WHBPAC Announces 2015-16 School Day Performance Series
Each year, the Series provides a one-of-a-kind experience to nearly 10,000 students who are bussed in from school districts across Long Island to experience the magic of live theatre! In these hour-long performances, many students are introduced to live world-class performing arts in a state-of-the-art theatre for the first time.
This year, performers from Chicago, New York, Nova Scotia, Washington D.C., Arizona, and the Netherlands will grace our stage, using a wide variety of art forms to give students a fresh perspective on material being taught in the classroom. The entire American Revolution will be acted out by a troupe of raucous improv-ers; the power of poetry will be revealed through hip-hop; the Underground Railroad's story will be told through soulful spirituals of the period; and the worlds of classic children's books like Good Night Moon and The Cat in the Hat will come alive on stage through the innovation of world-class theatre companies.
This season has been carefully curated to integrate fully with both New York State Learning Standards and the Common Core Curriculum, so that educators can truly use the WHBPAC as an extension of their classrooms. Director of Arts Education, Julienne Penza-Boone says of the program, "In an increasingly challenging educational landscape, we remain committed to providing children with the opportunity to gain the experiential knowledge that comes with traveling to a real, state-of-the-art theatre, while using the performing arts to increase comprehension and enhance the lessons being taught at school. That's why our first priority is programming a season that directly connects to school curriculum." The PAC's website provides educators with downloadable educational resources specific to each show. This truly collaborative program owes much of its success to the educators and parents who bring students to the WHBPAC again and again, giving them the priceless gift of live performance. Tickets to these performances are $10 and are always available to the public as well as public, private and home schools.
Through conferences, showcases and working closely with an advisory council made up of area educators and administrators, the PAC identifies outstanding curriculum-based performances, by acclaimed international performing artists, on the cutting edge for youth. A look at this year's School Day Performance Series demonstrates how the PAC is choosing only the finest quality productions from across the globe to present for young people.
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