FARFALLE & CENICIENTA Come to Segerstrom Center For The Arts as Part of the Family Series

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is thrilled to present two performances as part of its upcoming Family Series. Every year, the Center brings the best of professional youth performances to Orange County through the Family Series. As part of this subscription series, artists from around the world perform shows that are produced specifically for children ages 4 and up and their families. Performances also include free, fun activities for family to enjoy playing creatively together before the shows.

Farfalle, Italian for "butterflies," is an interactive visual feast that follows the exciting journey of a caterpillar as it morphs into a beautiful butterfly. Through Compagnia TPO's innovative use of dance, video, music and interactive technologies, audiences of all ages will be taken on a magical adventure that allows them to not only witness the metamorphosis of the butterfly, but to also participate in a variety of ways. From composing songs and lullabies with their feet, to chasing caterpillars, to painting the air, this performance blurs the lines between art and play, creating a brand-new experience that ignites all the senses. Each performance will include fun, free pre-show activities and a photo op starting one hour before each performance.

Compagnia TPO is a very popular and internationally renowned dance group for children who creates visual, emotional and immersive theatre. Space is the protagonist in TPO's shows with its images, colors and sounds. TPO shows are renowned for using big visual sceneries which transform into interactive theatrical spaces, thanks to the use of sensors and digital technologies. The audience itself interacts with each other exploring new expressive forms that go beyond language and cultural barriers. TPO is based in Prato (Italy) at Teatro Fabbrichino and works as a company in residence at Teatro Metastasio Stabile della Toscana.

Cenicienta is a modern, bilingual staged adaptation of Cinderella. The story follows 10-year-old Belinda who is locked in the family basement with instructions from her stepmother and stepsisters to prepare for the party upstairs. She uses her imagination to re-enact the story of Cinderella using objects around her: napkins, teapots, and doilies, to name just a few. In the process of acting out this story and connecting to her family history, she learns to stand up for herself and take charge of her life and dreams. Cenicienta is a heartwarming take on the classic fairytale that addresses culture, family, and the power of language. Each performance will include fun, free pre-show activities and a photo op starting one hour before each performance.

Glass Half Full Theatre has collaborated with performers from around the world to create original, multilingual works of theater for adults and for children, employing a range of physical theater and puppetry techniques. Since relocating to Austin, Texas in 2011, Glass Half Full Theatre has received multiple grants from the Jim Henson Foundation and the City of Austin to create new work, and received dozens of Austin theater award nominations, earning multiple Outstanding Original Script, Direction, Acting and Puppetry from the B. Iden Payne awards, and The David Mark Cohen New Play Award, Visionary Vivifier Award, and Sound Design and Acting Awards from The Austin Critic's Table.

The 10 a.m. Saturday May 14th performance of "Cenicienta" will be a sensory friendly/relaxed performance. To give everyone in our community the opportunity to experience the joy of attending a live performance, we now present a series of sensory-friendly/relaxed performances as part of our Family Series. These performances are designed specifically for audience members who will benefit from a more relaxed sensory experience and casual environment, including (but not limited to) patrons on the autism spectrum, patrons with sensory sensitivities or patrons with learning disabilities to enjoy with their families.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds its Family Series media sponsor, Parenting OC.

Tickets for "Farfalle" and "Cenicienta" at Segerstrom Center for the Arts are $20 and on sale now. They are available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. Group discounts for groups of 10 or more are available at (714) 755-0236. The Center offers many services for patrons with disabilities including removable wheelchair locations, binoculars and assistive listening devices. To learn more visit SCFTA.org/accessibilityinformation.

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