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Wheaton Family Theatre Series
Season 7: 2021—2022
The Wheaton Family Theatre Series is a FREE public performing arts series for kids and families. With theatres and live performances not yet open in the first half of 2021, we discovered creative ways to bring the Series to life virtually for Season 6. As sad as we were not to see everyone in person, we embraced the challenge to be creative and found a whole new way to celebrate theatre for kids and families in Wheaton. Season 7 of InterAct's Wheaton Family Theatre Series emjoyed both an in-person return to Wheaton but also celebrated our virtual performance opportunities for our communities.
Thanks to the partnership support of Highland Elementary School and support from a plethora of community members; and funding from Maryland State Arts Council, Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Nora Roberts Foundation, and individual and corporate donors. Support also provided by a grant from the Greater Washington Community Foundation.
To keep up on the latest news about InterAct’s Wheaton Family Theatre Series Season 7 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!
Karim Nagi: ARABIQA!
Drums and Dances from
the Arab World
April, 2022
Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed.
Join Egyptian-American musician and dancer Karim Nagi for an engaging, witty performance spotlighting Arabic music, dance, and culture. Karim shares the unique sounds and histories of percussion and string instruments, demonstrates dynamic folk dances, teaches vocabulary and geography, and gives an uplifting impression of Arab culture. All ages.
Karim Nagi appears courtesy of Artivate
5th Annual KidStory
Theatre Festival
A Theatrical Celebration of Stories Written by Kids for Kids
May 2022
Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed.
All year long, InterAct Story Theatre artists create stories with kids, and invite kids 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 our InterActors. We can’t wait to see what kids dream up each year! Best for ages 3 and up.
Cantaré
MUCHA MÚSICA - A Musical Journey to Latin America
September, 2021
Virtual Program!
Cantaré, Latin American Music introduces audiences to the beautiful songs and rhythms of Latin America in an exciting interactive performance. Drawing from the musical heritage of the Caribbean, Central and South America, Cantaré performs songs in Spanish and Portuguese, while sharing the music’s cultural and historical background. All ages.
Cantaré: Cecilia Esquivel and Dani Cortaza appear courtesy of Artivate
Past programs:
Alex and Olmsted
Milo the Magnificent
October, 2021
Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed.
Alex and Olmsted’s Milo the Magnificent is a highly engaging puppet show about an aspiring magician. This wordless comedy, inspired by turn of the century vaudeville entertainers, is as highly physical as it is charming. Using stunningly innovative puppetry, Milo presents a variety of magic tricks which don’t always go as planned. Milo the Magnificent, was awarded a 2017 Jim Henson Foundation Grant, a Greenbelt Community Foundation Grant, and received an excellent mention in the New York Times. Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas are also proud company members of Happenstance Theater with whom they have created 10 productions since 2012. Great for all ages!
Photo by Sean Dennie
Urban Artistry
Let the Rhythm Hit Em
November, 2021
Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed.
Learn about the music and dance cultures that stem from various African American communities across the United States. Although these urban and hip-hop dance communities transpired amidst struggles and adversity, they have inspired a global commonwealth of artists, practitioners and creatives. In this presentation, we celebrate the diverse communities and influences that contribute to urban dance culture through music and dance. The emcee, DHG and dancers tell the story of where, when and how these dance styles were developed through storytelling, dance demonstrations, call-and-response games and interactive dance workshops. Dance styles in the presentation can include Memphis Jookin, locking, popping, breakin’ house dance, waacking and hip-hip. We are eager to engage an audience of all ages in celebrating the freedom to express ourselves, cultivate self-worth and respectfully hold space on and off the dance floor for each other. All ages!
Synetic Theater
The Miraculous Magical Balloon
December, 2021
Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed.
A series of hilarious pantomime sketches incorporates music, ballet, clowning, and audience participation in this theatre assembly. In The Miraculous Magical Balloon, students will discover the art of acting without words, opening the door to their imaginations. Expressed through body and facial masks, pantomime illusions, and unique choreography, The Miraculous Magical Balloon tells a wonderful story of a traveling actor and his magical trunk of tricks and toys.
Books Alive
with Ali Oliver-Krueger
January, 2022
This January, celebrate the start of the New Year as InterAct Story Theatre’s Artistic Director, Ali Oliver-Krueger leads kids and adults in exploring a favorite folk tale together through movement, drama, and song. Everyone’s a part of the story in this Family Arts Workshop! Best for ages 3 and up.
Dancing with Change:
Gotta Go! Gotta Go!
with Kelly King
Live Virtual Performance open to the public!
Kelly King, InterAct Story Theatre teaching artist and founder of The Movement Movement, brings us together during this time of change...through dance! We all know how to dance with change--we do it with every step we take. We will use the delightful book "Gotta Go! Gotta Go!" by Sam Swope to guide us on our journey. So, let’s come together and get moving. Together, we’ll create a dance just for us with movements based on the migration journey of monarch butterflies. No prior dance training needed...just bring your body and get ready to move! Best for ages 3 and up.
February, 2022
Silly Smarts:
Folktales from Japan
performed by Ali Oliver-Krueger
March, 2022
Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed.
In this funny and heartwarming story theatre program, InterAct Story Theatre's Artistic Director Ali Oliver-Krueger shares two traditional Japanese mukashibanashi (Long Ago Stories) from her childhood in Japan. Audience members get into the act from where they sit, singing and becoming characters in the stories. Best for ages 3 and up. Fun for the whole family!
