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TWO WEEKENDS ONLY! In this interactive forum theatre experience for kids & families, help Bob the Monkey figure out where they got in trouble monkeying around. Led by Artistic Director Ali Oliver-Krueger, audience members make suggestions about how Bob could do things differently, and watch Bob and friends role play out their ideas. Best for ages 4 & up. MC Cultural Arts Center, Theatre II. 7995 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910 #InterActStoryTheatre #interactstorytheatre Bobtail Bong Bong A Monkey's Tale Performance Dates! Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025: 1:30pm & 3:30pm Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025: 1:30pm & 3:30pm Plus a Field Trip Friday for school groups and home schoolers! Friday, Oct. 3, 2025: 10:30am & 12:30pm Children must be under the supervision of their parent or a responsible adult at all times. PURCHASE TICKETS ON EVENTBRITE Performed at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring, Maryland! A play for kids and families. Bob the Monkey is the smartest monkey in the land, and they want everyone to know it! Bob the Monkey wants what they want and they want it NOW! But...why is everyone mad at Bob? Bob didn’t do anything! In this interactive forum theatre experience for kids and families, audiences follow Bob’s madcap misadventures and help Bob figure out where they went wrong and got in trouble monkeying around. Led by InterAct Story Theatre’s Artistic Director Ali Oliver-Krueger, audience members make suggestions about how Bob could do things differently, and watch Bob and friends role play out their ideas. Can Bob flip the script and turn things around? Can Bob make things better by making better choices? Does it work? What happens next? Best for ages 4 and up. PURCHASE TICKETS ON EVENTBRITE Directions to the MC Cultural Arts Center Mail List

Khaleshia Thorpe-Price Khaleshia Thorpe-Price (she/hers) is an Imagination Cultivator. She has worked in the field of arts education since 2000. As the owner of of "Dramatic-play," Khaleshia has facilitated residencies and workshops for children and adults throughout the DC Metro Area and nationally. She has worked with many organizations including Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Young Audiences of Maryland, Folger Shakespeare Library and the Ford's Theatre. She co-wrote A Journey with Jazz, an interactive performance experience for young audiences, for Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts and performed in this production with the Wolf Trap Jazz Trio. In addition, Khaleshia has created content for the Music Box Family Concert Series at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and performed as the host of this series with members of the BSO. Khaleshia has a BA in Theater Arts from Morgan State University and an MA in Arts Management from the University of Central Florida. Drama Stories on Stage Back

The Hero of EVERYTHING Click Here to read the review by Sarah Shah with DC Theater Arts September 26, 2022 “A delightful way to spend an hour with a young person on a weekend.” < Back to Press

Steve Wolf Steve Wolf (he/him/his) works with marketing concepts and graphic design and for the last 25+ years is a designer, photographer, and actor in the DC Metro area. Steve worked for many years with the Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre program training front of house customer service and providing box office and marketing support. In his spare time, he helps with website and layout for Hexagon's musical, satirical, political comedy revue and their charity work. Drama, Visual Arts Design & Publications Manager Back

Available Online! A variety of classroom workshops integrating drama, dance, and music into classroom curricula for grades preK through high school. All workshops are designed to meet state standards and objectives in both the art form and the content area being addressed. Arts Education & Arts Integration: Classroom Workshops InterAct Story Theatre conducts a variety of classroom workshops integrating drama, dance, and music into classroom curricula for grades preK through high school. All workshops are designed to meet state standards and objectives in both the art form and the content area being addressed. Scroll down for a sampling of some of our workshop offerings for different age and grade levels. Or, contact us or request more info about designing a classroom workshop for you! Many of our classroom workshops can be expanded into 2, 3- or 4-day artist-in-residence programs. See our page of Classroom Residencies for more information . REQUEST MORE INFO Early Education Elementary School Middle & High School Students < Back to InterAct in Schools

Lenore Blank Kelner Lenore Blank Kelner is an author, educator, educational consultant, keynote speaker and teaching and theatre artist. Lenore has presented her work in all 50 states and abroad and has been a presenter with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for 29 years. She was a Master Artist for the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts for 25 years. Lenore is the author of The Creative Classroom (15th printing) and co-authored with Rosalind Flynn, A Dramatic Approach to Reading Comprehension (Heinemann, 2006, 5th printing). Lenore was awarded the 2004 Creative Drama Award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education. In addition to conducting staff development residencies through InterAct Story Theatre, Lenore also works widely through her own company, Lenore Blank Kelner & Company and is the Director of the Creative Kids afterschool Drama Program. Drama, Creative Drama Founder Back

Every year, all year long, InterAct Story Theatre artists create stories with students, and invite students to share their epic stories with us. Each May, we choose the best of the best and transform them into short plays, musical numbers, and vignettes performed by professional actors as part of our KidStory Theatre Festival event. We can’t wait to see what kids dream up this school year! KidStory Theatre Our annual May stage festival and drama-based writing program celebrating stories written by kids for kids! Every year, all year long, InterAct Story Theatre artists create stories with students, and invite them to share their epic stories with us. Each May, we choose the best of the best and transform them into short plays, musical numbers, and vignettes performed by professional actors as part of our KidStory Theatre Festival event. Your class can participate in a set of arts integrated creative drama workshops in which we create short stories and plays about the curriculum you are already teaching! REQUEST MORE INFO How can my school participate in a KidStory Workshop? Click the Request More Info button or contact us at info@interactstory.com or (301) 879-9305 about bringing our KidStory Theatre creative drama-based writing workshops to your school. Before the workshops, we’ll ask your teachers about the curriculum content/topics/themes you would like us to explore with your students. The minimum number of workshops is two sessions per classroom, with a two classroom minimum. We are now scheduling workshops with classes in grades preK-8... if your school or class is interested in participating, please contact us! Subsidies are available thanks to our generous funders at the Nora Roberts Foundation, the Maryland State Arts Council, and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County. Between October - April, InterAct’s teaching artists lead participating classes in a collaborative, creative drama-based writing process to create and dramatize a story rooted in the topic(s) or text(s) you’ve given us. Our process is designed to connect with grade-level content standards and National Arts Standards in Theatre. The project can also be designed to meet standards in other subject areas. In the spring, we select our favorite stories. These stories are transformed into short plays and musical numbers to be performed by professional actors at the Annual KidStory Theatre Festival in May! REQUEST MORE INFO We can’t wait to see what kids dream up each school year! < Back to InterAct in Schools

Arts Education & Arts Integration: Classroom Workshops. Middle & High School. Available Online! MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL All of these workshops can be expanded into a 2-, 3- or 4-day classroom residency in which the students explore the content area in depth through the arts. This allows us to provide a sequentially structured arts learning experience so we can really maximize student learning and create a deeper, more meaningful arts experience. REQUEST MORE INFO Arts Education & Arts Integration: Classroom Workshops We are constantly designing new workshops! In fact, most of the workshops you see here were originally designed because someone asked us, "Hey, InterAct...can you do a workshop on ___________ to address __________ objective?" WE LOVE THIS. It's really our favorite thing to do. The answer is almost always, "Sure. Let's put our heads together and see what we can create!" So, if you would like an arts integration experience for your students that you don't see here, please contact us or request more info so we can design something for you! Drama & Theatre Available Online! RESPONSIVE PLAYMAKING & PLAYBUILDING Through a variety of creative drama and short-form devising techniques, participants investigate a text, theme or curriculum topic as artists, and then collaborate in devising a short story, drama, or theatre piece in the classroom (or virtual classroom!). This is a great way to foster collaboration, social emotional skills and 21st century skills through theatre while building content knowledge. Responsive Playmaking can also be booked as a residency with multiple sessions with or without a sharing or informal performance. All stories are submitted for InterAct’s annual KidStory Theatre Festival, a celebration of stories written by kids for kids...and the best of the best are performed by professional actors at our festival in May! Maximum 25 students (1 class) for each 45-minute session. Available Online! THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD & THE CIVIL WAR Through the drama strategy of tableau (living statues) students explore key events and issues of the Civil War. Some of the causes, tragedies and triumphs of the war are revealed. Maximum 25 students (1 class) for each 45- to 60-minute session. Available Online! EXPLORING SHAKESPEARE'S THEMES Students explore through drama some of the issues and themes in Shakespeare's plays. The workshop can be custom-designed for: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet and Macbeth. Maximum 25 students (1 class) for each 45- to 60-minute session. Grades 5-8 Available Online! GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY Students enact scenes from various Greek and Roman myths using the creative drama strategy of tableaux, delving into the themes, morals, and context of these ancient tales. Maximum 25-30 students (1 class) for each 60-minute session. Multiple programs Available Online! ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS These workshops and residencies are designed to meet grade level Social Studies objectives and curriculum standards, and are available for a variety of eras and content areas. In these workshops, students explore key events and issues related to the topic you’ve selected through image theatre, tableaux, and related drama and music techniques. Recent Ancient Civilizations topics include: Julius Caesar and The Roman Republic; Dynastic China; Ancient Greece; The Aztecs. More are available, and we’re happy to design a program to fit your Social Studies curriculum! Maximum 25-30 students (1 class) for each 60-minute session. DRAMA GAMES FOR THE SCIENTIFIC BRAIN Students build content knowledge and vocabulary through experimentation and drama gaming. The workshops are designed to meet specific benchmarks and indicators. Please contact us so we can design a workshop for you! Recent workshops have dealt with such topics as Motion and Force; Tectonic Plates and Earthquakes; The Digestive System; Atoms and Elements. Music Grades 5-8 OPERABUILDING Students learn the basic elements of opera and explore how opera uses music and drama to tell a story. InterAct's General Director Ali Oliver leads students through this lyrical adventure. Maximum 25 students (1 class) for each 45- to 60-minute session. NOTE: This innovative and exciting workshop can also be a 3-5 day residency linking creative opera with writing skills called Operatunities for Writing. Grades 5-8 SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF WEST AFRICA Students are introduced to the instruments and sounds of West African music. Students play instruments and learn chants and songs. Maximum 25 students (1 class) for each 45-minute session. Grades 5-8 DRUM CIRCLE Students are given a hands-on multicultural experience by teaching them the basics of African palm drumming. Maximum 25 students (1 class) for each 45-minute session. Dance Grades 5-8 Available Online! A TASTE OF LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE In this action-packed dance travelogue of movement, chants and dance, students explore cultural traditions and customs of Latin America. Maximum 25 students (1 class) for each 45-minute session. Early Childhood Elementary School Middle & High School Students < Back to InterAct in Schools

Online Visiting Performance for MSAC review: Mama-San Stories Thank you for reviewing this online performance for addition to InterAct Story Theatre’s AiE Roster listing! InterAct Story Theatre has visiting performances for a wide range of educational and family audiences. This program was designed for students in grades PreK-1, some of whom are with a teacher in a classroom, and some of whom are at home with a family member. A tech sheet outlining the program coordination and tech rehearsal process is uploaded here; in addition to this tech packet, partner organizations also receive an electronic parent-educator resource/study guide and a link to a feedback form. Our website is currently being updated so this information will be easily accessible online. CLICK HERE FOR TECH PACKET CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

Community InterActions is a four-part podcast series exploring the impact of Covid-19 on the Wheaton area. Our Wheaton community is full of stories to tell, and we're telling just a few of them in this series. Click on an arrow below to listen to podcast episodes or you can also listen to podcast episodes on Spotify! Scroll Down Community InterActions Community InterActions Podcast Episodes Welcome to Community InterActions, a four-part podcast series exploring the impact of Covid-19 on the Wheaton area. Our Wheaton community is full of stories to tell, and we're telling just a few of them in this series. Community InterActions collects some of those stories and shares them through the words and voices of the people who are living them. This limited audio series will be taking a look at who we are in Wheaton, and focusing on some specific people in Wheaton who wanted to share their stories about the impact of the pandemic on their lives and livelihoods. Click here to navigate to our Virtual Gallery Explore the Virtual Gallery Click on an arrow below to listen to podcast episodes. Transcripts are available with each podcast episode below. We'd love to hear what you thought of our podcasts. Please fill-out this short survey to let us know! Community InterActions Podcast Episodes Episode 1: Who Is Wheaton? In this first installment, Ali Oliver-Krueger and Emily Townsend from InterAct Story Theatre begin by laying a foundation of the history of Wheaton, Wheaton's changing demographics and culture, Wheaton's economic landscape, and how all of these factors have contributed in the significant impact Covid-19 and its effects are having on this economically and racially diverse community. Click the PLAY arrow to begin Episode 1 Community InterActions Episode 1 InterAct Story Theatre 00:00 / 18:42 Click here for a transcript of Episode 1 in English Haga clic aquí para ver la transcripción del episodio 1 en español We'd love to hear what you thought of our podcast. Please fill-out this short survey to let us know! Community InterActions Podcast Episodes Episode 2: Pandemic and Food and Housing Insecurity Covid-19 and its effects impacted Wheaton residents in disparate and inequitable ways. For the most vulnerable, the shutdown created stark gaps in important services and lifelines, including food insecurity, and housing insecurity. Ali Oliver-Krueger and Emily Townsend look at the national picture and then share perspectives from local community advocates and community members who are taking action. NOTE: This episode was recorded before Governor Hogan announced lifting of the State of Emergency in Maryland on July 1, 2021. Click the PLAY arrow to begin Episode 2 Community InterActions Episode 2 InterAct Story Theatre 00:00 / 22:52 Click here for a transcript of Episode 2 in English Haga clic aquí para ver la transcripción del episodio 2 en español We'd love to hear what you thought of our podcast. Please fill-out this short survey to let us know! Community InterActions Podcast Episodes Episode 3: Pandemic and Small Businesses In this episode, Ali Oliver-Krueger and Emily Townsend discuss the impact of pandemic on small businesses, across the nation and in our local Wheaton-Kensington area. Ali talks with local business owners and community members on how the effects of the global pandemic have affected business at home. Click the PLAY arrow to begin Episode 3 Community InterActions Episode 3 InterAct Story Theatre 00:00 / 21:52 Click here for a transcript of Episode 3 in English We'd love to hear what you thought of our podcast. Please fill-out this short survey to let us know! Haga clic aquí para ver la transcripción del episodio 3 en español Community InterActions Podcast Episodes Episode 4: Pandemic and Making Art One of the sectors hit hardest by pandemic and facing the slowest recovery has been the arts and culture sector. As an Arts and Entertainment District, Wheaton not only is home to several artists and arts organizations, but also draws artists from nearby areas. In this episode, Ali Oliver-Krueger and Emily Townsend talk about the pandemic experience at InterAct Story Theatre, and talk with community artists and members of Wheaton arts organizations to get their unique perspective on pandemic times. Click the PLAY arrow to begin Episode 4 Community InterActions Episode 4 InterAct Story Theatre 00:00 / 39:01 Click here for a transcript of Episode 4 in English Haga clic aquí para ver la transcripción del episodio 4 en español We'd love to hear what you thought of our podcast. Please fill-out this short survey to let us know! This project was made possible by a grant from Maryland Humanities, with funding received from the Maryland Historical Trust in the Maryland Department of Planning. Maryland Humanities’ Grants Program is also supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and private funders. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Maryland Humanities, Maryland Historical Trust, Maryland Department of Planning, or National Endowment for the Humanities.

Master Classes, Clinics, and Lecture-Demonstrations for Performing Arts Students and Developing Artists Clinics & Master Classes When they are not teaching, many InterAct Story Theatre artists are creating artistic work and performing professionally with respected companies throughout the region. Several of our artists are directors of their own arts companies, and have won recognition and awards for their craft. A masterclass or clinic with an InterAct Story Theatre master artist can be a great way to help your arts students move forward, provide real-world professional insight and feedback on student work, or to pursue specific skills and topics in your theatre, music, or dance classes. For more information about specific topics, or to inquire into artist availability for master classes and clinics, please contact us or request more info ! REQUEST MORE INFO Sample Master Classes, Clinics, and Lecture-Demonstrations for Performing Arts Students and Developing Artists Master Class leaders and clinicians, and their areas of expertise: Kelly King , dancer, choreographer, and Artistic Director of Contradiction Dance and co-founder of The Movement Movement: choreography, modern dance Ali Oliver-Krueger , Executive/Artistic Director of InterAct Story Theatre: vocal music, theatre, acting/actor coaching, directing, audition preparation for actors and singers, playwriting, theatre management/arts administration. Tom Teasley , award-winning composer, world musician, and percussionist: world music, percussion, combining digital looping with live performance. Emily Townsend , Artistic Administrator, Literary Manager, and Resident Dramaturg of InterAct Story Theatre: dramaturgy, theatre criticism < Back to InterAct in Schools

Season 1 of Wheaton Family Theatre Series Wheaton Family Theatre Series Season 1: October, 2015 through February, 2016 The Hero of Everything October 2015 Kids and adults become superheroes for a day in this play about the importance of teamwork and the problems of trying to be The Captain of EVERYTHING. Diane Macklin November 2015 Have a hoppin’ good time with Master Storyteller Diane Macklin, sharing legendary tales of America’s folk heroes through this interactive, storytelling program for all ages. Drumming Through Time and Across Cultures December 2015 Join award-winning composer and percussionist Tom Teasley on a unique musical journey around the world, following the Silk Road from Italy to China and the Sugar Trade Route from Africa to the Americas in one unforgettable performance! Story Tapestries January 2016 Get ready to dance, sing, wiggle and giggle with the Giggling Wiggling Bookworm, Arianna Ross. Eat your fill of stories as the bookworm in you finds a new, exciting story to share. One Gold Coin - Una moneda de oro February 2016 An interactive, bilingual play for kids and families inspired by a Latin American story about the power of kindness and giving. One Gold Coin — Una moneda de oro tells the story of a great healer who comes to a village in El Salvador with a magical gold coin. Audience members "get into the act" right from their seats, singing, acting, and becoming the villagers of Regalo who see the coin pass through many hands as it works its magic. Season 6 Season 5 Season 4 Season 3 Season 2 Season 11 To keep up on the latest news about InterAct’s Wheaton Family Theatre Series Season 11 and get reminders about our next program dates, join our mailing list . We also invite you to check out our past seasons by clicking on any of the season buttons! < Back to Community Page Season 7 Season 8 Season 1 Season 9 Season 10