Heritage Center and Dubuque County Library District Partner to Offer Workshops
Oct 11, 2017 | Stacey Ortman, director of public information
DUBUQUE, Iowa – University of Dubuque’s Heritage Center and the Dubuque County Library District have partnered to provide free interactive theater workshops inspired by the Family Series shows in the 2017-2018 Live at Heritage Center Performing Arts Series. Each child who attends one of the workshops will receive a free ticket, with the purchase of an adult ticket, to a Family Series performance.
“We are happy to be able to offer discounted admission to our Family Series performances to families taking advantage of the related activities at our area county libraries. Our Family Series most always features young readers’ literature in a ‘stage to play’ format. These theatrical adaptions of children’s books lend themselves to this type of partnership,” said Thomas Robbins, executive director of Heritage Center. “Heritage Center strives to bring families together for shared communal live performing arts experiences. The future of the arts depends upon engagement with the arts among society’s youth.”
The four Family Series performances are Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat on Sunday, Nov. 12; Treasure Island on Saturday, Jan. 20; Guess How Much I Love You & I Love My Little Storybook on Sunday, Feb. 25, and Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey on Friday, April 6. The Dubuque County Library District will host complimentary programs for children about two weeks prior to each performance. Age ranges vary.
“All the arts are deeply connected, so partnering with a fine arts institution like Heritage Center seems like a natural fit: working together to cultivate an appreciation of literature and theater in young people,” said Kayla Ferguson, children’s librarian with the Dubuque County Library District.
The first two workshops focus on Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat. The workshops, open to children in first grade and up, will be held Tuesday, Oct. 24, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Dubuque County Library, Epworth branch, and Friday, Oct. 27, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Dubuque County Library, Asbury branch. The workshops are free, but children must be registered to attend by Friday, Oct. 20. To register, visit www.dubcolib.lib.ia.us.
At the workshop, children will be introduced to basic theater concepts through Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat themed activities such as turning a small section of the book into a script, acting like a character, making a prop, set, or costume piece, and learning stage directions.
“Librarians love making literature fun for kids. We also want to foster an enjoyment and appreciation of the interconnectedness of literature with the other arts, and that is what I hope children would gain from these workshop series,” Ferguson said. “First and foremost, we hope children have a great time exploring literature in a new way. I also hope to introduce kids to the amazing world of theater, while providing a creative outlet and a fun chance to explore further for those who might already be familiar with theater arts.”
Each child who attends the workshop will receive a free ticket, with the purchase of an adult ticket, to Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 2:00 p.m. in John and Alice Butler Hall, Heritage Center. Tickets for the show are $15 for adults, $13 for UD alumni/military, $9 for children/students, and $4 for lap seats (children age 3 and younger).
Tickets can be purchased Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Farber Box Office, Heritage Center, University of Dubuque, 2255 Bennett Street; by phone at 563.585.SHOW; or online at www.dbq.edu/heritagecenter. Family Series season ticket packages are also available for purchase.
