The Arts & Education Council is a stalwart among the community's cultural organizations. Over the years, its wide variety of offerings have variously informed, entertained and intrigued many residents of the area. Among its most valuable offerings are the agency's TheatreExpress programs, which introduce youngsters in grades K-12 to professional stage productions. It's been doing so for a long time. The popular program opens its 20th season later this month.
Over the years, the program has reached more than 200,000 individuals in the Chattanooga area. It's been a widely-praised and much appreciated event. Many of the children who will attend the sold-out performance of "Play to Win," a musical about baseball star Jackie Robinson, on Jan. 25 are the sons and daughters of parents who fondly recall seeing a TheatreExpress production during their own school years and who want their children to have a similarly positive educational experience.
"Play to Win" will be performed by the Birmingham Children's Theatre at the Tivoli. On April 14th, the AEC and TheatreExpress will present "Junie B. Jones," a musical based on the enormously popular series of children's books, at the Memorial Auditorium. The Tivoli performance is already sold out; more than 3,000 kids already have made reservations for the spring performance. Remaining seats are likely to sell out quickly. For information, call (423) 267-1218.
TheatreExpress' goal is to provide powerful testament to enrich arts education in the community and region by providing high quality children's theatre to students at an affordable price, currently $5. Productions are based on works of literature or historical events, and accompanying study guides tie the experience of attending a live production a part to the classroom curriculum.
The TheatreExpress program is underwritten in the main by the AEC's general operating fund. Additional financial assistance is provided by the local Allied Arts organization and by the Tennessee Arts Commission. The investments are, by any measure, ones that provide an immense and long-lasting return.