Happy Halloween!

Join us today at the Roger Williams Park Zoo - Spooky Zoo Event and meet Snow White's Evil Queen, Maleficent, and the Candy Witch!

Anti-bullying Summit featured in the PROJO!

Linda Borg, a staff writer for the Providence Journal provided coverage of the RI Anti-bullying Summit yesterday. Here is an excerpt from her article, "A new effort to block bullying in schools."

For Jamie Dellorco, the bullying began in seventh grade. Her classmates called her “Del Dorko” and said she was the ugliest girl in class. After two boys tried to push her down the stairs, her mother sent her to a private school. 'I tried to be invisible,' says Dellorco, education coordinator of Kaleidoscope Theatre. 'You start to believe what they say. You contemplate suicide.' Dellorco says she was one of the lucky ones. Things did get better. But there are still moments when she looks in the mirror and 'all I can see is the girl who wanted to be invisible... to read more, check out Projo Online!

(Photo: Jamie Dellorco portraying Snow White for Kaleidoscope Theatre.)

Anti-bullying Summit - Oct. 26th

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch announces that his office, along with four organizations, is hosting an Anti-Bullying Summit at the University of Rhode Island’ s Feinstein Providence Campus, 80 Washington Street, on Tuesday, October 26th, from 8AM to 3 PM. Lynch’ s Office, along with Kaleidoscope Theatre, PAVE (Partnership to Address Violence through Education), Horizon Enterprises, and CABINS (Committee Against Bullying in Schools) comprise the Anti-Bullying Summit Planning Committee that is proposing measures the entire state can take to prevent, control and eradicate bullying, intolerance and violence in Rhode Island’ s communities and schools.

Representatives from the majority of Rhode Island’ s cities and towns will brainstorm, discuss and arrive at a consensus about bullying and violence issues, with a goal toward creating a resolution for a uniform statewide anti-bullying policy. It is requested that each city or town be represented at the Summit by a team consisting of a teacher, principal or superintendent, police officer, the mayor or a designee, a parent, student and school committee member.

Randy Ross, M.S., M.A. will be the event’ s keynote speaker. An Equity & Diversity Specialist at the New England Equity Assistance Center, she focuses her work on the areas of school climate (including bullying and harassment), gender equity, cultural proficiency and social-emotional learning, and supports school districts in the development and implementation of comprehensive policies and procedures aimed at reducing bullying and harassment in school communities. Ms. Ross formerly
worked for the New Jersey Attorney General, in the Office of Bias Crime and Community Relations, and also served as coordinator for New Jersey Cares About Bullying, a statewide, state-sponsored campaign.

Lynch, who has made bullying prevention a centerpiece of his administration and who has visited at least one school a week during the academic year over the close to eight years he has served as attorney general, said, “ Bullying is a particularly cruel and vicious form of abuse that does great damage to its victims, sometimes with disastrous results. Bullies are especially at-risk
of ending up in our criminal justice system, whether as juveniles, adults or both. This Summit is a viable vehicle for students and adults from around the state to take action on protecting our children and teens from bullies who, through their behavior, pose a real threat to the victims they target.”

For its production of High School B.U.L.L.Y., Lynch accorded special recognition to Kaleidoscope Theatre with a 2009 Justice Award. The play was co-written by David G. Payton, the Theatre’ s Executive Director, and Marianne Douglas, President of Horizon Enterprises who are also the Co-Chairs of the Anti-Bullying Summit Planning Committee.

The Summit is also acting in partnership with URI’ s Feinstein Providence Campus and the Third Eye YCW Project.

For questions or further information, please contact Moses Saygbe, Crime Prevention Specialist at the Department of Attorney General, 274-4400, X2469, or email info@Anti-BullyingSummit.com.

This Week - The Frog Prince!

For audiences in Massachusetts – You can see this wonderful production on Sunday, October 10th at the North Shore Musical Children’s Theatre in Saugus, MA. For tickets to the show in Saugus, please call 781.230.EXPO or
email Grouptixne@aol.com. Tickets are $9 in advance and $12 day of show and include a free healthy snack!

Kaleidoscope’s monthly series in Rhode Island continues on October 16, 2010, at the Scottish Rites Auditorium (2115 Broad St. Cranston, RI), with “The Frog Prince.” Showtime is 2:00pm and admission is
$10 in advance and $12 on the day of the performance for stadium seating and $8 in advance and $10 day of show for floor seating. For this performance only, Kaleidoscope will be offering a special 2 for 1 ticket deal! If you pay for your tickets in advance, you can get one free ticket for every one you buy! Contact our office at (401) 942-3637 to purchase your tickets!

Show synopsis:

Splash! Young Prince Noble is having a really bad day –

a smelly Gypsy woman is in love with him, he gets pushed down

a well, and then he’s transformed into an icky green frog! Now

instead of traveling the land looking for a beautiful wife,

he's short, green, and hoping to catch a fly for dinner, as he

laments in the humorous song  "Whenever I see a Fly".

Will Prince Noble learn a lesson in humility and win the lovely

Princess Cassandra’s heart with the beautiful ballad "How I

Love This Feeling?" Join us on October 10th and watch as plots

twist, stories intertwine, and all the characters discover that

Happy Endings can happen when you least expect them!

Kaleidoscope Theatre’s Education Coordinator, Jamie Dellorco recently interviewed two members of the cast, Bob Macaux and Emily Staples, about their experiences with “The Frog Prince.” Bob and Emily play Prince Henry and Princess Ariana in the show and have done so for many years now. (See photo.)

Q: When did you first start performing in “The Frog Prince”?
Bob: I began touring with this production in 2005.
Emily: I started in the summer of 2007 after I performed as one of the 3 good fairies in “Sleeping Beauty” the summer before.

Q: What is your favorite thing about working on this production?
Bob: I enjoy getting to perform in a musical and to practicing my acting skills.
Emily: I like being a part of a team and getting to work with all the other actors.

Q: Do you have a favorite scene in the show?
Bob: I like the scene at the beginning when I harass Anya, the Gypsy Queen, and she chases me off the stage.
Emily: My favorite is when Prince Henry and I find out that he is a prince so our characters can get married after all!

Come see Bob and Emily’s favorite scenes and chose a scene of your own on October 16th! Call (401) 942-3637 to buy your tickets!

Kaleidoscope at Roger Williams Park Zoo!

Kaleidoscope will be supplying characters for two of the Zoo's upcoming October events! We're so excited to be asked to participate again in the Jack-o-Lantern event and also the Spooky Zoo day time events. Check out the Zoo's website for more information about the events in general, but here is a list of dates and times our characters will be at the ZOO!

Jack-o-Lanterns
Thursday, October 7th
6pm-8pm - Little Miss Muffet and Mother Goose  /   7:30pm-9:30pm - Cinderella
Friday, October 8th
7:30pm-9:30pm  - Alice in Wonderland, Queen of Hearts, Mad Hatter
Saturday, October 9th
6pm-8pm - Little Red and the Wolf    /   7:30pm-9:30pm - Cinderella
Sunday, October 10th
7:30pm-9:30pm - Snow White, Evil Queen, Prince
Friday, October 15th
6pm-8pm - Mother Goose, Little Miss Muffet, Little Bo Peep Saturday, October 16th
7:30pm-9:30pm – Pinocchio, Blue Fairy, Gepetto
Thursday, October 21st
6pm – 8pm - Cinderella, Stepmother, Fairy Godmother
Friday, October 22nd
6pm-8pm - Snow White    /   7:30pm-9:30pm – Cinderella, Fairy Godmother
Saturday, October 23rd
6pm-8pm – Cinderella   /   7:30pm-9:30pm- Blue Fairy, Pinocchio
Friday, October 29th
6pm-8pm – Cinderella, Stepmother, Fairy Godmother
Saturday, October 30th
7:30pm-9:30pm - The Blue Fairy, The Fairy Godmother, Tinkerbelle

Spooky Zoo Event

Sunday, October 24th
10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm -  Characters are TBD

Saturday, October 30th
10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm - Characters are The Blue Fairy, The Fairy Godmother, Tinkerbelle

Sunday, October 31st
10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm – The Witch from “Hansel & Gretel”, Wicked Queen from “Snow White”, and Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty”

Locally Grown - Locally Given

Support the efforts of Kaleidoscopian Santana Roberts to support the local food bank on September 25th!

The Magic of Story Time

On September 18, 2010, at the Scottish Rites Auditorium (2115 Broad St. Cranston, RI), Kaleidoscope Theatre will perform the musical production The Magic of Story Time. Showtime is 2:00pm and admission is $10 in advance and $12 on the day of the performance for stadium seating and $8 in advance and $10 day of show for floor seating. This production will feature the beautiful Cinderella and Snow White! Audience members can join these two lovely princesses (and their handsome princes) as they tell the magical stories of how they first met and fell in love! For ticket reservations and more information, please call Kaleidoscope Theatre at (401) 942-3637.

Kaleidoscope Theatre's The Magic of Story Time is an original combination of the traditional stories of Snow White and Cinderella. Both princesses will read their classic tales of romance and adventure and sing fan-favorite songs from the David G. Payton version of the full-length fairytale productions. Stories and songs are taken directly from Kaleidoscope Theatre’s Fairytale Musical Series and include material from Snow White, Cinderella, Cinderella’s Wedding, and Jack and the Beanstalk. After the show, all four characters will be on hand to meet the audience, sign autographs, and pose for pictures.

Cast members are Cinderella (Meredyth Waterman of Cranston, RI); her Prince Charming (Brendan Macera of Cranston); Snow White (Jamie Dellorco of Franklin, MA); and her Prince (Dan Larson of Smithfield, RI). Creative and technical staff include Kaleidoscope Theatre’s Executive Director (David G. Payton of Cranston, RI); Kaleidoscope’s Managing Director (Bob Zannini of Cranston, RI); Stage Manager (Nicole Frechette of Lincoln, RI); Sound Engineer (Adam Ramsey of Cranston, RI); and Assistant Stage Manager/Projectionist (Diondra Perillo of Johnston, RI).

MY FIRST BLOG by David G. Payton

I remember my parents calling me and asking me why the video recorder kept flashing 12-12-12. Now it’s my turn. I am much older now and it’s not the video recorder but the internet that sometimes baffles me. I have a great deal more empathy for my parents and their predicament with the video recorder now. Amazing how long it takes us to learn that there will always be new technology that will test us as we grow older.

Anyway, here I am trying to write my first BLOG! I can hear the laughter of even our youngest member of Kaleidoscope Theatre as they read this. I don’t care. I love laughter and if it’s at my expense, so be it. I will do my best to tell you all about Kaleidoscope and its impact on me.

Bob Zannini, still our Managing Director, came up with the name ‘kaleidoscope’ for our theatre company. We wanted it to be colorful, always changing and fun. When I was a student at Rhode Island College, Ann Colannino, my critic teacher when doing my student teaching at Central High School, was very encouraging and supportive and became our first Artistic Director. Our goal was to produce productions that would aid teachers in dealing with the really sensitive and difficult topics that were becoming evident in the ‘70’s’. Yes, that’s right, the ‘70’s’!

What was then referred to as ‘mainstreaming’ but has now become ‘inclusion’ was beginning in Rhode Island. Schools wanted a play that would educate the students all ready in the school to better understand what was going to happen when a ‘retarded’ child was mainstreamed into their school. We have come a long way in the last 30 years. We don’t refer to anyone now as the ‘retarded’ child. We say that, first and foremost, they are person, a person with a disability, who is now included in the school. Today there is even a justifiable mission to exclude the ‘R’ word totally from our contemporary vocabulary.

In 1979 we created a play called, ‘I’m Special - You’re Special’ which received numerous awards and was chosen to represent the USA in 1989 at an International Down Syndrome convention in Jerusalem, Israel. Over the years, ‘I’m Special’ went through many changes. The most recent, totally eliminating the word ‘retard’ from the script. It still is a viable production which teaches understanding and acceptance and parents and teachers still want it performed in schools.

When “I’m Special’ was first created we had an actor with no disability playing the part of David Brown, the main character in the play. We always give feedback sheets to teachers so they can evaluate what we do and how we do it. For the first five years of touring we gradually received more and more feedback sheets coming in where teachers wanted us to ‘practice what we preach’. We stated in the play that given the same opportunities as others people with disabilities can do just as much and often just as well as anyone else. I had a lot to learn…..still do!

I had no idea if what I was espousing was true. The only way to find out was to listen to what the teachers were asking for and try to see if it could be done. I needed an actor who reflected the learning disabilities of David Brown but who could play the part. I made one phone call to the Northern RI Association for Retarded Citizens, now called Homestead, and found not only the perfect actor but also a good friend, Bill Sousa.

Bill was about 18 years old and working on an assembly line at the center while also taking part in activities provided by the ARC. He was very verbal and, as I was to find out, quite intelligent and talented. He was a member of the ARC Singers and since we do include music in most, if not all, of our shows that was a plus.

Vince Petronio, an actor with our company, and I went to Woonsocket to audition Bill. (We called him Billy then as most everyone did. After a few years of working with us he asked us to call him Bill as he felt he was too old to be called ‘Billy’. Smart young man.) Vince and I met an articulate, although there was a slight speech impediment that sometimes made it difficult to understand him onstage, and very friendly young man. He could read, write and understand everything we said. Imagine, I found that amazing. Today, it is accepted and often expected of those with Down Syndrome. I didn’t realize it then but I was beginning a truly exciting and wonderful journey that would make me realize that what people say about the real person being on the inside not the outside is so very, very true.

Needless to say, Bill’s mother, Janice, was quite skeptical. Who are these people who want to put my son onstage? Luckily, she and husband, Ralph, decided to give us a chance to prove that what we wanted Bill to do was indeed possible. She and Bill came to many rehearsals and Janice traveled with us to every performance for the first year or so. Janice rewarded us by eventually allowing Bill to travel on his own without her. A very difficult thing for a parent to do, but she realized he was capable and needed to do this on his own.

Most, if not all, of the actors, including myself, had never met someone like Bill. We were anxious to get to know him and he felt the same. I don’t remember how we discovered it but we found out that Bill was not only an excellent reader but also an excellent speller. On one occasion we were all traveling in the van to a show and we started to ask Bill to spell different words. We kept trying to find more and more difficult words for him to spell but we couldn’t stump him. This went on for some time and eventually Bill stated to all of us loudly and clearly, ‘I have had e-n-o-u-g-h!’ We all laughed and thought that was a really clever way to tell us to stop and from that moment on we never again asked him to spell anything for us. Bill had begun his teaching of us.

Bill’s speech problem was interfering with his being able to be understood all the time while onstage. We created what we called the ‘echo effect’. We simply found a way to repeat what Bill had said if we thought it was not going to be clearly understood by our audiences. It worked perfectly. We found a way to make it work and we have used this realization to find ways to make it work for our actors with other disabilities as well. We had learned that there is always a way. Thanks, Bill.

After each school performance, if there is time, we always try to open it up for questions from the audience. One of the questions that was often asked of Bill was - ‘Are you really retarded?’ It was not asked in malice but rather out of the child’s natural curiosity and innocence. For so many of our audience members this was the first time they interacted or even saw a person with Down Syndrome on stage. Bill always dispelled the misguided fears and misunderstandings some people have of persons with disabilities through his performances so well that quite often it was difficult for some to believe he was actually a person with Down Syndrome.

Herein lies the rub, Bill did not feel that he was ‘retarded’ so he would often answer, ‘No.’ when asked if he was. I would quickly jump up and add that because the word retard means ‘slow’ and Bill does so many things we do just as well if not better, he feels that he is not retarded but just happens to be a person with Down Syndrome.

In the early 80’s inclusion was so new and frightening to so many that those with Down Syndrome sensed the fear and just like anyone else wanted to fit in. Bill wanted to be accepted for himself and not to be identified by a disability. Eventually, Bill answered the question with “Yes, I am retarded. I have Down Syndrome but that doesn’t stop me from doing anything I want to do.” It never did.

It wasn’t always a bed of roses. Bill was socially inexperienced. Not having been in an inclusion program in school Bill was not always able to understand what was appropriate behavior. Especially when it came to girls. Bill really liked girls and was always on the lookout for a girlfriend. Quite often, a teacher or woman in the audience would come up to him after a performance and give him a hug. Sometimes Bill didn’t want to let go. In the beginning, when his Mom wasn’t around, there might be a pretty, young teacher who would give Bill a kiss on the cheek and he would quickly reciprocate with a kiss on her lips. That created a bit of a furor but we realized that someone needed to talk with Bill about his behavior if he wanted to continue touring with us. His Dad took charge and we never had another problem in that respect again.

After a couple of years of touring to schools with “I’m Special” Bill felt ready to do more. We were coming back from a show in early spring and most of the cast were talking about the summer fairytale touring we were about to do. Bill tapped me on the shoulder and asked what part he would have that summer. I suddenly realized that yet again, we had been saying: ‘…given the chance a person with disabilities can do whatever we all can do’ and here was Bill asking a perfectly natural question. I started that summer to write parts which people with disabilities could play in our summer tours. I couldn’t change the plot of the fairytales we were performing but I could create ancillary characters that would aid the heros and heroines. If not for Bill’s simple question that day our audiences would never have experienced all the fantastic performances our actors with disabilities have provided for them. Thanks, Bill, for helping me ‘practice what I preach’ and for opening my eyes in so many ways.

Kaleidoscope strives to open doors for actors with disabilities and, hopefully, provides all of our actors with the opportunity to work with and learn from one another. Bill unfortunately passed on this year but his spirit, humor and the lessons he taught us will always be with us. His physical presence will be sorely missed but he put us on the road to where we are today and we appreciate his talents and kindness more than ever. Quite often, as the touring day would wear on, I would announce to the cast, “I’m hungry!’ whereupon Bill would always respond with, “I’m Bill!” Corny? Yes. But it always brought a smile to our faces. Thank goodness there’s a little bit of ‘Bill’ in all of us.

Thanks for reading my first blog. Hope you like it

~ David

Tickets now onsale!

Our monthly series in Saugus, MA will continue into the fall and now Kaleidoscope will be holding a monthly series of their own at the Scottish Rites Auditorium in Cranston, RI! We will be presenting a different fairytale musical each month all year round and we hope you can join us! Tickets for the stadium seats will be $10 in advance and $12 day of show. For the floor, tickets will be $8 in advance and $10 at the door. To reserve your tickets, please call Kaleidoscope Theatre at (401) 942-3637.

Here’s the line-up!

* Saturday, September 18th at 2pm – The Magic of Story Time

* Saturday, October 16th at 2pm – The Frog Prince

* Saturday, November 6th at 2pm – Snow White
* Saturday, December 4th at 2pm – Cinderella’s Christmas

The first show is The Magic of Story Time - Come join Cinderella, Snow White, and their handsome princes as they retell the magical stories of how they met. Stories and songs are taken directly from Kaleidoscope Theatre’s Fairytale Musical Series and include material from Snow White, Cinderella, Cinderella’s Wedding and Jack and the Beanstalk.

Last Day to Vote!

It's the last day to vote for Marianne's program.... Let's see what we can do!


Text* 101886 to Pepsi (73774) AND go online to register your votes and help move Marianne towards the top!

THANKS!
~ The Kaleido-Staff

Anti-bullying Summit - Oct. 26th

Kaleidoscope Theatre will be participating in a state-wide anti-bullying conference in October. Kaleidoscope is partnering with the RI Attorney General's Office, Horizon Enterprises (Strategies for Success), PAVE (Partnership to Address Violence through Education), and CABINS (Committee Against Bullying In Schools) to make this worthwhile event a reality. The members of the Rhode Island Anti-bullying Summit Planning Committee are committed to engage a unified effort on measures the entire state of Rhode Island can take to prevent, control, and eradicate bullying, intolerance, and violence in our cities, towns, and schools. Each city and town in Rhode Island has been asked to send representatives to this event... check out the planning committee's website as we get closer to the summit to see if your town has stepped up to the plate and made a commitment to end bullying in your community.

August Newsletter

Our summer tour is wrapping up… but don’t worry, we have a lot of exciting events on tap for the fall!

For a complete list of our upcoming performances, check out our website at:

www.kaleidoscopechildrenstheatre.com!

For up-to-date information about Kaleidoscope Theatre, you can also check out our two online blogs at:

www.kscopetheatre.blogspot.com (for general news)

www.kaleidonews.blogspot.com (for our members)

For pictures and video clips (old and new) come visit us on MySpace at www.myspace.com/kaleidoscopetheatre or find us on YouTube or Facebook!

In this issue you can read about:

1. VOTE TO HELP STOP BULLYING

2. JACK & THE BEANSTALK

3. FALL FAIRYTALE SERIES

4. BULLY AUDITIONS

 Thanks so much for joining us on tour this summer. We’ve had a wonderful time and we hope you did too! 

Now on tour... Jack & the Beanstalk!

Come help Jack believe in himself and climb to the top of the beanstalk!

* Wednesday, August 18th at the Cape Cod Melody Tent, 11:00am
* Thursday, August 19th at the South Shore Music Circus, 10:30am
* Friday, August 20th at the North Shore Music Theatre, 10:00am
* Tuesday, August 24th at Rhode Island College, 11:00am

This Week at RIC - RAPUNZEL!

Rapunzel is a magical musical based upon the famous fairytale where a young girl is kept in a tower by a comical and bumbling witch and the only way in is by climbing Rapunzel's beautiful and extremely long hair.
This enchanting adaptation closely follows the classic and timeless tale we all know and love. Lovely and lively songs create a mood of enchantment and romance as Rapunzel meets her true love and is rescued from her tower with help from the audience. It is a delightful experience the entire family will enjoy and remember!





Tickets for this Tuesday's performance are still available for the advanced $10 price. All you need to do is call the RIC Box Office today (Monday) between 10am and 4pm. See you Tuesday!

Pocahontas tomorrow - FREE!!!

Kaleidoscope will be performing “Pocahontas” on Saturday, August 14th at 4pm. This event is free and open to the public courtesy of the Roger Williams National Memorial in Downtown Providence. The memorial will be hosting this event outside near the historic site of Roger Williams’ house. Bring a blanket, pack some snacks, and join us for a wonderful evening! (There will be a Providence Waterfire after the performance.) The Memorial is located at 282 North Main Street in Providence, RI.

Our version of “Pocahontas” is historically accurate and follows the life of Pocahontas from when she meets John Smith and the English colonists, to her marriage to John Rolfe, and her journey to England.

Come join Pocahontas as she teaches the audience about preserving nature and respecting the circle of life!