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Act One School Series

We are delighted to present the 2023–2024 Act One School season. The Act One School Series provides curriculum-linked, performing arts enrichment activities for students in grades K-12.

Review the event descriptions below, determine what programs work for you, and submit the order form.

Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical

Grade levels: K-4
October 13, 2023, 9:45am (Limited availability) and 12:30pm
Cobb Great Hall

Cat Kid and Molly Pollywog have started an epic club to teach 21 rambunctious baby frogs how to make their own comics! Their fishy father, Flippy, is overjoyed that his kids will learn to unleash their creativity, but when the frogs’ constant bickering and outrageous imaginations send their comics comically off the rails, Flippy flips out! Will the club survive? Will the frogs ever get along? And will creativity finally save the day? All will be answered in this madcap musical based on Dav Pilkey’s irreverently hilarious book series, adapted by the same team that brought you the DOG MAN: The Musical.

Curriculum connections: Literacy, music, theatre, dance

The Acting Company: Odyssey

Grades 9-12
October 30, 2023, 9:45am
Pasant Theatre

What will you do to go home again? Lisa Peterson’s adaptation of The Odyssey brings new life to this ancient epic. Four young women trapped in the limbo of a refugee camp retell Odysseus' adventures as they struggle with their own search for a home. A production based on the revelatory new translation by Emily Wilson, its bold theatricality brings new humor and grace to a story we all think we know.

This production has references to violence.

Run time: 90 minutes

Curriculum connections: History, geography, multi-cultural studies, literacy
 

The Deepest Breath

Grades: 4-8
November 6, 2023, 9:45am and 12:30pm
Pasant Theatre 

Featuring the Treehouse Shakers 

The Deepest Breath, based on the book by Meg Grehan, written and directed by Cheyenne Mesura, is a story that centers on Stevie, a young girl reckoning with anxiety about the many things she has yet to understand and why she gets a fizzy feeling in her stomach when she looks at her friend Chloe.  Stevie begins to discover more about the world and herself through this journey of acceptance and self-love. The Deepest Breath is an impactful story that allows young people to see themselves reflected in a positive light.

Curriculum connections: psychology, literacy, personal growth and identity, theatre, current affairs

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Sold out: submit form to be added to a waitlist. 

Grades K-4

February 22, 2024, 9:45am and 12:30pm 
February 23, 2024, 9:45am and 12:30pm
Pasant Theatre

Featuring the tutti fruiti company and the York Theatre Royal, Leeds, England

Inspired by Aesop’s famous fable, this is a beautiful wintery tale about a boy who learns that “nobody believes a liar, even when they’re telling the truth.” From Tutti Frutti Productions and York Theatre Royal comes a gifted ensemble of actors and musicians, performing and singing live as they embody all the delightful characters, including hilarious sheep—and perhaps a wolf or two. Set in a village of knitters with fingers flicking and needles clicking, every new jumper tells a tale here! Ultimately, Silas finds a place for himself (and his imagination) in his warm, woolly community.

Curriculum connections: Science, literacy, psychology, personal growth, theatre, music

Step Afrika!

Sold out: submit form to be added to a waitlist. 

Grades 3-12
March 8, 2024, 9:45am and 12:30pm
Cobb Great Hall

Step Afrika! blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities, traditional West and Southern African dances, and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. Performances are much more than dance shows; they integrate songs, storytelling, humor, and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and leaves the audience with their hearts pounding.
The ensemble will be performing their self-titled work, Step Afrika!, showcasing stepping through both a traditional and contemporary lens, including stepping’s origins in African American fraternities and sororities and a suite of traditional South African dances.

Curriculum connections: History, geography, multi-cultural studies, dance, music

Small Island Big Song

Grades: 5-12
March 21, 2024, 10am (Limited availability)
Cobb Great Hall

Small Island Big Song is a multi-platform project uniting the seafaring cultures of the Pacific and Indian Oceans through songs, a contemporary and relevant musical statement from a region at the frontline of the Climate Crisis.

Drawing on a roster of renowned first nation artists from across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, combining music, spoken word, and AV projections, this performance features footage collected during a 3-year film trip across 16 countries.

Curriculum connections: History, geography, multi-cultural studies, dance, music, current affairs, science 

123 Andrés

Grades: K-4
April 18, 2024, 9:45am (Sold Out) and 12:30pm 
April 19, 2024, 9:45am (Sold Out) and 12:30pm (Sold Out)
Pasant Theatre

Sing and Dance in Spanish and English for little language learners.

Sing, dance, and learn along with 123 Andrés: the Latin Grammy-winning husband and wife duo, Andrés and Christina. Their catchy bilingual songs and lively performance will entertain the entire family.

Curriculum connections: History, geography, multi-cultural studies, dance, music

Sponsored by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council; Jackson National Life Insurance Company; Michigan Arts and Culture Council; and TechSmith Corporation.

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Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs
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TechSmith Corporation