(Pictured above: Alice in Wonderland by Montreal’s Tout a Trac is part of TPAC’s HOT Season)
TPAC Education’s heating things up for local students during it’s 2016 – 2017 HOT Season. Short for Humanities Outreach in Tennessee, HOT is TPAC’s cultural outreach initiative that brings theater, dance and musical performances to Nashville from companies all around the world. The performances are presented to local public, private and homeschool students at affordable prices.
There are 12 performances scheduled for the upcoming school year covering all grade levels from preschool to high school seniors — performances are for school groups only; these shows are not available to the general public.
Here’s what’s coming in this year’s HOT season (descriptions provided by TPAC):
ROMEO AND JULIET
American Shakespeare Center
Oct. 24 – 27, 2016 • 10 a.m. at TPAC’s Polk Theater
Grades 9 – 12
$8 students
William Shakespeare’s classic tale embraces the volatility of youth and the prejudice that knows no age in this profoundly human and always surprising literary treasure.
OUR TOWN
American Shakespeare Center
Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 • 10 a.m. at TPAC’s Polk Theater
Grades 10 – 12
$8 students
The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama remains relevant, capturing the experience of being human in any era. Intelligent and humorous, this American masterpiece by Thornton Wilder suggests that life is simultaneously ordinary and precious.
NEW DIALECT WORKSHOP/PERFORMANCE
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016 • 10 a.m.
Grades 9 – 12
$8 students
Through guided improvisation, dance and discussion with company members, students will have the opportunity to discover concepts firsthand that lead to current works and to view performance excerpts.
FISK JUBILEE SINGERS
Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 • 10:30 a.m. at War Memorial Auditorium
Grades K – 4
$8 students
Under the direction of Paul T. Kwami, this world-renowned a cappella choral ensemble brings its storied heritage and contemporary vitality to local students.
BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR & OTHER TREASURED STORIES BY ERIC CARLE
Mermaid Theatre of Nov Scotia
Nov. 14, 16 – 18, 2016 at 10:30 a.m./Nov. 15, 2016 at 10 a.m. & a 12 p.m. sensory friendly performance at TPAC’s Polk Theater
Grades PreK – 1
$8 students
Fanciful puppetry, dramatic lighting and original music transform the stage into maical, living pages from three award-winning classics by Eric Carle.
LIVE WIRE! THE ELECTRICITY TOUR
Doktor Kaboom!
Nov. 29 – Dec. 2, 2016 • 10:30 a.m. at TPAC’s Polk Theater
Grades 3 – 8
$8 students
Mixing in equal parts fact and fun, David Epley’s zany character engages stuents in a performance that inspires a new attitude and zest for scientific learning.
TETRIS+
Arch 8
Feb. 14 – 17, 2017 • 10:30 a.m. at TPAC’s Polk Theater
Grades 2 – 6
$8 students
This show is for kids who can’t sit still … the ones who climb the walls .. and those who can imagine beyond what they can see. The performers’ playful physical language requires trust, strength and imagination to explore the inventive ways that people connect and collaborate with one another.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Tout a Trac
Feb. 27 – March 2, 2017 • 10:30 a.m. at TPAC’s Polk Theater
Grades 2 – 4
$8 students
Puppets and masked characters dash across the clever, crafty set where each book in Alice’s library opens the door to another adventure.
LOVE THAT DOG
Theatergroep Kwatta
March 6 – 10, 2017 • 10:30 a.m. at TPAC’s Johnson Theater
Grades 3 – 6
$8 students
A theater company from Gelderland, Netherlands brings Sharon Creech’s storyy to live using puppetry, visual effects, live music and multimedia projections.
CARMEN
Nashville Opera invited dress rehearsal
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 • 7 p.m. at TPAC’s Jackson Hall
Grades 9 – 12
$8 students, $10 adults
Spanish gypsies, strapping bullfighters and the stirring music of Bizet combine for one of the most stunning, beloved and widely performed operas in the world.
TIEMPO LIBRE
April 4 – 6, 2017 • 10:30 a.m. at TPAC’s Polk Theater
Grades 3 – 12
$8 students
This Afro-Caribbean ensemble is renowned for engaging audiences with its sophisticated tropical music and exhilarating mix of jazz harmonies, Latin rhymes, R & B, and unique contemporary sounds.
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
Nashville Repertory Theatre
April 11 & 17 – 18, 2017 • 10 a.m. at TPAC’s Johnson Theater
Grades 11 – 12
$8 students
This American classic was a pioneering work — the first play written by an African-American woman to appear on Broadway.
In addition to the actual performances, TPAC Education provides detailed guidebooks for each installment that helps teachers and homeschool parents make connections to their students’ curricula, including topics like theater, language, social division, American culture, storytelling, Tennessee history, listening skills, puppetry, visual art, natural science, character education, scientific method, creative collaboration, patterns, word play, world culture, Spanish, social studies and a lot more! Get all of the educational materials at TPAC Education’s HOT page.
Several shows include a TalkBack Q&A session after the performances where students can interact with the performers.
To reserve HOT Season tickets online, go to tpac.org/HOTReservations. For more info, contact Cathy LeFevor at 615-687-4288, or e-mail her at CLaFevor@tpac.org.
