Anything is Possible Theatre Company Programs
In 2005 we formed the Anything is Possible Theatre Company. In 2007 we produced "Something BIG Has Been Here" inspired by the poetry of Jack Prelutsky. In 2009 we produced "It's a Whatchamadoozie with a Whaddayacallit with a Thingamajigit on Top," at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center. Both productions received an incredibly warm and enthusiastic response.
Most recently (fall 2013) we toured our children's science musical, "How Things Work" to ten elementary schools in south Seattle. The musical celebrates the wonders of science while emphasizing the need for a sustainable future.
This coming June 2013 we will produce "Robin Hood and His Band" at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center. This version of Robin Hood is a bold coming of age play that explores the inequality between the haves and have-nots, (or the 99% and 1%.) In conjunction with the production, we are developing partnerships with organizations working on issues of hunger and income inequality in the Rainier Valley.
In 2014 we will launch our new anti-bullying musical "The Princess who Kissed a Frog, Slayed a Giant and Kept a Dragon for a Pet" which is now in development.
Our audience reflects the diverse population of families living in under served communities around the Puget Sound area. Our goal is to continue to create original children's theater which will appeal to a broad family audience and to discover new ways of making theater accessible to families and children in under served communities.
"How Things Work" - is a touring children's science musical which brings to life the wonders of science while emphasizing the need for a technology which is sustainable with the natural world. The musical employs 5 actors and a musician and is geared to elementary and middle schools. We developed a companion study guide inspired by the musical which is provided to classrooms prior to seeing the musical creating a perfect storm of musical theater and science. To make sure our musical and science projects are relevant, we have worked closely with elementary school science teachers. The musical has simple production values, allowing us to set up easily and quickly in school classrooms, gymnasiums and cafeterias. As art and music programs have been drastically reduced in the public schools and science scores have dropped nationwide, we want to demonstrate how musical theater can be a wonderful and inspiring teaching tool. We also realize the importance of reaching the next generation of theater audiences especially those who may not have the means to otherwise attend a theater production.
"Robin Hood and His Band" is a bold coming of age adventure revealing how an ordinary young man came to be the extraordinary Robin Hood. This version of the tale employs a strong and courageous Maid Marian. The play also reveals how the band in the Sherwood Forest were in fact the poor and disenfranchised who had been forced to flee from the cruel practices of Prince John. We are teaming up with organizations in the Rainier Valley who are working on issues of poverty and hunger. A Robin Hood feast and archery contest prior to the production will raise $ for these local organizations.
"The Princess who Kissed a Frog, Slayed a Giant and Kept a Dragon for a Pet" - is a new original musical which delves deeply into the emotional landscape of the bullied and the bullier. Weaving an original fairy tale throughout the musical we will explore why bullying occurs and how it flourishes when someone is perceived as 'other.' Within the piece we will explore creative and non-violent responses to bullying behavior using many of the principles of restorative justice.
We have kept ticket prices affordable and provided pay-what-you-can performances which allowed many families in the Rainier Valley to attend children's theater for the first time.
We formed partnerships with several local elementary schools and created art projects in connection with the musical. In 2009 we hired two local artists to work with kindergarten students from Kimball elementary school to create "Whatchamadoozie Art Pieces" which were on display during the run of the show.
In addition we participated in the Powerful Schools writing program at Orca K-8 and in workshops at South Graham Hill Elementary School and the New School.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
We realized that creating a new children's theater company in under served communities is much more about community building than traditional publicity or advertising. As a result, we developed unique ways to get the word out. We teamed up with a local artist to work with Orca Elementary students to create 3-dimensional characters which culminated in a treasure hunt around Columbia City and engaged many local businesses and community groups in a positive way. We spray-painted gigantic blue footprints and musical notes (with eco-friendly paint) in front of the theater to advertise our musicals. We performed at the local farmer's market. We arranged for a poetry reading by Jack Prelutsky, the nation's first children's poet laureate to read from his book "Something BIG Has Been Here' and invited students from all over the Rainier Valley to attend.
We are seeking support for two new projects. The first is an original production of Robin Hood and His Band to be produced at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center in June 2013. In addition to providing an vibrant and professional theater experience, we will be teaming up with organizations in the Rainier Valley who are working on issues of hunger and poverty. Our goal is to raise funds for these organizations while engaging new theater audiences.
The second project "The Princess who Kissed a Frog, Slayed a Giant and Kept a Dragon for a Pet" - is a new original musical which delves deeply into the emotional landscape of the bullied and the bullier. Funds will be used to pay the playwright and composer to further develop the musical and support a workshop production. An important component of this project will be to create a restorative justice service project.