An outdoor, drive-in performance. Two ways to view. Splash! is here.
Meet Amanda Pintore, director/performer, and Erin McElroy, Costume Designer for Splash!, the Lawrence Arts Center’s newest outdoor, drive-in performance for very young children ages 0-6!
Amanda Pintore loves learning from, talking to, and making performances for very young folks more than most things. She has a cat named Ichabod that is fourteen years old and many, many plants inside her house. She loves sandals and hot weather, sleeping in as much as possible, and driving her car with the windows down.
Erin McElroy is a costume designer and creator from lovely Lawrence, Kansas. She dislikes long walks on the beach and would prefer to swim. Her favorite color is green and her favorite Disney princess is Jasmine because she has a pet tiger. She loves to sing in the car, cook, read mystery books, and build with Legos. At the zoo, her can’t-miss animals are the penguins, tigers, and kangaroos. Her proudest accomplishment this year has been making a Princess Aurora wedding dress for a dear friend.
So what is Splash! and how does it work?
Welcome to Splash!, an outdoor, drive-in style performance for very young children and their families that explores the wacky world of water, soap, and bubbles! How does water like to dance? What sounds do bubbles make? Do cars like to take baths? We explore these questions (and more!) in a performance directly inspired by the ideas, sounds, and movements of children ages 2-6 in our Play Lab research series. Join our Splash! investigators as they spray water hoses, create giant bubbles, and make a big soapy mess!
Splash! performances will be held outdoors where we invite families to pull their vehicles into a socially distanced parking spot. From there, you have two options for how to experience this performance.
Car Wash Style: Stay inside your parked vehicle with the windows rolled up and we will send the music and vocals directly into your space through a designated radio station. Think of this option as a silly car wash experience where you can hear and see the performance, but also interact together as a family.
Splash Zone Style: Sit just outside of your parked vehicle within your designated zone and bring your own water-safe seating (like lawn chairs). If you select this option, please note that you are guaranteed to get wet, so wear your water gear and bring towels for comfort on the ride home! If sitting in the Splash Zone, we ask families to follow the CDC guidelines on mask-wearing for all audience members age two and up.
What do Amanda and Erin do for Splash!?
Amanda was the lead researcher in our Play Lab Series and serves as the director and a performer, while Erin is the Costume Designer for Splash!. After studying the ideas of our very young partners, both of these artists are busy bringing all kinds of magical things to life. Amanda is very skilled at building fish boats, popping like a bubble, and making it rain from her watering can. Erin is an expert at hand dyeing rainbows, making clear raincoats glamorous, and helping the performers stay dry!