The Sprouts New Play Festival for Kids celebrates 14 years of cultivating new plays for children and families this year! The Festival, which is presented by Concrete Theatre as part of the Arts at the Barns Presentation Series takes place Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7 at a brand new venue: The Westbury Theatre, (10330 – 84 Avenue) in the ATB Financial Arts Barns. The Sprouts New Play Festival for Kids is a weekend of family fun where children have an opportunity to experience the creation of new live theatre in an imaginative, informal and creative atmosphere.
This year, our crop includes three brand new short plays The Magic Brush by Marty Chan, Onions and Garlic Book by Paula Simons with Lyrics by Celia Taylor and A Whole New Wheel by Kristi Hansen. Concrete Theatre presents each play as a staged reading with lively performances directed by Mieko Ouchi with dramaturgy by Caroline Howarth. Live Music will be provided by Dave Clarke. Sprouts provides American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation throughout the Festival.
Kid-friendly events throughout the weekend include face-painting, story-telling with Young Alberta Books, Drum Stories with Bob Rasko and crafts with Zu-Ma Talent to Amuz. The lobby will also feature artwork by young students at King Edward School. Following the plays, children can write their thoughts in a special Sprouts Art Garden Plot and hang them on the CommenTree or interact with the playwrights.
Sprouts New Play Festival for Kids lobby activities begin at 1 pm, with three 15-minute plays at 2 pm, which include a 20 minute intermission. Tickets are $7.50, available by cash/debit/credit at the door, by phone (780) 409-1910 or online at www.fringetheatreadventures.ca. Children under 3 years are admitted free. For more information, please contact Concrete Theatre at 780-439-3905 or www.concretetheatre.ca.
Concrete Theatre gratefully acknowledges assistance for The Sprouts New Play Festival for Kids from the Canada Council for the Arts, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, The Edmonton Arts Council, The City of Edmonton and this year: The Edmonton Community Foundation.
For 25 years, Concrete Theatre has been dedicated to bringing professional theatre artists together to create and present award-winning, relevant and challenging plays for young people. We believe that young people deserve to see brilliant theatre made just for them by people interested in the power of theatre as a tool to not only entertain, but to educate, impact and provoke positive change.
