News
All Children’s Theatre to Perform at PPAC Selected as part of the Bank of America Arts Showcase Series
PROVIDENCE, RI September 24, 2009 – All Children’s Theatre (ACT) has been selected to perform its play, “End of the World Café: A Play of Global Warming”, in the Bank of America Arts Showcase taking place at the prestigious Providence Performing Arts Center. An ACT original piece, “End of the World Café” uses humor, statistics, poems, and song to address the effects of global warming on Rhode Island and the world. The play performs on December 3, 2009 at 9:30 am, sponsored by the Bank of America Arts Series.
Originally written in 1990 by ACT alumni, the piece was adapted and revised by ACT’s founder Wrenn Goodrum, to reflect the current environmental situation both globally and locally to Rhode Island. Notably, “End of the World Café” was mentioned in TIME Magazine’s global list of things to do on Earth Day when the piece was first produced. Current Ensemble members aged 8-18 will perform the play.
“As today’s youth are the key to our world thriving, ‘End of the World Café’ is important since it is written and performed by youth specifically for young people, allowing the viewer to think about their role in protecting our planet,” says director Heather Kiely. “This play takes a serious topic and presents it in a fun and witty manner that everyone can relate to.”
The play is set in Providence, and involves the sleuthing efforts of a detective, Righty Ignorance, hired by Mother Earth to discover who is trying to kill her via global warming. As the detective interviews a variety of colorful characters, all clues lead to a place called the End of the World Café: a place to party, consume and participate in “Use the Earth for All Its Worth”, a chance to win big at the expense of the environment. The play is an informative, yet entertaining means to start a dialogue with the audience on the state of the environment and what we can do to save it.
All Children's Theatre is an award winning non-profit youth theatre for children 4 - 18 celebrating its 22nd season of providing quality theatre education and entertainment. ACT is committed to a theatre arts environment that promotes empowerment of all children by offering a 'total theatre experience' with educational classes for youth ages 4 - 18, an award-winning ACTing Ensemble for youth ages 7 - 18 and a Summer Theatre Academy for youth ages 4 -18. For more information, please call (401) 728-1222 or visit www.actinri.org.
# # #Fundraiser for the All Children’s Theatre Proves to be Eminent Success
CRANSTON, RI – June 27, 2009 - Honorary Chairperson Mayor David Cicilline and All Children’s Theatre hosted a fundraiser and going away gala for the theatre’s founder, Wrenn Goodrum, as she leaves for new projects after 21 years. The fundraiser was held at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston and saw over 125 attendees, including over 25 ACT Alumni, and raised over $17,000 to support arts education programs.In the 21 years as ACT’s Artistic Director, this was surely a monumental evening for Dr. Wrenn Goodrum as she was honored for her service, time, and dedication in helping not only pioneer a valuable addition to the community but helping it thrive and blossom into the institution that it is today. To recognize Goodrum’s contributions, Honorary Chairperson Mayor David Cicilline presented a key to the City of Providence and Herb Weiss, Arts & Culture Director representing the City of Pawtucket presented a citation recognizing her work as well as a specially designed Pawtucket Arts Festival poster signed by the artist.
Evening activities included a silent auction with donations from many local retailers, dinner, dancing, and a performance of one of Goodrum’s favorites, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” by seventeen alumni and adapted by singer/songwriter Wensday Greenbaum. Also included was a specially written song by Greenbaum modeled after ACT’s tagline, “Changing lives, one stage at a time.” The evening was also a chance to introduce the incoming Artistic and Executive Director, Heather Kiely. Ms. Kiely spoke of her plans for All Children's Theatre and her commitment to the mission of providing theatre arts and education to all children and the community.