Two cities. Two arts centers. Two early childhood community partners. One show. Color Play.
Meet Ernesto Hodison and Patrick Blindauer, performers for Color Play, a performance for very young children at the Lawrence Arts Center and the Center of Creative Arts!
Ernesto Hodison is a musician and vocalist who is naturally drawn to pretty much everything unusual, unique, and soulful. In other words, he’s the kinda guy who owns a pet tarantula instead of a cute dog and listens to Motown classics on vinyl. Someday he hopes to become a touring musician and singer who always looks forward to coming home to his tarantula, Lalah, a parrot named King Tut, and too many dogs to count.
Patrick Blindauer is a performer and puzzle maker who is very excited to be working at COCA again, having previously appeared in 2015’s The Little Prince. He’s also excited to be working inside, having spent a lot of time cavorting outdoors this past summer at The Muny and Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. Patrick has constructed crosswords professionally since 2005 and has written more than 20 puzzle books, several of which are actually still in print. He also writes crosswords for The New York Times, USA Today, Crosswords With Friends, Yes! magazine, the American Values Club Crossword, and his own website. Patrick’s favorite role is that of Maggie’s daddy and he’d like to dedicate his work to her and her colorful imagination.
So what is Color Play?
Welcome to our Theatre and Dance for the Very Young series!
In August of 2018, the Lawrence Arts Center partnered with the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) in St. Louis, MO and continued its Play Lab Series for 2-5-year-olds. In these research sessions, we collaborated with two early childhood centers to work with children in both cities using dance, music, and imaginative play. These sessions were recorded and served as research for our upcoming performance for children ages 2-5, Color Play. All of the ideas explored in Color Play will be performed by adults and based on our interactions in the Play Lab Series. We ask the questions: What does blue sound like? What does green do when it wakes up in the morning? How does orange dance? Very young audiences will enter an interactive world where colors can make noises, have wild dances, and create delightful surprises. The performance itself will involve live music, exploratory art, and moments of interaction with the audience.
What do Ernesto and Patrick do for Color Play?
Ernesto and Patrick are both on the devising/performing teams in their respective cities. They work with the director and the other performers to develop moments and surprises inspired by the ideas of our very young artistic partners. Ernesto can be found chewing large amounts of pink bubblegum, expertly playing a coconut as an instrument, and deep sea diving on a roller scooter. Patrick is a fantastical accordion player, an expert at all sorts of bird calls, and is highly skilled in the art of crossing frozen rivers and snowy tundras.