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WHO: Pollyanna Theatre Company
WHAT: The Missing Dinosaur Adventure
WHEN: Saturdays, Jan. 16 to Feb. 27 at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Virtually via Zoom
WEB: www.PollyannaTheatreCompany.org
Austin, TX – Pollyanna Theatre Company will continue to bring the magic of live children’s theatre to the online experience with The Missing Dinosaur Adventure, an interactive Zoom play for preschoolers, scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturdays, Jan. 16 to Feb. 27. Tickets are available on a pick-your-price basis at www.PollyannaTheatreCompany.org.
With an adventure written by playwright Holly Hepp-Galvan and led by professional actors, pre-readers will become part of the play through movement and imagination, creating an online experience that fosters creativity and learning. “Parents have been thrilled with the response from their children,” said Pollyanna Artistic Director Judy Matetzschk-Campbell. “We’ve heard from many moms who were initially skeptical about an on-line experience holding their child’s attention, but who found that their child was so engaged they didn’t want the play to end.” Matetzschk-Campbell attributes the response to actors who have a compelling story-telling style, engaging visuals and the interactive component that has children zooming around their room in character and returning to the screen with the ring of a small bell.
The company has chosen to offer pick-your-price tickets to be more accessible during this challenging economic climate. “We want to serve all families in what has been and continues to be a very difficult economic time,” she said. “Many of our audience members want to experience the play more than once, so we’ll also be offering a repeat discount code.”
Pollyanna encourages its young audiences to dress in character, whether that is as simple as a home-made dinosaur mask or as complex as a full dino costume. “The Missing Dinosaur Adventure keeps the creativity rolling into the new year and avoids the post-holiday doldrums,” Matetzschk-Campbell said. “Dressing in costume brings another layer of creativity to the show.”
The Missing Dinosaur Adventure is part of a series of interactive Zoom plays that Pollyanna has produced during the Covid quarantine. “We’ve been able to pivot to an on-line model that both keeps the magic of live theatre happening for kids and helps keep performing arts professionals employed,” Matetzschk-Campbell said. “We’ve been doing what we can to keep the arts alive and young minds engaged.”
As the only theatre company in Central Texas offering interactive, on-line theatre for children, Pollyanna has been expanding their reach, bringing children together for a shared experience. “We’ve been thrilled to host children from all over the country in our audiences,” she said, “creating a national neighborhood of children.”
Founded 20 years ago with an ideal of offering education through theatre, Pollyanna has been able to continue serving its young audiences though virtual performances. “We can’t wait to get back to a real stage,” Matetzschk-Campbell said, “but until then, Zooming theatre lets us add an interactive component to the online experience that eliminates the passivity normally associated with screen time.”
ABOUT POLLYANNA THEATRE COMPANY, a resident company of The Long Center: Founded in 2000 to promote theatre’s role as a powerful teaching tool, the Pollyanna Theatre Company reaches more than 20,000 school children each year with a series of top-quality theatrical productions. Pollyanna produces only original plays, commissioning playwrights from around the nation to create timely works for children that engage, motivate and inspire. As one of the only professional companies in Central Texas to produce theatre for the very young, Pollyanna illustrates the link between theatre, literacy and academic readiness, a connection that is furthered by the company’s partnership with the early literacy organization BookSpring.
