Two cities. Two arts centers. Two early childhood community partners. One show. Color Play.
Take a closer look at how we made Color Play here.
Meet Amanda Pintore, director/performer, and Mason Sharon, performer for Color Play, a performance for very young children at the Lawrence Arts Center and the Center of Creative Arts!
Amanda Pintore spent the last six weeks living part-time in St. Louis, MO and part-time in Lawrence, KS to direct two fabulous versions of Color Play. She loves biscuits for breakfast and prefers her grilled cheese cut into two triangle shapes. Her roommate is an old grandpa cat named Ichabod and she loves to use the word “doodle” when she can’t remember what something is actually called.
Mason Sharon is an actress, a singer, and a Slytherin. She has brightly colored walls because that’s the only way she feels like where she lives is home. In her free time, you can find her reading yet another magical book or snuggling with her puppies. She works at a candy store and she loves every second of it! She always buys clothes based on how soft they are, and owns the fluffiest blankets.
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 Amanda and Mason do for Color Play?
Amanda Pintore is the director of Color Play in both cities, as well as a performer in the production at the Lawrence Arts Center. She worked with eight performers, two musicians, six designers, and 120 students total to make this project come to life. Mason is on the devising/performing team at the Center of Creative Arts. She works with the director and the other performers to develop moments and surprises inspired by the ideas of our very young artistic partners. She is an expert at biting the tallest green beans, sometimes decides to be a shark, and is best known for her rollerblading skills.