Imagination Series

STIRRING TULSA’S IMAGINATION

Art is truly an incredible thing. It brings people together. It sends us on journeys together. It calms. It excites. It takes us to places outside of our own worlds and minds. But it also does some other truly incredible things, particularly for young children in the prime of their development.

According to Americans for the Arts, varying types of art can do wonders for a child’s development: “A growing body of evidence suggests that at virtually every stage of life, the arts can foster openness to novelty, encourage connections to people, places, things, and concepts, and promote the ability to take multiple perspectives, among other positive outcomes.

“In a nationally representative study sample, parents who reported singing to their child at least three times per week had a higher likelihood of also reporting that their child had strong and sophisticated social skills, such as pro-social behaviors, compared with parents who reported singing to their child less than three times per week.

“Toddlers participating in a four-toeight month, classroom-based music education program to promote school readiness were more likely to increase their level of teacher-reported social cooperation, interaction, and independence over the school year, compared with a control group who did not receive a music education program.”

And those are just a couple of the many studies presented by Americans for the Arts and others showing the impact art can have on the social development of a child. Additional studies also show an impact on their emotional regulation and awareness and their learning capacities and patterns. Overall, the arts seem to help us control and express our thoughts and emotions in more creative and productive ways.

Knowing that the power of the arts can potentially help youngsters grow into more well-rounded and emotionally aware adults is a pretty good argument for presenting art to children at a young age. But what if you could take art and the other STEAM — science, technology engineering, arts and mathematics — disciplines and create fun, educational art for the kids?

Well, you can, and we do! We call it the Imagination Series, and it is meant to introduce the performing arts to young audiences to help make learning fun. This year, our series consists of three shows: “Peter Pan,” “School House Rock Live” and “Professor Wow’s FunBelievable Science Show.”

Each show is shown twice: once in the morning, which allows schools and other learning institutions to bring their students, and once in the evening, allowing families to join at an affordable price.

We even host optional Family Fun Nights before the evening shows. Each Family Fun Night includes a light snack dinner and a fun craft that relates directly to the show about to be seen. What better way to get kids involved in the arts than to give them craft supplies and set their creativity loose? For “Peter Pan,” a show that includes a mix of actors and life-sized puppets, attendees will get to make their very own sock puppets. Googly eyes and other craft supplies will be on hand to ensure youngsters can create to their heart’s content.

After the craft night, the show is sure to be a crowd pleaser. This particular version of “Peter Pan,” besides using incredible puppets, also includes lighting engineering and other elements that incorporate STEAM elements throughout the production, all while exploring difficult life concepts and skills. The production teaches children about the power of their choices and to place attention on what they want to create in their lives. Peter Pan teaches Wendy, “A brain filled with fear has little space for dreams!”

And while that might sound like a night watching a story you already know, it is anything but! The production is brought to life using state-of-the-art digitally projected scenery and popular songs from the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. We can’t wait to see this classic tale come to life in a whole new way.

The second show of our series, “Schoolhouse Rock Live,” marks the return of a beloved blast from the past. Many of us can remember classics from the original show, like “Conjunction Junction,” “Just a Bill,” “Interplanet Janet” and “Three is a Magic Number.”

Schoolhouse Rock originally aired on the ABC television network from 1973 to 1985 and was revived in the ‘90s and ‘00s. A collection of clever, animated shorts that taught academic topics, including grammar, math, civics and science, it was well liked by teachers, parents and students alike for the fun animation, catchy tunes and incredible capacity for teaching complicated matters in a simple format.

Now, it’s making its return, exploding onto the stage, updated for a whole new generation with imaginative image projections and a rock’n’roll feel. The live performance revolves around Tom, a nervous young schoolteacher, who turns on the television to calm himself down and is visited by three aspects of his personality who remind him that learning can be fun.

We round out the season with “Professor Wow’s Fun-Believable Science Show.” Watch science come to life as this zany scientist does experiments on stage. Experience the fantastic 12-foot-tall “Foam Monster,” the impossible “Balloons in Orbit,” the uproariously funny “Bernoulli TP Wipe Out Challenge” and the “SuperColossal Vortex Cannon.” Kids will learn that nothing is impossible — as long as it obeys the laws of science!

If you’ve been looking for something new and exciting to do with the kids — or know another parent looking — come check it out! Tickets can be bought individually or as a season through the Tulsa PAC website. One of the aims with this program has been to keep prices as low and affordable as possible to allow families to enjoy a fun night together, full of learning and laughter, without breaking the bank.

The Imagination Series is just one of the many ways the TPAC team is helping to bring the performing arts to more of the people in our community than ever before. Visit the community engagement section of our website to see the many ways we’re bringing art to everyone!

Peter Pan

Presented by TPAC Trust November 19 JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE