May 16, 2008

News Release
 

TISD Students Learn to Make Good

Choices from Pigs and a Wolf

      Young Audiences of Northeast Texas is bringing Storybook Theatre to Tyler Junior College’s Jean Browne Theater on May 19 and 20 to perform “Two Pigs and T.H.E. Wolf” for students from Caldwell, Douglas, Jones, and  Woods elementary schools, and Moore MST  Magnet School Theatre Arts students.  This entertaining twist on the classic "Three Little Pigs" is sponsored by the East Texas Communities Foundation. The hilarious story is a "hands down" crowd pleaser that emphasizes the benefits of making proper choices even in the most difficult circumstances.

       In addition to the “upside-down fairytale” performance, the artists will conduct a question/answer period with the students after each performance to discuss literary elements relating to the Arts for Learning (A4L) literacy project. Each performance and question/answer period should be approximately one hour long. The audience for the first three performances will be 4^th and 5^th grade students from the four elementary schools, participating in the A4L pilot program in Tyler, TX.  The fourth performance will be a workshop with the Theatre Arts students from Moore Middle School. 

       Funding for local participation in A4L Lessons comes from the Texas Commission on the Arts and private Young Audiences donors.  Tyler Junior College is co-presenter and the East Texas Communities Foundation is the sponsor for the Storybook Theatre performances. 
 

       Storybook Theatre of New Braunfels, Texas is one of 30 teaching artists available to local schools through Young Audiences of Northeast Texas, a not-for-profit organization providing learning through the arts to area schools.  Their programs incorporate theater arts to creatively enhance their performances with the use of costumes, props, exaggerated voices, and lots of interaction with the audience.  Storybook Theatre is on the touring roster for the Texas Commission on the Arts.

       These performances will be the final artist residency programs this school year for a national literacy research project entitled Arts for Learning (A4L).  Young Audiences of Northeast Texas, in partnership with Tyler ISD, is one of seven national sites participating in Arts for Learning research for the 2007-2008 school year.  Other sites include schools in Indiana, Wichita, New Orleans, Kansas City, New Jersey, and Northern California with a total of 162 teachers and 4,600 students participating. Tyler and New Jersey will serve as summative sites for the research for 2007-2008.

       Funding for the national research project is from The Starr Foundation, The Dana Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Ridgefield Foundation and The Sequoia Foundation.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Storybook Theatre, “Two Pigs and T.H.E. Wolf” Arts for Learning Unit 1 Residency,

Jean Browne Theater, Tyler Junior College.

(Sponsored by East Texas Communities Foundation)

            10:00 a.m.       Caldwell Elementary A4L classes

            1:00 p.m.         Jones Elementary & Woods Elementary A4L classes

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Storybook Theatre, “Two Pigs and T.H.E. Wolf” Arts for Learning Unit 1 Residency,

Jean Browne Theater, Tyler Junior College.

(Sponsored by East Texas Communities Foundation)

            10:00 a.m.       Douglas Elementary A4L classes

            1:00 p.m.         Moore Middle School Theatre Arts class workshop

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