Cre8ion to Bring West Coast Premiere of FLUFF to Segerstrom Center, 4/5-6

Fluff, a tale of lost toys, makes its West Coast premiere April 5 & 6 in Samueli Theater as part of Segerstrom Center's Family Series.

Devised and performed by Christine Johnston, Lisa O'Neil and Peter Nelson, Fluff is the unique and humorous story of the Gingham family and how they demonstrate their great concern and compassion for lost and discarded hand-made toys by traveling the globe to find them and welcome them into their colorful home. Each toy is introduced individually, and a short film is shown about how they came to be lost. Soon they are given a voice, a special movement, a piece of music, a nightlight and, of course, a nice comfy bed. Fluff is acclaimed for its originality, warmth, clever use of comedy and extraordinary combination of song, movement, new technology and audience participation. The Advertiser wrote, "One of the most imaginative shows for the young you will find. Highly sophisticated and great fun... the children - and the adults - loved it!"

There will be free pre-show play activities beginning one hour before each performance. The Center's Education and Community Programs Department offers these activities to provide young people and their families more opportunities to play creatively together. Studies show creative play is critical in helping children develop their ability to think and problem solve.

Cre8ion is a dynamic and energetic company specializing in producing and touring theatrical shows and events of scale in Australia and internationally. Theresa Famularo and Will Sheehan are the founding directors of the company and have a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion for creating, producing and bringing together innovative and vibrant teams to develop a diverse range of unique productions.

Fluff is recommended for children ages 4 - 8. Tickets are $20 and are now available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. The performance on Sunday, April 6 at 1 p.m. will be sign-language interpreted.

Segerstrom Center's Education Programs: Segerstrom Center's Education and Community Programs Department offers a variety of programs to students from elementary school through the university level, teachers, arts administrators and individuals who simply want to broaden their own experiences but not in a structure that is strictly academic. These programs achieve two especially important objectives. First, they develop the audiences of the future. Second, they integrate the arts into the standard curriculum and enhance learning, creative thinking, cognitive and social skills. The Education and Community Programs Department works hand-in-hand with a number of boards of education, providing support and assistance to ensure the success and effectiveness of the Center's programs.

The popular Family Series engages, enchants and inspires youngsters with the magic of live performance. International Artists combine music, dance and theater that can be enjoyed by the entire family, creating experiences that instill an appreciation for the arts and create lifelong memories. For more information about the Center's education programs, visit SCFTA.org/education.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is unique as both an acclaimed arts institution and as a multi- disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs.

Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization and owns and operates the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall and intimate 250-seat Founders Hall, which opened in 1986, and the 2,000-seat Rene?e and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which opened in 2006 and also houses the 500-seat Samueli Theater, the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center's studio performance space and Boeing Education Lab. A spacious arts plaza anchors Segerstrom Center for Arts and is home to numerous free performances throughout the year as part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts' ongoing Free for All series.

The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family- friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events. The Center's arts-in-education programs are designed to inspire young people through the arts and reach hundreds of thousands of students each year.

In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independent acclaimed organizations: Tony® Award-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.