KINDUR: THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF ICELANDIC SHEEP to Open COCA's 2014-15 Season, 10/4-5

COCA opens its COCA Presents 2014-2015 season with Compagnia TPO's Kindur: The Adventurous Life of Icelandic Sheep, October 4-5, 2014, in COCA's Founders' Theatre. The series is known for its wide range of theatrical experiences, many produced by award-winning international performing companies.

This interactive, multimedia show for children and families comes from Compagnia TPO of Prato, Italy-- one of the world's most acclaimed theatre companies. During the performance, children have the opportunity to participate by going on stage and, through touch, bringing to life a setting of glaciers, volcanoes and flower-filled meadows. They'll meet trolls and elves in a fairytale setting, hear the rumblings of a gigantic waterfall and run inside a blazing volcano. During the play, performers guide children on a theatrical journey that features interactive visual landscapes enhanced by Compagnia TPO's clever use of sensors and digital technologies.

The 60-minute performance is recommended for ages 4 and up.

COCA Presents 2014-2015: Compagnia TPO's Kindur: The Adventurous Life of Icelandic Sheep, directed by Francesco Gandi and Davide Venturini, in a co-production with Teatro Metastasio Stabile della Toscana. Presented in association with ArKtype and Crying Out Loud UK at the Founders' Theatre at COCA, 524 Trinity Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63130 on Saturday, October 4, at 2:00pm and 5:00pm Sunday, October 5, at 1:00pm and 4:00pm. Tickets: $14-$18. 4- and 8-show subscription packages are available as well.

Susanna Hamnett in Nearly Lear (November 8, 2014); Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia's Stella, Queen of the Snow (November 22-23, 2014); COCA's Ballet Eclectica's The Little Dancer: Celebrate St. Louis (December 12-14, 2014); COCAdance and the COCA Hip-Hop Crew's Perpetual Motion (January 10-11, 2015); COCAdance's Continuing the Legacy (February 6-7, 2015); 24th Street Theatre's Walking the Tightrope (February 21-22, 2015); COCA Theatre Company's The Little Prince (March 6-14, 2015)

ABOUT THE SHOW: In Icelandic, "kindur" means "sheep," and this show is dedicated to Iceland as seen through the eyes of its adventurous sheep. All the territory of this island is pervaded by a fairytale-like atmosphere. From the white of its glaciers to the northern lights, from geysers to the rumble of gigantic waterfalls, this is a country where every natural element seems animated by mysterious forces. Locked inside a pen for the cold season, the sheep taste full freedom travelling by themselves or in small groups from spring to autumn. On their journey, the sheep protagonists show us a secret world, strong and fragile at the same time, capable of communicating the extraordinary beauty of nature to children.

ABOUT COCA PRESENTS: COCA Presents is COCA's performance series featuring the quality family theatre for which COCA has been known for more than 20 years. Comprised of shows created and produced by COCA, as well as the best touring productions from around the world, the COCA Presents performance series offers bold, cross-disciplinary performances. COCA Presents 2014-2015 is presented by Wells Fargo Advisors, with additional support provided by Mary Strauss, Missouri Arts Council, The Cheshire, St. Louis Public Radio, Arts and Education Council and Regional Arts Council.

ABOUT THE COMPANY: Compagnia TPO is based in Prato, Italy, at Teatro Fabbrichino and works as a company in residence at Teatro Metastasio Stabile della Toscana. The company's directors are Davide Venturini and Francesco Gandi, and they work together with Elsa Mersi (digital design), Spartaco Cortesi (sound design), Rossano Monti and Martin Von Gunten (engineering) with their distinctive visual and sound contributions.

Through the use of interactive technologies, every show is transformed into a sensitive environment where the thin border between art and play can be experienced. Dancers, performers and the audience members interact with each other, exploring new expressive forms that go beyond language and cultural barriers. Compagnia TPO's shows are renowned for visual sceneries which transform into interactive theatrical spaces through the use of sensors and digital technologies, making these shows accessible to a vast international audience.

COCA-Center of Creative Arts is a non-profit community arts center with a mission to enrich lives and build community through the arts. COCA connects our community to the arts through programs that emphasize social and artistic diversity, economic and cultural accessibility, hands-on experience of the artistic process, and the highest quality in our faculty. Founded in 1986, COCA is a national leader in innovative community arts education. COCA annually serves more than 50,000 area residents of all ages through multidisciplinary, multi-cultural arts programs that include educational classes, camps and workshops, both on-site and in community venues; COCAbiz; COCAedu; COCA Presents; and exhibitions of contemporary art in the Millstone Gallery.