This is the Thirtyeighth article in a permanent column for Stroud Arts that appears in the Stroud American. The mission of these articles is to inform, educate and inspire you, the reader, to Make Art Happen in your life and the life of our community.
Happy Mother’s Day! I hope all the Moms, Grandmas, and Aunt Grannys out there had a good time with their families, whether by phone, through computer chat, the mail or by the old fashioned in-person visit.
I know everyone had to adapt as to how they celebrated this Mother’s Day but no matter er’s Day but no matter how you celebrated the message was the same. Moms, you are loved!
To show our love for Mothers on their Special Day, Stroud Arts hosted a live reading on Facebook Live of the classic Shel Silverstein story ‘The Giving Tree.’ It is a special story about how a tree loves a boy so much that she gives everything she can, to make him happy. I believe this story is one that every parent can relate to.
This special reading presentation was an extension of the Stroud Arts: Bedtime Stories program. A program that was focused toward relieving the boredom and boost the morale of selfquarantined kids and parents during the month of April.
The Bedtime Stories shows presented Eighteen Fairy Tales in a live story reading format on Facebook Live. If you missed the live performance, you can see recordings of all the short stories on the Stroud Arts Facebook Page. Almost all the stories are completed in a Fifteen-minute timeframe, with only ute timeframe, with only two longer stories concluding at around Eighteen minutes. These classic Fairy Tales are family friendly and appropriate for all ages.
What is most surprising about the Bedtime Stories Presentations is that they were not a scheduled event. It was an adaptation to the unique situation brought on by the Covid-19 Virus. Each December, the Board of Directors for Stroud Arts meet to set out our body of work for the upcoming year. For the months of March through May, Stroud Arts was scheduled to host ‘Stroud Arts: Summer Stock Theatre Program.’ This program consists of Three acting companies rehearsing concurrently and with all performances being presented sequentially. The three companies were to be; ‘Children’s Theatre’ for ages 6-13, ‘Teen Theatre’ for ages 13-18, and ‘Community Theatre’ for all ages.
Unfortunately, the Covid-19 Pandemic put the Summer Stock Theatre program on hold and hopefully we will be able to bring it back in late Summer. However, this postponement encouraged Stroud Arts to Adapt to the Environment and also provided a guide as to how we can move forward with our Theatre Programs while maintaining Social Distance and providing a Healthy Environment.
Opening in mid-June, Stroud Arts will present a series of live Radio Style performances on Facebook Live.
These shows will be familiar to those who remember or have viewed recordings of classic radio programs from the 1930’s through the 1950’s. The Radio style shows will bring several stories in serial format to the audience ranging from; Children’s stories to Action and Adventure to Drama and even Romance!
In other words, an evening of entertainment for the whole family. We hope you will join us as we adapt to the environmental conditions and bring art to you in a Socially Distant and accessible format.
Keep adapting and Make Art Happen!