Shout Out to Maplewood Elementary Students: Join the Summer Pageant Parade!

Know a Maplewood Elementary student or parent? Please share this special message with them…

Maplewood Elementary students from 2nd – 6th grades are invited to register for Theatre Action Project’s Summer Pageant Parade. The following classes are FREE, but we are limited to 20 students.

Classes will run from Monday, June 11 and end Friday, June 22 with a performance and pageant parade at Republic Square Park at the Sustainable Food Center’s Downtown Farmer’s Market on Saturday, June 23. The free family event will be followed by fun watermelon-eating and seed-spitting contests hosted by the Farmer’s Market as part of the Watermelon Festival. These are just two of the activities that will follow the parade performance.

Maplewood, Wooten, Winn, Harris, Hart, Pickle, Widen, Barrington and Brown Elementary Schools will be involved in this parade with the theme of How Our Foods Grows. Students will be making their costumes and giant puppets for the grand parade.

Maplewood, Wooten, Winn, Harris, Hart, Pickle, Widen, Barrington and Brown Elementary schools will be involved in this parade with the theme of “How Our Foods Grows.” Students will be making their costumes and giant puppets for the grand parade.

The classes will be held in the Maplewood cafeteria and run from 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. We strongly ask that students be dropped off at 9 a.m. sharp and promptly picked up at 11:30 a.m. Students may bring a snack and a bottle of water each day. (NO CANDY/SODA PLEASE.)

This registration is on a first come, first served basis. Please email florinda@theatreactionproject.org with your student’s name & grade level, as well as parent name, cell, and work phone number to register. If you’d like more information about the camp, contact caroline@theatreactionproject.org.

For more fun photos from last year’s event, follow this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theatreactionproject/sets/72157626991641796/

You’re invited to the 5th Annual Summer Pageant in the Park

Theatre Action Project presents its 5th annual Summer Pageant in the Park celebrating How our Food Grows on Saturday, June 23rd at Republic Square Park. Students will gather at the Sustainable Food Center Farmers’ Market Downtown to march in a grand procession of the year’s seasons, bringing all their puppets together culminating in a visual and aural spectacle. The public is invited to join the parade. The FREE family event will be followed by fun watermelon-eating and seed-spitting contests hosted by the Farmer’s Market as part of the Watermelon Festival.

The Summer Pageant in the Park event is the culmination of work with students from nine Central Texas schools who are learning effects of the changing seasons on food harvest, native Texas farming, and the benefits of healthy eating. Participating elementary schools include Barrington, Brown, Harris, Hart, Maplewood, Pickle, Widen, Winn, and Wooten.

Caroline Reck, Programming Specialist with Theatre Action Project, shared her excitement about this year’s pageant. “Summer Pageant is an extraordinary opportunity for our community to connect to world traditions of puppetry and parade while celebrating healthy and sustainable eating habits. It is truly inspiring to see the quality and quantity of parade materials being created by students all over Austin coalesce into a harmonious spectacle of sight and sound right in the Downtown Farmer’s Market.”

Students will gather at 10 a.m. to march in the Grand Procession of the Seasons. The Downtown Farmer’s Market is located at Republic Square Park, 422 W. Guadalupe, Austin, TX 78701. The public is invited to join in the procession, celebrating food, farming and the four seasons. FREE! For more information, call Theatre Action Project: (512) 442-8773.

PS: For a look back at last year’s fun Summer Pageant procession, enjoy this video.

Spotlight on Teaching Artist Amy Carpenter and Mylinh Chau

by Tanisa Bernard, Social Networking Marketing Assistant Volunteer, Junior League of Austin

Holiday cheer was in the air on December 6 as I met with two of Theatre Action Project’s esteemed Teaching Artists in residence. Amy Carpenter is an artist who sees art in “everything.” She is a visual artist who also is involved in music and improv. Currently,  she works with TAP students at Maplewood Elementary two days a week and works with students in Bastrop one day a week. Maplewood third, fourth and fifth graders have written a play for TAP which they will perform on December 16, 2011 at 4 p.m. about vampire bunny dragons and a replicator machine! “It’s dark, but very funny. I am always amazed at the kids’ creativity.”

In Bastrop, Carpenter leads the children in general theater work and self portraits. In the spring, the children will be deeply involved in the Playground Project. The Playground Project involves 10 different schools whose children will paint designs on area playgrounds to encourage physical activity among youth in partnership with the University of Texas. Carpenter’s Wishes for TAP: “That we keep doing exactly what we’ve been doing, These kids are awesome.”

Mylinh Chau is enjoying her TAP experience as well. This is her first year as a TAP artist. Her specialty involves painting, drawing, and ceramics. Chau spends four days a week at Barrington Elementary where she mentors first and fourth graders. The first graders just completed a “wish cake.” Chau says, “They made kites and attached their various wishes to them. We videotaped their pure joy as they flew the kites.”

Chau led the fourth-graders in completing life-size self portraits of what they want to be when they grow up. The children had to accessorize them with various personal items and other things from their homes.

Chau’s wishes for TAP: “I hope to be a great example for these kids. I hope we can continue to improve the program and help someone in the process.”