Nationally Award Winning BALLOONACY Inspires the Very Young at Children's Theatre Company

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) will present Balloonacy, written by Barry Kornhauser and recipient of the American Association of Theatre in Education (AATE) Distinguished Play Award. Kornhauser also wrote the script for CTC's upcoming, world premiere production of Corduroy. Balloonacy will star Robert Dorfman (Broadway: The Lion King; Touring: The Drowsy Chaperone; TV: Boardwalk Empire) who originated the singular role of the Old Man in 2014. Directed by Peter C. Brosius, this production will be the first show he directs in his 20th year as CTC's Artistic Director. Scenic Design is by Annie Rollins, Costume Design by Mary Anna Culligan, Lighting Design by Rebecca Fuller Jensen (Pinocchio, The Biggest Little House in the Forest, The Cat in the Hat) and Sound Design by CTC's resident composer/music director Victor Zupanc.

Imagine a single balloon changing one person's life forever. It starts so simply: A balloon drifts through the window of a lonely old man's home on his birthday. Then something surprising happens - then something silly, wonderful and so blissfully fun that you barely notice you've learned something special about friendship along the way. Perfectly designed with the preschooler in mind, rediscover play in this back-by-popular-demand production!

"Balloonacy is a tender, non-verbal, physical theatre show that reflects on all stages of friendship," states Director Peter C. Brosius. "It is both a celebration of the complicated nature of friendship, as well as a call to embrace play, laughter and joy. While this production is designed for preschool age children, it is truly one that multiple generations can come to together and find something in it, no matter what age."

Reflecting back on the early development of this work, Barry Kornhauser said, "Probably my favorite thing about this little play is its welcoming inclusiveness. Some years back Peter [Brosius] and Elissa [Adams] kindly invited me to join a series of CTC convenings funded by the Bush Foundation to explore approaches to early child development and their application to theater. One of many things made abundantly clear in that process was that early learners come into contact with reality more on a bodily-sensory basis than a linguistic one. Without dialogue, this play becomes accessible to all children."

Dr. Amy Susman-Stillman, Director of Applied Research and Training at the University of Minnesota is particularly thrilled about CTC's commitment to creating plays for the very young. "CTC, with the incredible vision and foresight of Peter Brosius, is to be commended for its innovative integration of theatre arts and early childhood education. CTC had been impressively thoughtful about using theory and evidence to continually ensure that their work is developmentally appropriate, engaging and effective. Through its now regularly-occurring preschool productions such as Balloonacy, Early Bridges and Theatre Arts Training programs, CTC is on the forefront of using theatre arts to creatively advance school readiness for all preschoolers."

The production is presented in the Cargill Theatre with an experience configured particularly for the very young. A CTC original production, Balloonacy opens October 3 and runs through November 12 and is best enjoyed by preschoolers. Lap passes are available for ages 18 months and younger. Individual show tickets can be purchased at childrenstheatre.org or by calling the ticket office at 612.874.0400. Allergy note: The balloons used in this show are latex, however they do not touch or go near the audience at any point during the production.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is the nation's largest and most acclaimed theatre for multigenerational audiences. It creates theatre experiences that educate, challenge, and inspire for more than 275,000 people annually. CTC is the only theatre focused on young audiences to win the coveted Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre and is the only theatre in Minnesota to receive three Tony nominations (for its production of A Year with Frog and Toad). CTC is committed to producing world class productions at the highest level and to developing new works, more than 200 to date, dramatically changing the canon of work for young audiences.

CTC's engagement and learning programs annually serve more than 85,000 students ages 2-18 through Theatre Arts Training, student matinees, Bridges, and early childhood arts education programs that bring students to the theatre and bring teaching artists into the classroom. The ACT One program is CTC's comprehensive platform for access, diversity and inclusion in our audiences, programs, staff, and board that strives to ensure the theatre is a home for all people, all families, reflective of our community. www.childrenstheatre.org

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