Anything is possible in the theater. Take the Open Dream Ensemble's two latest productions, which will be have their premieres Thursday at the Stevens Center.
One, titled Dream Machines: The Impossible Happens, will transport the audience's children and their parents to the early 20th century, giving them a
sense of the amazing advancements in travel during that time. The other, Peril on the Red Planet, will imagine a future in which human habitation is possible on Mars.
Machines is aimed a children in grades K-5; Peril is geared to grades 3-8. Although each of the shows is different in terms of subject matter and sophistication of language, both share at least one thing in common:
"(They) focus on important life lessons, including dedication, determination, courage and teamwork," said Rebecca Nussbaum, the general manager of the Open Dream Ensemble, a project of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute of the Arts. "They also highlight the power of imagination and learning in fun, creative and engaging ways."
Open Dream, a professional outreach program of UNC School of the Arts, consists of school alumni who studied dance, drama or music at the school and earned ensemble spots at auditions because of their proficiency in several disciplines. The performers introduce children to the live-theater experience, a marked contrast to what many usually experience. "They live behind screens," Nussbaum said.
"It's an important experience," said Brian Sutow, an ensemble cast member who studied acting at UNCSA. "It's a communal experience; that's the way they experience it. They feel that interaction."
Both Sutow and James Stewart, who composed the music for both shows, promised standards to which adults are accustomed.
"We're not trying to dumb down the music," Stewart said, adding that his score speaks to children "but also challenges them."
After Machines and Peril are staged at the Stevens Center, the Open Dream Ensemble will take them on tour through December, visiting schools in the Carolinas as well as in Tennessee, Florida and Georgia. The Open Dream performers will lead residencies in at least five schools in North Carolina -- part of what Nussbaum calls "giving back to the state."
The audience for Peril will become acquainted with Diana, a 13-year-old girl working to end famine on Mars. She reconstructs the machine that made human habitation possible on Mars and unexpectedly unleashes more problems. Along the way, she learns "life lessons about community, responsibility, teamwork and sacrifice," according to press materials.
Machines will introduce Katharine Wright, the sister of Orville and Wilbur Wright, who invented and flew the first airplane. The story of Machines is told through her eyes, connecting the Wrights' experience to Henry Ford's automobiles and Octave Chanute's fascination with trains.
"There are a lot of stories about the Wright brothers," Nussbaum said, explaining why Katharine's role became so prominent in Machines. "You need something different."
Nussbaum said that Katherine was highly intelligent, spoke Latin and Greek and taught the classics.
"She was fascinating in her own right," Nussbaum said. "She did become the professional force behind her brothers' success. She was called the third Wright brother."
■ The Open Dream Ensemble will present two shows Thursday in the Stevens Center,405 W. Fourth St. Dream Machines: The Impossible Happens, geared to grades K-5, will begin at 6:30 p.m. Peril on the Red Planet, geared to grades 3-8, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Both shows are free and open to the public, and the audience is welcome to attend one or both productions. For more information, call 721-1945.
■ Ken Keuffel can be reached at 727-7337 or at kkeuffel@wsjournal.com.
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