her time.

Each year, BACT Bloggers conduct exclusive interviews with performers, designers and other creative types behind our Main Stage shows. Look for Julietta's first blog post some time in November/December during our production of James & the Giant Peach!

Glad to have you as part of the blogging team, Julietta!