PaintBox Theatre Info

Paint Box Theatre is a theatre of improvisation and imagination for the whole family. Audiences young, old, and in between have called it unique, wild, zany and even educational. Audience members range in age from 3 to 93 and include, parents, seniors and other adults who love IMPROV. Everyone joins in with singing and exuberant audience participation. Parents are often heard saying "I think I liked it better than the kids."

Artistic Director and founder, Tom McCabe, begins with a classic tale known to one and all and adapts it, modernizes it and adds twists. Each show features just three actors. In order to tell the tale, the actors work as a team, playing multiple roles, creating props and costumes, solving problems and drafting people out of the audience to help. Educationally speaking, every production models the joys and challenges of unstructured play.

The name PaintBox alludes to the theatre’s emphasis on children’s art. Above the stage we hang a large projection screen. Prior to the entrance of each character, a painting of the character or the scene, painted by a local child artist, is projected onto the screen. Each production features more than 20 original art works from children ranging in age from 3 – 14. The screen is also used to enhance literacy. Through PowerPoint, we project words, phrases, math word problems, and riddles – all related to the story. In order to assure that even our youngest audience members are able to follow along, the audience (yes, even the dads) has to read the projected words out loud.

NEW CENTURY THEATRE PRESENTS

Paintbox Theatre's

PaintBox is basing the first production of our seventh season on Beatrix Potter’s classic collection of 5 children’s tales. Get the book out of the library and read it through. We’ll do our best to stay true to every detail. Along with Peter, we’ll meet Mr. Jeremy Fisher, Benjamin Bunny, Two Bad Mice, the Flopsy Bunnies, and that nasty but loveable Farmer McGregor. We’ll have songs to sing and lots of audience participation.

Tom is going to place a very special spin on this classic. His take - a tale about bullying. The twist? The troll is the one who is bullied, teased and, at the beginning of the story, alone. With the help of the audience and lots of suggestions from fairy tale characters crossing the bridge overhead, the troll will make friends and work things out.

The title tells it all. There’s enough adventure for even the heartiest swashbuckler. You don’t have to bring your sword; our imaginations will provide all that we need. Our capes will be flying as we deal with the bad guys and save the day.